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Spider-Man 4 Scrapped, Franchise Reboot Planned

derGoldstein writes "Yesterday we discussed which sci-fi should get the reboot treatment next. If you consider Spider-Man as 'proper sci-fi,' then it would appear that's the answer. 'Sony Pictures decided today to reboot the Spider-Man franchise after Sam Raimi pulled out of Spider-Man 4 because he felt he couldn't make its summer release date and keep the film's creative integrity. This means that Raimi and the cast including star Tobey Maguire are out. There will be no Spider-Man 4. Instead, the studio will focus on a reboot script by Jamie Vanderbilt with a new director and a new cast.'" Perhaps Raimi is too busy working on other projects.

536 comments

  1. Reboot how? by suso · · Score: 1

    How would they reboot it? I mean the first movie kinda takes care of the back story.

    1. Re:Reboot how? by Rhaban · · Score: 5, Insightful

      reboot to match todays youth preferences: think twilight in 3d.

    2. Re:Reboot how? by click2005 · · Score: 0, Troll

      But the first movie didn't do the film in an edgy new way... Or just find some actor who is
      going to die so they can exploit the crap out of it.
      Maybe they could use the 3D they did for the pocahantas/smurf movie recently.

      --
      I am a free slashdotter. I will not be modded, blogged, DRM'd, patented, podcasted or RFID'd. My life is my own.
    3. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lame....

    4. Re:Reboot how? by Trent+Hawkins · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ah, finally. What all fans have been waiting for since the first spider man... MECHANICAL WEBSHOOTERS!

    5. Re:Reboot how? by navygeek · · Score: 4, Informative

      I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

    6. Re:Reboot how? by happy_place · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Typically, a hollywood reboot means, "Grittier and darker". Realistic violence and a strong adult theme. Peter Parker can't just be tormented by his parent's death and angst ridden/repressed by Mary Jane's repeated attempts to ignore him, he must be really conflicted--perhaps they'll have him kill Aunt May. Also, Toby MacGuire is just too nice. They need an actor who looks like he kills babies and stomps on puppies to play Peter Parker. (eyes-rolling)...

      --
      http://www.beanleafpress.com
    7. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 5, Insightful

      'Reboot,' in Hollywood-speak, means "Forget cannon. Forget the comics. Forget everything. Get a focus group of our target demographic and ask them what they want. Get a committee of corporate hack writers to write what's going to sell." Hollywood is lazy and incredibly risk-averse. They do not create art, they create vapid, bland, and safe pablum for the masses. They take art, and turn it into raw sewage. The occasional good movie that slips out is an anomaly. They will then take that rare good movie and turn it into raw sewage in sequels. Hollywood wants to create the sure thing, the thing that everyone will pay to see. They don't want to take risks on stories no one's heard of before, so the will continue raping the corpse of any successful franchise until the fans turn away in horror. Then they will 'reboot' its desecrated corpse.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    8. Re:Reboot how? by BlackSnake112 · · Score: 1

      That bugged me a bit as well with the spider-man movies. The web shooters issues are a issue in the comics and should have been left in for the movies. The web shooters failing/not working correctly can be funny/tragic and add to the movie like they do in the comics.

    9. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you mean Toby MacGuire is typecast as playing nice guys.

    10. Re:Reboot how? by Talderas · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mel Gibson?

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
    11. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      In this case, if they can manage to forget whatever it was that induced them to create the awfulness that was Spider-Man 3, they might actually have a chance at producing something halfway decent...

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    12. Re:Reboot how? by Pojut · · Score: 1

      Completely off topic.

      Dude, your drawing style is awesome. I'm gonna pick up one or two of your books, my fiance loves stuff like this:-)

    13. Re:Reboot how? by happy_place · · Score: 1

      Or Clint Eastwood... as he is now... grizzled and angry, that might enough angst. We slashdotters really ought to write a screenplay! ;)

      --
      http://www.beanleafpress.com
    14. Re:Reboot how? by nomadic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That bugged me a bit as well with the spider-man movies. The web shooters issues are a issue in the comics and should have been left in for the movies. The web shooters failing/not working correctly can be funny/tragic and add to the movie like they do in the comics.

      That would be way too implausible, even for the Spider-Man movies; a high school kid develops something that material scientists would take years to create in a high-tech lab if they could at all?

    15. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The comic reboots all the time with ret-con. It is part of the reason I don't collect comics. Color me crazy, but I want a story that I can read from beginning to end, that will form a coherent arc. Both TV and comics are mediums where you are intersted in getting to the next issue. Usually, people aren't intersted in telling a complete story.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    16. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Warner Brothers flat out said the next Superman needed to be dark and mimic The Dark Knight. Apparently they can't grasp that Superman and Batman are different characters.

      Robert Pattison (or whatever that Twilight actor's name) is likely the next, emo, brooding, dark Peter Parker.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    17. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 5, Funny

      How much do you want to bet that Spiderman is going to be a broody, angsty teen who sparkles. He won't have been bitten by a radioactive spider, he will come from an ancient race of spider-men, and he is the true heir to the spider throne. Mary Jane will be some sort of mystical, prophesied Queen of the Spiders. There will, of course, be two breeds of spider-men, the web-spinners and the wolf-spiders, the first for pre-teen girls who like safe, clean looking guys, the second for pre-teen girls who like their guys scraggly and dangerous looking.

      Oh God, excuse me, I think I've just made myself sick.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    18. Re:Reboot how? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Easily explained by the spider bite giving him some kind of insight that the scientists don't have.

      Hey, if he can sense the immediate future and climb on walls why not?

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    19. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      With comics it's different. Reboots happen after a franchise has run its course and there isn't anywhere sensible left to go. Nobody does three comics and then reboots the series. You do get a decent story arc before any reboots in comic-land.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    20. Re:Reboot how? by Sockatume · · Score: 5, Insightful

      God forbid they breach the cannon of Spider-Man.

      "Reboot" means what it means, no more, no less. The last comic-book reboot was Batman Begins, a full-hearted plunge into the spirit and fiction of the original that terminated an increasingly lost and bewildered series of films.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    21. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Or Clint Eastwood... as he is now... grizzled and angry, that might enough angst.

      We slashdotters really ought to write a screenplay! ;)

      Spider-man with a walker....hmmmmmm.

    22. Re:Reboot how? by AttillaTheNun · · Score: 3, Informative

      Chuck Norris. grizzled, angry and full of kick ass.

    23. Re:Reboot how? by Brian+Edwards · · Score: 1

      Spider-Boy???

    24. Re:Reboot how? by happy_place · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Heh. Too true. Emo and vampires fits kid fantasies these days... As if they could screw up Superman any worse than they did with the last movie? Well, leave it to the WB to give it a go. Every comic character must have a dark psychoses, just brooding angst upon layer of angry rage. That's the generation we live in, the angry children, victims of their parent's success, because they couldn't pull more than a D in English so mom took the I-pod and cut off their internet connection. I can't wait for Marvel to release a "darker" revamped version of Power Pack ...

      --
      http://www.beanleafpress.com
    25. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      I don’t recognise most of that, but what I didn’t recognise smells an awful lot like Twilight, which I wouldn’t recognise because I haven’t seen...

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    26. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think I've just made myself sick.

      Here.. throw up over this academy award because your writing is easily worthy of winning a few.

    27. Re:Reboot how? by maxume · · Score: 1

      I like how given the current state of scientific knowledge either way is pretty much fantasy, but one is apparently more believable.

      Oh, it could happen that the web shooters are located entirely conveniently and don't worry much about metabolism, but it could never be that he gained the knowledge/insight to build them.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    28. Re:Reboot how? by Razalhague · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Seriously, it's only got an uptime of 8 years, it doesn't need to be rebooted yet!

    29. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I'm one of the few that rather liked the last Superman film. The major problem was a lack of action, and a ridiculous plot hole at the end (landing on the kryptonite land mass nearly killed him, but later he can lift a giant kryptonite continent with no problems).

      I think Singer absolutely loves Superman, and did the character justice. He is a giant boy scout who feels ultimately alone. Superman's weaknesses extend past Kryptonite. Superman's powers can't help with Louis leaving him. But in having a kid, he suddenly doesn't feel as alone.

      The Donner Superman films dealt with Marlon Brando saying goodbye to his son, who he sends to Earth. I thought Singer's Superman did a good job of integrating Brando's father/son arc.

      People forget but Singer's first X-Men film didn't have good action. The second was CONSIDERABLY better. I would have liked to see Singer get a second shot at Superman.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    30. Re:Reboot how? by russotto · · Score: 1

      Reboot,' in Hollywood-speak, means "Forget cannon. Forget the comics. Forget everything. Get a focus group of our target demographic and ask them what they want.

      Which, in this case, is Zachary Quinto (Sylar) as the Green Goblin. You heard it here first.

    31. Re:Reboot how? by AmigaMMC · · Score: 1
      Perhaps Spider Man 2099 ?
      It would be in line with today's trend of dark futuristic movies.

      The first year of that comic wasn't bad at all, I still have them all.

    32. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you seen the previews for Brothers?

    33. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Looks like someone didn't like Batman Begins.

    34. Re:Reboot how? by D+Ninja · · Score: 1

      I tend to agree with you which is why I try to keep an eye out for other, interesting work being done independently. If I could make a recommendation, please check out Ink. It was released in 2009 straight to DVD because they couldn't find anybody to help them bring it to the big screen. Very interesting plot, excellent actors, etc. Also, it's available free from Hulu if you would like to watch it that way (or off of Netflix).

      I really enjoyed the movie, and I'm always open to other suggestions as well.

    35. Re:Reboot how? by PitaBred · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's one of the reasons I enjoy anime TV series and manga. Many times they have a single story, they tell it, and it's over. Just look at things like Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, etc.

    36. Re:Reboot how? by 0WaitState · · Score: 1

      Brilliant! You need to get yourself an agent.

      --

      Remain calm! All is well!
    37. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or just him being the supergenius that he is. So long as the script actually has him act smart.

    38. Re:Reboot how? by MadJo · · Score: 1

      Quick, anyone got the phone-numbers of the writers of Star Trek. They have done a reboot now, I'm sure we could get them to write our next blockbuster!

    39. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He said looks like.

    40. Re:Reboot how? by schon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It goes deeper than that.

      Removal of mechanical web shooters (and Peter's bug/trackers that key to his "spider sense") are examples of the shift of Spider Man's portrayal of science as a neutral force used by both good and evil, to an evil corrupting influence that only those of exceptional character can withstand.

      In the comics (and 60's TV show) Peter is a budding scientist that becomes a superhero. His foes that use science/technology are already well on the path to "evil" long before they encounter the circumstances that turn them into supervillains. Science is portrayed as a neutral force that can be harnessed by good and evil alike.

      In the movies, Peter is just a "nerd" who gets corrupted by science, and it's only by indirectly causing the death of his uncle that he gains the moral character to overcome the corrupting influence of science and become a force for good - although it's a battle he has to wage constantly. His foes? They are all good-natured individuals that become evil only because of the corrupting influence of science. Some are able to eventually fight the evil of science and become good again, and prove they are good by sacrificing themselves at the last minute.

      I sincerely hope that any "reboot" of the series will bring back the tone of the comics.

    41. Re:Reboot how? by Svippy · · Score: 1

      'Reboot,' in Hollywood-speak, means "Forget cannon. Forget the comics. Forget everything. Get a focus group of our target demographic and ask them what they want. Get a committee of corporate hack writers to write what's going to sell."

      Emphasis mine

      I realise you misspelt 'canon' there, but I would like to remind you that a 'reboot' typically means more cannons.

      --
      Clicked pie.
    42. Re:Reboot how? by fredjh · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not only that, but it was probably the first Superhero live action movie since the first Superman: The Movie to be pretty good...

      After all the sucky superhero movies, Spiderman showed us you can actually do these things "right," leading to the newer Batman, Superman, and even a MUCH better Hulk movie, and Iron Man.

      I'm not a huge comic fan, so I know those hardcore fans whine about things not being exactly right (and hey, keep whining, I've got no problem with that), so I pretty much enjoyed them.

      But Spiderman was done right... even 2 and 3 were pretty good, so I think this is pretty sad.

      --
      Stupid, sexy Flanders.
    43. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Full Metal Alchemist

      They rebooted that one. Even the Japanese aren't safe :P

    44. Re:Reboot how? by JWW · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dang, I have mod points, but I just can seem to find the +1 Scary mod.....

    45. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I sincerely hope that any "reboot" of the series will bring back the tone of the comics.

      Don’t let James Cameron direct it.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    46. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because Singer is gay doesn't mean Superman is. I am pretty sure Lois left, not Louis... but then maybe I missed something.

    47. Re:Reboot how? by operagost · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Clearly, Peter Parker needs to be gay, vegan, anxious about climate change, and wear inappropriately tight clothing (other than the Spider-Man costume) to resonate with today's generation Q or whatever it is.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    48. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yet, all the self-righteous nerds line up anyway.

    49. Re:Reboot how? by ultranova · · Score: 1

      When has Marvel ever shied away from retcons?

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    50. Re:Reboot how? by Minwee · · Score: 1

      Peter Parker can't just be tormented by his parent's death and angst ridden/repressed by Mary Jane's repeated attempts to ignore him, he must be really conflicted--perhaps they'll have him kill Aunt May.

      Or perhaps they could go way out on a limb and try something completely unheard of and have him accidentally kill Gwen Stacy.

      Nah. The comic book fans would never go for that.

    51. Re:Reboot how? by CrackedButter · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What bugged me more was people's reaction to the lack of mechanical webshooters from the new movies. Since he was bitten by a spider what's wrong with acquiring it as a power in the movies. I'm a pedantic person but this detail is so minor that I don't understand why people care so much.

    52. Re:Reboot how? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The later comics and the cartoon managed to be serious while still keeping the one-liners (which they cut from the movies!) and the sense of inward looking humour. Rather than just working their way through the villains with each film they could tackle some of the bigger story arcs involving other characters or more serious issues.

      Those are Marvel's best stories. The next Superman film should be Lex Luthor becoming president. Talk about conflicting loyalties.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    53. Re:Reboot how? by dzfoo · · Score: 1

      Hum, is that "putting on tall shoes again"?

              -dZ.

      --
      Carol vs. Ghost
      ...Can you save Christmas?
    54. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      I misspelled Lois. Fair enough.

      But Supes slept with Lois in 2, and fathered a kid. That somehow makes him gay?

      Why does everyone say Supes was gay in the latest film, just because the director was gay?

      You may not realize this, but there are other gay directors in Hollywood. Is every character in all of their films gay?

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    55. Re:Reboot how? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The best take I've seen on Kryptonite is the early Byrne take.

      Superman is really a world class telekinetic (and general psionic*) and his problems with Kryptonite are mostly mental. Thus when he really has to, he can react differently to Kryptonite.

      Alternatively, the continent was synthetic Kryptonite and differed in some crucial way from real Kryptonite.

      If you think about lifting a continent without it breaking apart, the telekinetic angle looks better and better.

      *
      Superstrength, flight, invulnerability- TK.
      Heat/Cold breath, pyrokinesis.
      X-Ray Vision: Clairvoyance.
      Superhearing: Clairaudience.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    56. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      Even if the Kryptonite wasn't toxic, lifting a continent goes a bit far.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    57. Re:Reboot how? by dzfoo · · Score: 1

      Or new shoes.

      --
      Carol vs. Ghost
      ...Can you save Christmas?
    58. Re:Reboot how? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      And then there is "Bleach", "Naruto", and a few others which do not reboot and which just get more complex and awesome.

      It takes 250+ episodes to really build to the awesomeness that was Kenny vs Arankar #6.
      It takes 250+ episodes to get Ichigo vs Grimjaw.

      I watched 60 episodes, finished the introductory arc (introductory!), and thought I was done. Then I noticed that was about 25% of the run (about 15% of the manga) and slowly started up again.

      The Kenny vs Arankar #6 battle has to be in my top 10 battles of all time and may be the top "Crowning Moment of Awesomeness" I've ever seen in nearly 50 years on this planet.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    59. Re:Reboot how? by ultranova · · Score: 1

      With comics it's different. Reboots happen after a franchise has run its course and there isn't anywhere sensible left to go.

      Or when someone decides to resolve his mommy issues by writing himself a happy ending in comics, for values of happy that people who don't share your problems might consider less than so.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    60. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not to mention, Supes never lifts anything with TK once that I've seen. And if his powers were purely mental and simply believing in them, then he wouldn't be powered by the sun.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    61. Re:Reboot how? by tsm_sf · · Score: 2, Funny

      Peter Porker.

      --
      Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
    62. Re:Reboot how? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      Occasionally, when hollywood varies from the story, what results is quite good.

      More often, it is bone numbingly stupid, and you wonder, "What were they thinking???"

      Meanwhile, very often, when hollywood sticks to the story, the results are quite good.

      Hollywood often takes books, comics, whatever, name, and then tosses everything else out so what you actually get has nothing to do with the original. In doing so they get a mess that causes the films to fail, and then they say, "super hero films are bad" or "science fiction stories are bad" or whatever instead of saying, "man we ruined that story and so it was bad".

      Partially it's a matter of taste, I've greatly preferred the four Harry Potters that followed the books, and mostly disliked the two harry potters that wandered too far from the books (i.e. WHY KEEP THE NAME "HALF BLOOD PRINCE" and not spend TWO FRIKKIN MINUTES pointing out that Snape is a half blood-- i.e. PART MUGGLE-- and hence just MIGHT have a credible reason for siding against the pure bloods in addition to being in love with Harry's mom who was kind to him). While I liked the young teens in hormones take on the story, they could have cut something to put in a little more on the half blood prince.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    63. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well Superman was far stronger than just lifting a continent. He used to be able to move entire planets, pre-crisis.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_and_abilities_of_Superman

      But the telekinesis thing, is something I don't subscribe to, and really disliked it in Superman III.

    64. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      If he really got that particular trait from his spider bite, rather than develop it, he'd be slinging web from his butt.

    65. Re:Reboot how? by maztuhblastah · · Score: 1

      "Looks like", dude... looks like.

    66. Re:Reboot how? by tedrlord · · Score: 1

      Indeed, if they breach his cannon, it will likely backfire the next time he tries to use it. He could be seriously injured.

      --
      [insert witty quote here]
    67. Re:Reboot how? by Eponymous+Bastard · · Score: 1

      Is it wrong that the first thing I thought after reding that is "Ooooh, they should reboot The Punisher!"

      OK,OK. IANACBG (comic book geek), so maybe someone can come up with a better match, but from what I've heard, the Punisher fits that vision.

    68. Re:Reboot how? by wiredlogic · · Score: 1

      From what I've read so far it looks like the reboot is going to follow the lines of the teen oriented Ultimate Spider-Man. Basically they're going to do a Spidey version of Twilight.

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    69. Re:Reboot how? by nine-times · · Score: 1

      'Reboot,' in Hollywood-speak, means "Forget cannon. Forget the comics. Forget everything. Get a focus group of our target demographic and ask them what they want. Get a committee of corporate hack writers to write what's going to sell."

      That doesn't really describe some of the recent famous series' reboots. I wouldn't say that Batman Begins or Casino Royale seemed to be written by a committee of corporate hack writers based on focus group testing. Casino Royale was, from what I understand, more true to the source material than most of the other Bond films. The newer Batman movies definitely take some liberties, but generally towards making it into a more realistic, engaging, and coherent story. I even liked the Hulk reboot much better than the movie that came a few years before. It wasn't the best movie ever, but I thought it was decent.

      The Superman reboot wasn't great, but I don't think it was artless. It was clearly meant to mix the current sensibilities with some of the aesthetics from the old 80s movie, and on that count it worked fairly well. If you remember Superman 1&2 fondly, then Superman Returns is probably going to kick up some pleasant nostalgia.

      Not only are the current crop of reboots pretty decent, but it's actually the way culture should work. We should be retelling and reframing old stories, making them new again, and trying to keep them relevant. We don't need to throw out the classics, but "new stories" are created by putting a new spin on an old story. Personally, I would have preferred a Star Wars reboot to the creation of "Special Editions".

    70. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fight the power, comic book store guy

    71. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought there were more plot holes than that. How does a man who is a boy scout basically not take responsibility for his own son and let another man raise him under false pretenses? How does he just drop all his responsibilities and just leave a planet that relies on him for three years?

    72. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If that's what you wanted, it's out there, especially in the form of "graphic novels" which range from independent stories to collections of series that are put together after all the issues were sold.

      So while you might not collect comics, if you wanted to "read" comics, you could get what you desire with some selection on your part.

    73. Re:Reboot how? by MightyMartian · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I found the last Superman incredibly dull. It wasn't the actors, who did a reasonably good job (Kevin Spacey did a good turn as Lex), it was just a dull film.

      I recently rewatched Superman I and watched the Donner cut of Superman II, and I have to say they were infinitely better paced films than the last one (I won't even discuss III or IV, talk about milking a franchise into the dirt).

      The first one is still one of the best superhero films ever made, and the villains in Superman II still kick serious ass. General Zod is one scary f***ing dude. The Donner cut is a lot better because the scenes with Brando are far more poignant than the Lester version.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    74. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Cannons don’t really backfire. It’s more like they just explode.

      Breaching the canon, on the other hand, is very likely to backfire.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    75. Re:Reboot how? by Obyron · · Score: 4, Informative

      I agree with your general point, but I'd like to point out that X-Men was 2 years ahead of Spiderman, and is more or less what started the superhero revival.

      --
      --Obyron
    76. Re:Reboot how? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      Supes is a telekinetic but doesn't think he is a telekinetic.

      For example, he frequently lifts planes, rockets, cars, ships, by a tiny corner of the object without any damage to the object at all (maybe a couple finger holes sometime).

      The "powered by the sun" as a mental limitation. When he's under a red sun, the survivor's guilt gets to him and he "loses" his powers.

      It's more credible than "why do his powers work at night & underground, but fail instantly under a red sun?"

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    77. Re:Reboot how? by FTWinston · · Score: 1

      3? Good? Never!! Do you remember the dancing? The dancing, I say! And the much lauded "plot continues during the special effects rather than during them" just meant "more random and pointless and hard-to-follow special effects scenes!"

      Gah, I must be getting old.

    78. Re:Reboot how? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

      I don't recognise most of that, but what I didn't recognise smells an awful lot like Twilight, which I wouldn't recognise because I haven't seen...

      You recognize a concept you aren't even familiar with by its smell?!

      My God! That is a power only the Wolf Spider clan has! You must be the ChubbyHaidude, the Chosen Spider Shaman.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    79. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Louis Lane? That makes the ridiculously flamboyant costume make perfect sense now!

    80. Re:Reboot how? by jank1887 · · Score: 1

      i believe it was the mindset stated above that created what was seen in Spider-man 3

    81. Re:Reboot how? by Jonny_eh · · Score: 1

      The red sun drains his powers?

    82. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      I haven’t seen it, but I’ve smelled it from afar...

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    83. Re:Reboot how? by Jonny_eh · · Score: 1

      They could make him emo, oh wait...

    84. Re:Reboot how? by Jonny_eh · · Score: 1

      They just rebooted the Punisher last year.

    85. Re:Reboot how? by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      "Grittier and darker" Disney's Spiderman 4? If they have the chance to do a reboot, they will change subtle things on it, like Peter Parker bitten by a radioactive mouse instead of scary and not child safe spiders.

    86. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      We're here at the premiere of the new Spider-Man movie, where we've secretly replaced Toby Maguire and Sam Raimi with Folger's Crystals. Let's see what the audience's reaction is....

    87. Re:Reboot how? by blincoln · · Score: 1

      I'm one of the few that rather liked the last Superman film.

      I really liked it as well. It seemed to me that it captured all of the good things about the Superman films from the 70s and 80s, and none of the bad aspects. In fact, after watching it, I went back and re-watched the originals and was shocked at how weak they seemed in comparison to Superman Returns.

      The major problem was a lack of action, and a ridiculous plot hole at the end (landing on the kryptonite land mass nearly killed him, but later he can lift a giant kryptonite continent with no problems).

      Well, I think "with no problems" is an exaggeration, although I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't seen it. Superman needed some prep work before he could do it, and it certainly took its toll on the character.

      --
      "...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
    88. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While anyone will agree that Hollywood loves to milk movie franchises, reboots aren't always bad. Take a look at the reboot of Batman by Christopher Nolan.

    89. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He is a giant boy scout who feels ultimately alone.

      That's a strange way of describing Bryan Singer.

    90. Re:Reboot how? by AnotherUsername · · Score: 1

      But he did Avatar! Oh, wait, I see your point.

      --
      I don't like Linux. This doesn't make me a troll.
    91. Re:Reboot how? by sexconker · · Score: 0, Troll

      Maybe they could use the 3D they did for the pocahantas/smurf movie recently.

      I don't know what movie you're talking about, but RULE 34!

    92. Re:Reboot how? by donaggie03 · · Score: 1

      GP was making one point, not two independent ones. You didn't just misspell Lois, you misspelled it by making it into a man's name, "Louis." Instead of what you meant to say, what you actually said was that a man left superman, implying he is gay.

      --
      Three days from now?? Thats tomorrow!! ~Peter Griffin
    93. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      What the fuck, dude? I could give a rats ass about comic book movies. I don't think everyone should like what I like. My mud slinging wasn't vague.

      Your knee-jerk defense of Hollywood is hilariously misplaced. It's almost as if you feel personally insulted by what I wrote, and feel the need for revenge. Priceless.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    94. Re:Reboot how? by Xeno+man · · Score: 4, Informative

      This has been explained many different ways in how Parker gets his web shooters. In some versions Parker is really smart and develops them him self, in others he not as smart but the spider bite leaves something in him that helps him develop them. In another version the shooters were developed by his father just before he died and Parkers new spider senses led him to modify them to shoot webs. Internalizing the web shooters was always explained as time saving sacrifice. It was just easier to spend 2 minuets having Parker discovering this ability and using it opposed to spending 20 minuets showing him designing and building web shooters and explaining why he decided to make them and how he even could. I've personally always enjoyed the physical aspect of the web shooters, either the drama of any empty shooter at the wrong time or watching spidey mixing a new formula to make his webs stronger or more elastic. A favorite is from the original cartoon when Spider-man adds asbestos to his webbing.I can't remember why but it was to either make it fire proof or electrically non conductive. Spider-man, giving the villains cancer one web at a time.

    95. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well you take it in the butt. Want an acting job?

    96. Re:Reboot how? by Jimmy+King · · Score: 1

      I agree. Plus natural web shooters rather than mechanical aren't new to the Spider-Man franchise. Spider-Man 2099 had the character develop natural web shooters rather than building mechanical ones.

    97. Re:Reboot how? by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      3? Good? Never!! Do you remember the dancing? The dancing, I say! And the much lauded "plot continues during the special effects rather than during them" just meant "more random and pointless and hard-to-follow special effects scenes!"

      What really got me in Spiderman 3 was the large number of "extra-ordinary super hero origins!" to take place within the span of that one movie... A meteor falls from the sky, a guy gets fried by dangerous radiation or something, the alien from the meteorite transfers to a different host, and the dude from Freaks and Geeks puts on the Goblin suit...

      I mean, if one guy gets bit by a radioactive spider or merges with his robo-tentacle gear or whatever in a movie - it seems an extraordinarily unlikely thing to happen. For three or four such freak occurrences to occur within a single story just strains the suspension of disbelief too far...

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    98. Re:Reboot how? by Montezumaa · · Score: 1

      This will end up a complete and utter failure, in comparison to the current line of Spider-Man films. Essentially, it will end up like Superman Returns, only it will be even more shitty. God, this is like the whole NBC-Leno-O'Brien crap, but without the funny punchlines directed at the studio.

    99. Re:Reboot how? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Meh! I could draw that good too, if I had any talent.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    100. Re:Reboot how? by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      Actually it's interesting if you take out one of the 20 minute reels, you end up with Superman dying on the kryptonite island, then cut to him in the hospital with everything ok.

    101. Re:Reboot how? by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 1

      Ooh, ooh!!!! I know!!! The spider races propagate by biting humans who become one of them!!! My spider sense is tingling! Just like when I heard about the most cliched movie of all time.

      --
      That is all.
    102. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because if he developed spinnerets as a result of his mutation, they'd be in his ASS.

      Come on, Hollywood! A little realism, please?

    103. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 'reboot' of the Hulk franchise with Edward Norton is also much better than the Bana version.

      I mean I like Eric Bana, but that movie was terrible.

    104. Re:Reboot how? by Machtyn · · Score: 1

      I don't know how most people feel about the franchise, here's my take:
      Spiderman 1: Was pretty cool, liked the story, and Kirsten Dunst was hot
      Spiderman 2: Franchise is going down hill, but still a cool story, Toby Maguire is not the kind of actor I like to watch
      Spiderman 3: I spent cash for this!

    105. Re:Reboot how? by Pojut · · Score: 1

      I like it...the story and style is reminiscent of Bone. Good, good stuff.

    106. Re:Reboot how? by Grimbleton · · Score: 1

      Use of Naruto, Bleach, and awesome in the same sentence. Minus 50 DKP.

    107. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      I liked Avatar better when it was called Pocahontas.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    108. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't you know? Kryptonite only radiates upwards.

    109. Re:Reboot how? by coaxial · · Score: 1

      orget everything. Get a focus group of our target demographic and ask them what they want. Get a committee of corporate hack writers to write what's going to sell." Hollywood is lazy and incredibly risk-averse. They do not create art, they create vapid, bland, and safe pablum for the masses. They take art, and turn it into raw sewage

      Sounds like Space Pocahontas.

    110. Re:Reboot how? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      reboot to match todays youth preferences: think twilight in 3d.

      Considering spiderman 3, that could be an improvement. Emo sparkly vampires vs emo spiderman (and emo villains too)? At least twilight didn't take an existing character and castrate him like spiderman 3 did.

    111. Re:Reboot how? by Requiem18th · · Score: 1

      Which is exactly what they want to do with anime, did you look what they did to Dragon Ball? Now they want to pray on Evangelion, Cowboy BeBop and, gods, Ghost in the Shell.

      --
      But... the future refused to change.
    112. Re:Reboot how? by divisionbyzero · · Score: 1

      But science isn't neutral unless you mean value free, but if you do, then doesn't that mean that the people who "embrace" (i.e. let their world view be dominated by science) become value free? The only value in science is truth. Everything else is secondary. It's like business. The only value in business is profit. Sure, you can bolt other things on to it but they are extrinsic. Left to their own devices science and business subordinate everything to their primary value. Now you can draw boundaries to both but most people do so in stupid ways (e.g. banning stem cell research or mandating salaries) but just because most people suck at it doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done. As to why science isn't neutral, the pursuit of science changes the world which in turn changes the way we see the world. It makes some things more apparent and obscures other things. For most people that don't think much about it those things that are easiest to see (i.e. "obvious" or even "self-evident" things) are as far as most people get. It's not like we are atoms completely independent of each other.

    113. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      He didn't leave after the kid. He comes back and is shocked to discover that Lois has a kid and fiance. For all anyone knows, that kid isn't Supes. Until the end, what reason does Supes have to assume the kid is his.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    114. Re:Reboot how? by aureus620 · · Score: 1

      I think GP was referring to this: http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/

    115. Re:Reboot how? by nimbius · · Score: 1

      nah, what we really need to read into this is: "we need a do-over. most of our cashcows are leaving because theyre upset movie studios are corporations and not braintrusts for great cinema....that and bill in accounting says we wont have enough buyers for insert-movie-title-here toy/merchandise/food/beverage/coozies/coasters/cat blankets/shit tickets...and that would just be terrible if i couldnt buy my second yacht this summer."

      --
      Good people go to bed earlier.
    116. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's one of the reasons I enjoy anime TV series and manga. Many times they have a single story, they tell it, and it's over. Just look at things like Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, etc.

      Gundam, Galaxy Express 999, Tenchi Muyo!, Ghost in the Shell, Cyborg 009, Evangelion, Gundam... Anime practically invented reinventing old video productions. They may only have a single story, but they keep telling it over and over...

    117. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Avatar wasn't anti-science, it was anti-environment-destruction. In Avatar, science was what allowed them to create the human/Na'vi-hybrid bodies and use them as "avatars", so that humans and Na'vi could learn about each other better, and humans could learn about the Na'vi by becoming one of them. That's a great use of science.

      Science was also what allowed some of the humans to gain a better understanding of how the biology on Pandora worked; the whole neural-network-in-the trees thing.

      The problem was that other humans just wanted to burn and pillage the moon to get their precious mineral, without any regard for the great things to be learned from the Pandoran biology and organisms and the other sentient beings already living there.

      This isn't too different from things here on Earth right now: some people want to "drill, baby, drill" without worrying about environmental effects, while others want us to build new technologies, but in a more environmentally-friendly way such as solar panels, wind turbines (especially ones designed to not chop up birds), etc. The point is that it's possible to have advanced science and technology without destroying a natural environment completely, even though it's not quite as easy or cheap in the short term. In the long term, though, it's important: in the end of the movie, the humans were sent "back to their dying world".

    118. Re:Reboot how? by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      The original arc still stands in it's own right ;) Just because they did something later doesn't mean that the original didn't end. There's a difference between a nebulous "end" and then reboot like in comic books and a set story arc that is finished, and then re-examined or whatever.

    119. Re:Reboot how? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      It really did feel like deus ex machina. I'll give the series a gimmie and accept that a spider bite gives him superpowers as long as they don't dig into it too much. A super spider bite and then totally unrelated to that the kid comes up with a revolutionary invention? That's just plain not fair! I have ZERO superpowers. His super enemies seem to only have one source of their powers.

    120. Re:Reboot how? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Well suspension of disbelief varies a little according to what you're familiar with. To illustrate it vividly, the line in Jurassic Park: "This is UNIX, I know this!", severely traumatised many unsuspecting computer programmers whilst the rest of the audience was unharmed. Similarly, people who knew nothing about boxing could enjoy Million Dollar Baby whilst the rest of us got yanked out of our Suspension of Disbelief every now and then. Climatologists had much more of a difficult time with The Day After Tomorrow than the rest of mankind. Actually scratch that - it probably led to more grant money. ;)

      Anyway, what I'm saying in a long-winded way, is that whilst the profusion of super-power generating accidents in that film damaged the suspension of disbelief for you due to its violation of scientific norms with which you are familar, most of the rest of us had already had it irrevocably destroyed by that point due to the violation of believable human characters and dialogue. I suppose if you'd never actually experienced human interaction before your disbelief could have survived into some of the superhero creation scenes, though. ;)

      Anyway, to answer the trollish question posed in TFS: 'No - Spiderman, is not fucking sci-fi'!

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    121. Re:Reboot how? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      The later comics and the cartoon managed to be serious while still keeping the one-liners (which they cut from the movies!)

      Mostly. I loved the line where Spiderman webbed Jameson's mouth closed and said "Quiet. The grown-ups are talking".

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    122. Re:Reboot how? by Kierthos · · Score: 1

      No, but he does pick up objects in ways that really can't be done. No, I'm not talking about the "unrealisticness" of super-strength.... more like the "unrealisticness" of lifting a car off of the road by it's front fender, or picking up a fishing boat by the bow. The kind of thing where if he was 'telekinetically' picking it up evenly across the entire item, sure, that would work... but he should be ripping the fender off, or breaking the boat in half because he's not supporting the whole weight.

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    123. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 2, Interesting

      According to this article, the Zebra tarantula has spinnerets on their feet, so maybe the spider that bit Peter was derived from one of those.

    124. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because he is shooting the webs out of the wrong location. If you are going to go that route, go all the way.

    125. Re:Reboot how? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Similar...
      Spiderman 1: Kind of amusing until the point it turned into Power Rangers half-way through. Willem Defoe was scary.
      Spiderman 2: Pretty dumb movie, Aunt May is quite funny.
      Spiderman 3: I'm seeing someone that wanted to watch this??? Dancing was only entertaining bit.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    126. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      I think the idea is that, with the mechanical webshooter Spider-Man, Peter is using science/technology to help him in his crime-fighting, just like Batman, except with some extra physical powers. With the biological webshooter Spider-Man in the movies, Peter doesn't use science/technology at all (except for his camera), and only his enemies do. This portrays scientists as potentially evil, and science as a tool for evil and mayhem, rather than a tool which can be used for good or evil.

    127. Re:Reboot how? by SQLGuru · · Score: 1

      As long as the webbing doesn't look like chord.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SpideyCast.jpg

    128. Re:Reboot how? by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Spider pig, Spider pig
      Does whatever a spider pig does.
      Can he swing
      from a web
      No, he can't.
      He's a pig
      Look Out!
      He is a spider pig.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    129. Re:Reboot how? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Uuum, since when does action equal good?
      Action alone is way too primitive and mind-numbing to hold any film alive.
      Ok, maybe if the mind already is more numb than the action...

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    130. Re:Reboot how? by Povno · · Score: 1
      --
      sudo apt-get lost
    131. Re:Reboot how? by krou · · Score: 1

      Pretty good? You're kidding, right? Spiderman was awful, and its sequels got progressively worse. The acting was pretty standard, the dialogue mediocre, and the plot lines weren't exactly that interesting, either. I mean, let's be serious, who sat through those films and thought, 'I have no idea what's going to happen next?' Tobey Maguire was also very meh when it came down to it, and the love story, while central to understanding Spiderman, was triggering my gag reflex every ten minutes. I love Raimi's other work, but he was really treading water on this series, and it could've been so much more than it was. I didn't bother watching Spiderman II or III until it hit television, and thank God I did, because they really were awful. I'll guarantee you that, after the success of Batman Begins and especially The Dark Knight, Spiderman 1 - 3 are being viewed in the same fashion as what the original Batman franchise became with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

      I must also add that one of the central problems I have with "superhero" movies is that you cannot watch them and ever feel as if the central character is actually threatened in any way whatsoever. Take the Wolverine film, for example: it was just one mindless action sequence after another, because there is no possible way that he can be harmed. It destroys the entire tension of the film. Same with Spiderman. Not once do we think, Mary Jane is in real trouble, or Peter Parker. The same holds true for a huge majority of the superheroes that have made it to the screen. I would possibly make an exception with regards to Batman, purely because he's so dark, twisted and tortured as a human being, that what's really threatened there is his psyche. That, and the fact that Nolan had no qualms about killing off central plot characters (or at least fooling us into believing he had). Perhaps some superheroes don't actually work that well in film, except maybe for kids?

      --
      'If Christ had tweeted the sermon on the mount, it might have lasted until nightfall.' - John Perry Barlow
    132. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Those are Marvel's best stories. The next Superman film should be Lex Luthor becoming president. Talk about conflicting loyalties.

      That's a good idea for realism, since in reality all our presidents lately have been quite evil.

      But I'm not sure it's such a good idea for a Superman film. Superman is supposed to be about America as wholesome and good, apple pie and such. Watching movies like this is supposed to be escapism, where we can imagine a world where things are mostly good, even our government. Portraying our government as the evil, fascist entity that it really is seems like it'd take the fun and escapism out of the movie.

    133. Re:Reboot how? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      We should take that concept and let Jerry Holkins write the movie. We'd end up with something like "L. H. Franzibald's Spider-Man and the Hungry Horrors of the Grimdark". And it'd be awesomely bad (as opposed to just bad, which is what we're going to get instead).

      I mean, we could make this all controversial like saying that each web-shooter is actually constructed from the ground-up remains of Jesus Christ. The Socond Coming already happened, which is why Spidey has two web-shooters. Which can also shoot burning frozen lava at a temperature of under -17.000 degrees Kelvin. But Spidey avoids dopng that every time he does, his soul dies eternally (it's okay, he's got plenty of them).

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    134. Re:Reboot how? by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      His foes that use science/technology are already well on the path to "evil" long before they encounter the circumstances that turn them into supervillains.

      Curt Conners would beg to differ, but the rest of your argument is sound.

    135. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I smell another superhero roll played by Ben Affleck.

    136. Re:Reboot how? by newcastlejon · · Score: 1

      It's more credible than "why do his powers work at night & underground, but fail instantly under a red sun?"

      And infinitely more credible than a guy who can lift something that large, while standing on a pavement without cracking it and sinking. Or how he gets that power at all by collecting ~3m^2 worth of sunlight.

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    137. Re:Reboot how? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      Ergh. "But Spidey avoids doing that as every time he does, his soul dies eternally." And I'm aware that "second" is written with one 'o'...
      Although we could use the "Socond Coming" by saying that Jesus was reborn as a USSOCOM operative. Who was then killed by Spider-Man because he was forced to because we're all grim and edgy. And then Spidey ground him up and implanted him in his arm because hey, being morally stunted like that is the sign of an anti-hero and kids still love those, right? Plus, Spidey can get all angsty and mopey about it!

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    138. Re:Reboot how? by Xabraxas · · Score: 2, Funny

      For three or four such freak occurrences to occur within a single story just strains the suspension of disbelief too far...

      Are you kidding me? The Spiderman movies are about a freak who dresses up in a spider suit, shoots webs out of his wrists, and saves the world! If you didn't have to suspend disbelief to watch even a minute of any of the 3 Spiderman movies then you need to see a head doctor.

      --
      Time makes more converts than reason
    139. Re:Reboot how? by dontmakemethink · · Score: 1

      I felt it too, but it seemed like relief to me. Always emotion the future is.

      --

      War as we knew it was obsolete
      Nothing could beat complete denial
      - Emily Haines
    140. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      What about Deep Crows? If the movie had Deep Crows, I'd watch it.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    141. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      Hey! I liked Dune. Oh, you meant Avatar? Well, okay then.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    142. Re:Reboot how? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 4, Insightful

      At least twilight didn't take an existing character and castrate him like spiderman 3 did.

      Ahem...

      Emo sparkly vampires

      Vampires don't sparkle in sun light, they burn. Taking away one of the most defining characteristics of vampires is sort of like castrating them.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    143. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not defending Hollywood here because what you said is true, but what you said also applies to much of the "art" out there.

    144. Re:Reboot how? by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Actually it was based on the comics of 300 (Sin City, 300 [not Sim City 3000! ^^]), who wrote a couple of stories for the Batman franchise, and those were the best it had ever seen.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    145. Re:Reboot how? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      Spiderman reboot: It's a shame, and unnecessary. Although the back story movie is slightly different from the comics (the premise is a bit more plausible, what the heck would a radioactive spider bite do? I could see a GM virus modifying DNA as remotely plausible) and the timeline is different, I think the movies with Tobey Maguire are by far the best on-screen interpretation of Spider Man. He makes a believable Peter Parker, has the physique for Spidey, is conservative-but-not-nerdy in appearance (but looks almost nerdy in glasses), and is a great actor. Unlike so many comic book character actors, Tobey isn't wooden, and is a versatile actor capable of a wide variety of roles.

      I think the Spider Man franchise in its current form should be left untouched cast-wise. There are some really horrible comic book-based movie franchises out there; take the current Batman. In and of itself, it's a decent movie. However, the movie is scripted around Christian Bale's acting. If you see other movies with him, you'll notice he. . speaks. . . like. . . batman. . . in other flicks, notably Terminator Salvation. Basically, Christian seemingly plays himself in costume in the Batman movies.

      Superman Returns - I thought that movie was horrible; first of all, Brandon Routh does not make a believable superman. Secondly. it is WAY out of character for Superman to have a bastard child out there. If you know the character, you KNOW he would not only know he has a son, but would be very involved in the child's life. Also, Lois Lane would never fall for anyone but Superman. It was a reboot that went wrong. As corny as some of the Christopher Reeves Superman flicks were (well, the latter two anyhow), he (Reeves) made a believable Superman. He can't be blamed for crappy writers. The first movie was great, the second was okay, then it went downhill. Superman III is watchable, but I never made it through the fourth one. I like to think of it as the Superman franchise's "Highlander II" or "Rocky V;" let's just pretend it doesn't exist. The current Superman franchise needs a reboot. FWIW, my favorite take on Superman was Lois and Clark; only because Dean Cain made a great Superman, and that addressed a lot of questions comic book geeks would ask writers when geeking out, e.g., "does he have to eat?" "how does he shave" and other trivialities you never see in 90-180 minute flicks. I just wish it were a little(read: a lot) less soap opera-ish, and they didn't change the Lex Luthor character as much as they did.

      Please don't reboot Spiderman for the sake of ADHD folks.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    146. Re:Reboot how? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 5, Informative


      According to the plot of that film, Lois Lane lied to her husband, telling him that the kid was his when it wasn't, married him almost immediately after Superman departed and kept the fact from him that he had a child when he did come back. What a fucking cow. Meanwhile Superman abandoned her almost immediately after getting her knocked up for approximately five or six years without actually telling her where he was going or that he'd be away for some time. When he returns to Earth, his first act is to pick up his dogs favourite ball pretending to be about to throw it for him, then hurls the ball off into the stratosphere, leaving the dog looking mournfully after it. Pretty shortly after that, Superman starts trying to pick up where he left off with Lois (and lets also keep in mind that this is a woman he's willing to get pregnant but never tells her he's been stalking her in his day life for years). Lois obliges him, ditching her husband (a loving, supportive, father and husband who not only is rich, successful, but played by fucking James Marsden - I mean what a fucking ungrateful, unappreciative bitch she is). Meanwhile Superman uses his super powers to variously spy on them through their walls, listen to their private conversations and, by the end of the movie, let himself into their house to spend quality time with their kid without the parents knowing. Piece of shit! The only decent person in the film is Lois's husband who despite having no special powers at all, gets in a plane and fucking flies out to sea to rescue her from Lex Luthor whilst Superman know's she's there but is busy flying around the city being a hero. Yeah, points for ethical mathematics, Superman, but shouldn't Lois be more appreciative of the guy who put her first?

      None of this would bother me if it weren't for the fact the film is utterly fucking oblivious to the reprehensibility of its main characters. The film takes the attitude of "Superman does it so it must be good" and presumes the audience goes along with them.

      Man, I'd prefer my children to watch any amount of Heath Ledger murdering people with pencils but with the film's background message of "people can be good and you don't have to be corrupted by fighting evil", than half an hour of Superman smugly sneaking into people's houses and undermining marriages because he's "the good guy".

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    147. Re:Reboot how? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      . . . stuff like that happens in the comic books. Why is fighting multiple villains out of place in a comic book movie?

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    148. Re:Reboot how? by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 1

      The movie is no where near being old enough to have a reboot. The whole reboot idea for movies is a bit shit anyway in that all it's about is recycling old material while ignoring its fundamental concepts.

      So that said unless Spiderman is going to shoot webbing out of his penis and swing around like that while taking up a life of sexual deviance, I don't want to hear about it.

    149. Re:Reboot how? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      who sat through those films and thought, 'I have no idea what's going to happen next?'

      Certainly no one who has ever read Spider Man comic books. If you don't know that Spidey wins in the end, he and Mary Jane have an on-again-off-again thing going on, and that he often fights multiple villains at once or even against another hero (usually Daredevil) fairly often, chances are you had no interest in seeing the movie to begin with but just went because your BF or GF wanted to see it.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    150. Re:Reboot how? by ZZartin · · Score: 1

      God forbid they breach the cannon of Spider-Man.

      "Reboot" means what it means, no more, no less. The last comic-book reboot was Batman Begins, a full-hearted plunge into the spirit and fiction of the original that terminated an increasingly lost and bewildered series of films.

      Yes except the older batman movies kind of sucked.... The new spider man movies were actually pretty freaking good. Even the third one was good(although it really should have and could have been at least two movies). I didn't hear anyone complaining about the old batman movies not being continued but I really have no clue why the executives wouldn't just delay the next release date a year or two to keep a star cast/director around.

    151. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 3, Informative

      You're a bit mistaken.

      Lois is genuinely shocked that her son displays super powers. The real key is understanding this is a direct sequel to Superman 2. In that film, Superman becomes a normal mortal, sleeps with Lois, but then wipes her memory at the end.

      Lois has no memory of sleeping with Supes. Why would she assume it is his kid? She is a single gal with no memory of a romance with Supes, hooks up with a guy, gets pregnant, and has no reason to assume the kid is someone else's.

      The fucked up part is that Supes screwed Lois and then wiped her memory in part 2. Shouldn't there be a scene in Returns where she goes to the hospital and says "I have no memory of us having sex? Did you rape me?"

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    152. Re:Reboot how? by pnuema · · Score: 1

      And I would point out that Tim Burton's Batman was 11 years ahead of X-Men. Before that you have to go to a Superman movie.

    153. Re:Reboot how? by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 1

      I thought #1 was cool but took a flaming downhill nose dive in the second half because of the power ranger head bobbing and the "WE LOVE NEW YORK NEVER FORGET" people throwing bricks at the bad guy scene.

      #2 was my favorite and had some great moments.

      #3 had the "too many bad guys" issue. Venom deserved its own movie.

    154. Re:Reboot how? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      Superman's powers can't help with Louis leaving him.

      Louis? Superman turned gay?

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    155. Re:Reboot how? by Dahamma · · Score: 1

      Meh. I'd say they rebooted from a *horrible* Hulk movie in order to make a mediocre one. Neither was really worth watching IMO...

    156. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      Well, sure. And? What's your point? I'm not trying to be elitist and say what I like is better than what anyone else likes. I'm not saying art is better than entertainment. I'm saying, I think people can actually handle quality entertainment that is also artistic. And I'm saying, specifically, Hollywood does not want to play that game, because it's too risky for them. Precisely because what you said is true: a lot of art is shit, too.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    157. Re:Reboot how? by bkr1_2k · · Score: 1

      Didn't the web shooters fail repeatedly during the second movie or third movie? What have I missed?

      --
      "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
    158. Re:Reboot how? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Insightful


      Okay. So Lois had her memory wiped by Superman after sleeping with him. That lets her off the hook a bit, but makes Superman even more of a nasty piece of work. But like you say, there's no reference to this in the film so people like me who don't know the previous films (and I'd imagine the kids that are a primary audience for this film mostly get included in that) have no way to know this. Still, even allowing this, she hooked up with James Marsden quickly enough that she thought it was his child. So they surely must have been seeing each other during the events of when she slept with Superman. Okay - I suppose it's possible she wasn't. She gets her memory wiped, goes out meets this guy, they have sex and 'whoops - I'm pregnant'. Okay, she gets a pass on that (and bonus points for James Marsden for doing the honourable and marrying his one-night stand). Her behaviour during the movie isn't exactly virtuous. But still, thanks for clearing that up.

      I'm taking your word for this, mind you. I'm not being distrustful. But I remember Luthor waving the green rock at the kid and seeing the kid flinch and him asking whose kid this is. That happens after the child has displayed his powers, does it? The first thing I remember of that is him throwing a piano at someone which I thought was later? I've probably missed something. All I really remember from the film was Superman's behaviour, the utter stupidity of Luthor's plan (I'm going to kill millions and then go into real estate) and that the overall message of the movie seems to be that you can beat any problem with brute force if you just pull a constipated face whilst your lifting the continent you're allergic to into space. :(

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    159. Re:Reboot how? by Enderandrew · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think Luthor suspects the kid, but it has been a while since I seen Returns.

      Singer said publicly that he was making his film as a direct sequel to Superman 1 and 2, but not really considering 3 and 4. Those movies are fairly old, and if you didn't see them, I guess it wouldn't be pretty clear where the kid came from, or why Lois didn't know.

      Superman 2 is a great film, and held up (even today, though it is a little slow by modern standards) by some as the best superhero film of all time. I'll take Dark Knight, but Superman 2 is worth watching at least once. I assume most geeks have seen it.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    160. Re:Reboot how? by bkr1_2k · · Score: 1

      Superman's powers can't help with Louis leaving him

      Holy Shit! Superman is gay now?!?!?! I didn't know he gave up on Lois and started trying to date Louis... this explains so much about that last film!

      --
      "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
    161. Re:Reboot how? by mad_minstrel · · Score: 1

      They only started going downhill when Burton left them. The first one was at least good, and the second one was great.

      --
      May the source be with you.
    162. Re:Reboot how? by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      I know, huh. In the first film he covers half of Manhattan with twice his own weight in wrist-splooge but not only is never seen eating anything, he's shown specifically refusing food whenever the opportunity presents itself.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    163. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who would need to castrate the Twilight vampires? From the way they act, they're probably already hung like a Ken doll.

    164. Re:Reboot how? by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      Superman was super-creepy though. Using his powers to stalk and peep on his ex for half the film and all.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    165. Re:Reboot how? by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      I don't see how they could do a "reboot" on a series that isn't that old either, but from what I have been reading online it looks like Raimi has been insisting the next bad guy be the Vulture and the studio instead wanting a different bad guy along with a "romantic sub plot" involving Black Cat.

      While I think the whole romantic sub plot idea is a recipe for disaster picturing John Malkovich in a mechanical bird suit, even with CGI, really didn't sound too appealing to me. Unlike Goblin or Doc Oc or even Mysterio one would probably have to be a pretty hardcore Spiderman fan to have heard of Vulture, and I just don't see how even with CGI an old guy in a mechanical bird suit would be very menacing. So maybe it is better that the two part ways, because the Vulture? Lame.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    166. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Easy. Slap your hand on your chest twice and yell, "Reboot!"

    167. Re:Reboot how? by bkr1_2k · · Score: 1

      Wow, we definitely had very different takes on that movie... While I agree that the spying on them was a bit low for Superman, the fact that he "gave up" the one thing in the world he truly wants (a normal life with the woman he Loves) for the "good of mankind" is a pretty important message that has always been a part of the Superman story. He didn't know he got her pregnant and then abandoned her. He erased her memory in Superman II (which this is supposed to follow) so there is no reason for there to be any kind of "abandonment" because she never knew they were "together".

      I'm not sure I ever saw Lois "ditch" anyone in the movie, but maybe you're referring to their little flight around the city.

      Let's not get into the fact that Lois Lane isn't married in the new movie, they are engaged, with no apparent date set for a wedding. As for being played by James Marsden (however that is supposed to influence things) do you really think any human man could "stand up" to the qualities of Superman? Yes, he's a good guy and comes off as better than Superman in this particular film, or at least as good as, because he genuinely cares for Lois and her son, but that's not the point. It's Superman! If you're in Love with Superman it doesn't matter who comes along after that... you're going to always harbor some lingering feelings for Superman, no matter how great the next guy is.

      Perhaps Lois should be "more appreciative of the guy who put her first" but unfortunately that's not how this franchise (or Love in real life) actually works. There has to be something that actually connects Superman to the human race and Lois is that thing. Otherwise, he's just a guy who can fly and has no reason for giving a shit about this planet and its inhabitants.

      --
      "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
    168. Re:Reboot how? by Keill · · Score: 1

      They do create art - just not necessarily GOOD art.

      But then, it's merely a subjective application of an objective definition - which is EXACTLY how it's supposed to work...

      (Art = creative story telling).

      --
      'Stupidity is an often fatal disease' - R. A. Heinlein
    169. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "then he wouldn't be powered by the sun."

      I predict that in the next Superman movie, the script establishes towards the beginning of the movie that Superman can fly 10 000 mi/hr, then towards the end of the movie, he flies to the sun and back in an hour (which, at 10 000 mi/hr should take him 2 1/2 years) so that he can power up IN the Sun.

      At least, that seems to be about par for the course with reboots.

    170. Re:Reboot how? by maxume · · Score: 1

      I actually wouldn't mind it if he spent the majority of a movie without webbing at all, maybe making use of ropes here and there. At the start of the movie, he could be working on some relatively complicated science project, by the end of it, he could be redirecting that work into something that was going to be 'useful'.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    171. Re:Reboot how? by LordLucless · · Score: 2, Informative

      Vampires don't sparkle in sun light, they burn.

      Dracula didn't.

      --
      Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
    172. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As far as I am aware he has 'contact telekinesis' so that when he interacts with an object it is treated as a single block, enabling him to lift things that should by all rights be heavy enough that he would punch straight through (ie slowing a plane down by pushing against the nose)

      It's a retcon for the internet generation.

    173. Re:Reboot how? by halltk1983 · · Score: 1

      Blade disagrees.

      --
      Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.
    174. Re:Reboot how? by artemis67 · · Score: 1

      The comics aren't any more realistic, though. When he's swinging around Manhattan, he typically shoots web lines that are hundreds of yards long, and he does it dozens of times. Just to shoot one or two of those lines, at the thickness they typically show in the comics, would take all of the web formula in his wrist canisters (both wrists!) as well as the backup canisters around his waist.

      Also, think of the explosive force required to shoot a web line that far. The compression in those canisters would have to be friggen HUGE, and a fresh canister would shoot really far and a half-empty canister would drizzle out. And yet, the velocity of the webbing is always constant.

      At the end of the day, you just have to remind yourself that it's just fantasy, and not take it too seriously.

    175. Re:Reboot how? by evilninjax · · Score: 1

      Dude, this sounds TOTALLY COOOL! Write it up! /sarcasm

      I could actually see someone taking it and running with it.

    176. Re:Reboot how? by drerwk · · Score: 1

      And I thought it was Superman 1978.

    177. Re:Reboot how? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      I also thought that, actually. But since my idea for a Deep Crow-enabled Spider-Man movie would essentially be "all Deep Crow, all the time" I think it'd have a hard time getting past the weird execs who think that a Spider-Man reboot should contain Spider-Man.

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    178. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to discredit the insightful nature of your comment, with which I am in full agreement, but wasn't The Incredible Hulk the last comic book to get the cinematic reboot treatment? I mean, I'd be totally cool with pretending the whole Ang Lee mess never happened if that's what you were thinking - but that would also mean one less movie with Jennifer Connelly in it...

    179. Re:Reboot how? by FiloEleven · · Score: 1

      I think way too much is being made over a decision to hand-wave web shooters instead of wasting screen time and attention to the montage of Peter's attempts to create the advanced tech, both the nozzle and the web fluid, required for the mechanical version. These are action movies, and there is little to no science in action movies, only tech. When the tech is not pre-existing and is not hand-waved as "developed by a multinational corporation," it must be explained. When you already have one spider bite giving someone enhanced danger sense, crazy physical strength, and wall-climbing abilities, why not toss in web-slinging and free up a slow five minutes for more explosions?

      Of course the villains (for the most part) have advanced tech of their own--they would otherwise fail to provide the entertainment value. Unless it's an X-men kind of universe where mutants are common, villains must have a way to use vast amounts of power for their evil deeds; otherwise the whole film is going to be a ho-hum series of thwarted muggings. The easiest way to give them superpowers is to make them technological superpowers and explain them by saying, "some company threw enough money at the idea to make it happen." This is of course also fantasy, but it's a staple that nobody takes issue with.

      And, to be frank, tech DOES have negative social influences, though "evil" is too strong a word for them and there are positives too. The society we live in extends breadth at the cost of depth. Myspa--er, Facebook friends are more numerous and less satisfying as flesh-and-blood friends. The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory holds true. You probably do not know your neighbors. Despite the unquestionable increases in quality of life over the past hundred years, people are more stressed out than ever before. This is because we have gotten into the habit of modifying our behavior to better suit the needs of the tech we use, because the opposite is only lately becoming plausible. The Spider-Man villains were driven crazy by their tech: the Green Goblin had his serum and Doc Ock's harness hacked his mind. These are big-screen sized caricatures of the small sacrifices we make for techne all the time.

      If there is some sort of message in these films about science and technology, which I really doubt, it is not "science is evil" but "ensure that technology serves you and not the other way around."

    180. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So that said unless Spiderman is going to shoot webbing out of his penis and swing around like that while taking up a life of sexual deviance, I don't want to hear about it.

      WHO LEAKED MY IDEA?!

    181. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      In another version the shooters were developed by his father just before he died

      His father? Have you even read the original comics?

      Ah, obviously not...

      A favorite is from the original cartoon

      You mean "the first cartoon". The original of Spider-Man was the comic.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    182. Re:Reboot how? by flintmecha · · Score: 0

      For me:
      Spiderman 1: Well-done, Willem Defoe is excellent in everything, Kirsten Dunst is hot with red hair
      Spiderman 2: My favorite - Octavius was awesomely cast and awesomely portrayed, though I hate that he died. Kirsten Dunst is still hot.
      Spiderman 3: The whole emo-Parker thing was lame, as was the introduction of Brock and Stacy. Harry should NOT have regained his memory, Sandman's story SUCKED and was a bad villian choice in the first place. Kirsten Dunst is still hot.

    183. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      In the comics (and 60's TV show).

      There was no 60s Spider-Man TV show. That silly "kung fu" type series was made in the 70s.

      I sincerely hope that any "reboot" of the series will bring back the tone of the comics.

      That's one thing we can agree on.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    184. Re:Reboot how? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Taking away one of the most defining characteristics of vampires is sort of like castrating them.

      But Twilight is supposed to be about abstinence!

    185. Re:Reboot how? by DikSeaCup · · Score: 1

      I knew it was a bad movie when I took the time to text my sister during the movie, at the dance scene, "We have reached a point in this movie at which the writers started doing some *really* hard drugs."

    186. Re:Reboot how? by ElusiveJoe · · Score: 0

      '. They take art, and turn it into raw sewage.

      A super-hero comic book is an art? Really?

      Now, before I'm stomped to death by basement dwellers, I say that Holywood and such comics match perfectly. They're both mass-media pop product, which will be published again and again with a never ending story while it sells.

    187. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, I've never seen Spiderman portrayed so well!

    188. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I take it you've never read Dracula.

      The idea of sunlight being harmful to vampires only entered the mythos around the early 20th century when vampires were brought onto film. In Dracula, he would lose his powers in the sunlight, but it was not actually harmful in any way.

    189. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      If you don't understand why people care about a story from their childhood being butchered just to make telling the story a bit quicker, you don't understand much about people.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    190. Re:Reboot how? by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      After all the sucky superhero movies, Spiderman showed us you can actually do these things "right," leading to the newer Batman, Superman

      The first Spidey movie wasn't really good and that Superman flick started off well but turned into crap pretty damn fast.

      Spider-sense is not bullet-time, Peter used to be smart and built his webshooters; and Superman as a peeping tom absent father? Yuck.

      And like someone else pointed out, it was X-Men that started the "good" superhero movie extravaganza (oddly enough, most of the same team couldn't do Supes right, go figure).

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    191. Re:Reboot how? by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Spiderman 3: The whole emo-Parker thing was lame, as was the introduction of Brock and Stacy. Harry should NOT have regained his memory, Sandman's story SUCKED and was a bad villian choice in the first place. Kirsten Dunst is still hot.

      I couldn’t agree more.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    192. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      Spider-Man 2099 ain't Spider-Man.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    193. Re:Reboot how? by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

      That would be way too implausible, even for the Spider-Man movies; a high school kid develops something that material scientists would take years to create in a high-tech lab if they could at all?

      Oh yeah, but being bitten by a spider makes his arms shoot out that material to great distances and in enough quantity to last him all day, THAT's plausible? I know you're just regurgitating the BS that the movie's creator spewed to silence their critics, but still, yikes.

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    194. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      I wasn't talking about comic based movies in particular, though I think that some comics rise to the level of art. I was more thinking along the lines of the works of Phillip K. Dick that were turned into rotten movies, Blade Runner being the obvious exception.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    195. Re:Reboot how? by Requiem18th · · Score: 1

      What Akira? There's no respect, no respect...

      --
      But... the future refused to change.
    196. Re:Reboot how? by TrekkieGod · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's well known that Superman is a dick.

      Okay. So Lois had her memory wiped by Superman after sleeping with him.

      Yeah, the events of Superman 2 were really messed up. Lois finds out Clark is superman, he gets rid of his powers to stay with her, they sleep together, other Kryptonian survivors appear and they're all evil ("Kneel before Zod"), so Superman has to go regain his powers and fight them.

      All the while, Lois gets kidnapped because Luthor knows Superman has a thing for her, but she still tries to protect Superman (and his secret, she knows his secret identity at this point) with no regard for her own life. To repay her for this, Superman erases her memory at the end of the movie. I'm sure he's telling himself it's for her own good, but we all know that's bull. Luthor knew to kidnap her, and he wasn't even aware of how far their relationship had gone. She's still in danger, just for being the reporter that knows Superman the best.

      But I remember Luthor waving the green rock at the kid and seeing the kid flinch and him asking whose kid this is. That happens after the child has displayed his powers, does it? The first thing I remember of that is him throwing a piano at someone which I thought was later?

      The piano did happen later. Luthor waved the Kryptonite for the same reason he had Lois kidnapped in Superman 2. He knows the two have a relationship, he's just not sure how far this has gone. He also figured that the kid is old enough to have been conceived before Superman went away, which is why he asks about the kid's age.

      All I really remember from the film was Superman's behaviour, the utter stupidity of Luthor's plan (I'm going to kill millions and then go into real estate) and that the overall message of the movie seems to be that you can beat any problem with brute force if you just pull a constipated face whilst your lifting the continent you're allergic to into space. :(

      The movie sucked. Bryan Singer was obviously a fan, but he's a fan of the wrong Superman. The early post-crisis Superman is the interesting one. His powers are nerfed somewhat, which means he's actually in danger of dying from things other than Kryptonite. He considers his identity of Clark Kent to be his real identity, and Superman to be the fake one. That makes him easier to relate to, and it means the Clark persona isn't an idiot who is constantly messing up everyday tasks. The Lois and Clark TV series really is what got the closest to a good live-action interpretation of Superman (and that's saying a lot, because it really wasn't that good). Everything else has sucked.

      --

      Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.

    197. Re:Reboot how? by Tetsujin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      For three or four such freak occurrences to occur within a single story just strains the suspension of disbelief too far...

      Are you kidding me? The Spiderman movies are about a freak who dresses up in a spider suit, shoots webs out of his wrists, and saves the world! If you didn't have to suspend disbelief to watch even a minute of any of the 3 Spiderman movies then you need to see a head doctor.

      Yeah, fuck you too.

      Of course there's suspension of disbelief involved in any Spiderman story. But suspension of disbelief is a matter of good storytelling. If the storyteller wants you to accept some strange new facts, or some rather significant coincidences, they've got to sell it, make it work in the context of the story. The fact that I accept, in the context of the story, that Spiderman gains impossible superpowers in an impossible way does not mean I automatically accept any other new occurrence in the story of equal or lesser improbability. They've got to make it work in the story.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    198. Re:Reboot how? by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      There You don't even have to wait for the fan fic "artists" but I'm sure you could find lots more. I'm sure this will be the furries 2nd favorite film.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    199. Re:Reboot how? by Obyron · · Score: 2, Informative

      The operative word was "revival." Superhero movies had been toxic waste after the Batman franchise was run into the ground.

      --
      --Obyron
    200. Re:Reboot how? by Xabraxas · · Score: 1

      That would be way too implausible, even for the Spider-Man movies; a high school kid develops something that material scientists would take years to create in a high-tech lab if they could at all?

      Are you listening to yourself? Mechanical webshooters are implausible for a high schooler to create but it's perfectly plausible for a human to gain spider attributes from a bite from a radioactive spider? Give me a break. I think the latter is far more implausible. I think someone has had there nose in comics for far too long.

      --
      Time makes more converts than reason
    201. Re:Reboot how? by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      . . . stuff like that happens in the comic books. Why is fighting multiple villains out of place in a comic book movie?

      Because in the comic each of those villains got their own, separate introduction. They could take their time with it. In the movie, all those "new" characters have to be introduced all at once.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    202. Re:Reboot how? by Xabraxas · · Score: 1

      Yeah, fuck you too.

      Great comeback. You should join a debate team.

      Only a comic dork debates the merits of how or how many people are endowed with superpowers in a movie. What's the cutoff? 2?

      --
      Time makes more converts than reason
    203. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      And don't forget the tentacle porn.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    204. Re:Reboot how? by t0p · · Score: 1

      I've never breached a canon. But I violated a prelate once.

      --
      http://ihatehate.wordpress.com
    205. Re:Reboot how? by lennier · · Score: 1

      Gah! You linked me to TVtropes! You owe me five hours and a new keyboard!

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    206. Re:Reboot how? by lennier · · Score: 1

      Frank Miller's Sim City...

      "I'm gonna find the tornado that blew up my power station, and I'm gonna cut it so bad..."

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    207. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try, Dances with Aliens

    208. Re:Reboot how? by pluther · · Score: 1

      What bugged me more was people's reaction to the lack of mechanical webshooters from the new movies. Since he was bitten by a spider what's wrong with acquiring it as a power in the movies. I'm a pedantic person but this detail is so minor that I don't understand why people care so much.

      One of the things that make Spiderman so damn cool is that, even though he has superpowers, he uses his mind as much if not more than his fists.

      In the comic, with mechanical webshooters, Peter Parker was a technology genius who invented a useful device to augment his powers to help him fight crime.

      In the movies, Peter Parker was some schmuck who got lucky and that was it. They took away his scientific genius, one of his most endearing attributes. They could have taken away his costume or need for a secret identity, too.

      That's why people complain about the change.

      --
      If the masses can keep you down, you're not the Ubermensch.
    209. Re:Reboot how? by Bitteet · · Score: 1

      Defined by who exactly? Dracula was known to take strolls in sunlight. Granted that put him in "depowered" mode. But no instant burning.

      P.S. This is not a defense of Twilight, as I am, personally, not familiar with the books to actually form an opinion.

    210. Re:Reboot how? by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 1

      We're here at the premiere of the new Spider-Man movie, where we've secretly replaced Toby Maguire and Sam Raimi with Folger's Crystals. Let's see what the audience's reaction is....

      The movie's boring enough to put me to sleep, yet I'm wide awake...

    211. Re:Reboot how? by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 1

      Fuck you for saying how that movie ends before I got the DVD.

    212. Re:Reboot how? by BikeHelmet · · Score: 1

      Vampires don't sparkle in sun light, they burn. Taking away one of the most defining characteristics of vampires is sort of like castrating them.

      Moonlight had vampires get weaker in the sun. (Go kinda pale, feel sick - almost like heatstroke)

      I can tell they had a few geeks writing it, because they got a lot of the lore right. Subtle references to things. Even a LEEROY JENKINS! tossed into one episode.

      Burning is the accepted default. Just wanted to point out there are other ways of handling it. But sparkling is just... strange.

    213. Re:Reboot how? by Ihmhi · · Score: 1

      A lot of people like to pretend the episodes including the Soul Society Rescue arc and following after that don't exist. If you look at the series just like that, it's Samurai Ghostbusters and its great like that. Now it's essentially turned into Dragonball Z with swords.

      That's not to say I'm not fond of it, but I can understand how some people would have liked the current state of Bleach to never have happened.

    214. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Sorry about that. I guess I should have warned about spoilers ahead.

      But how else would you expect it to end? From the previews, it's obvious there's some kind of war in the movie, involving human flying machines and natives flying on winged creatures. So either the natives win, or the humans win and get to strip-mine the place and exterminate all the natives. It's pretty obvious which way a Hollywood movie is going to choose.

    215. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clint Eastwood.

    216. Re:Reboot how? by nomadic · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah, but being bitten by a spider makes his arms shoot out that material to great distances and in enough quantity to last him all day, THAT's plausible?

      Of course it's not plausible, but it's a hell of a lot easier to suspend your disbelief over.

      I know you're just regurgitating the BS that the movie's creator spewed to silence their critics, but still, yikes.

      Uhhhh....sure. Do you mind telling me who the movie's creator was so I know exactly whose BS I'm apparently regurgitating? I have better things to do than immerse myself in the inner workings of movie production.

    217. Re:Reboot how? by roc97007 · · Score: 1

      The problem I had with the last Superman film was that it was a remake of the first Superman film. I don't particularly want to see another Superman film because it will be a remake of the second, or if enough time has passed, yet another remake of the first. If you can't come up with a Superman story that hasn't already been done, let the franchise die.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    218. Re:Reboot how? by initialE · · Score: 1

      Well the way it is in the movies is kinda disgusting - Spiderman ejaculates from his wrists all over the city. Who's gonna clean that up?

      --
      Starbucks, Harbuckle of Breath.
    219. Re:Reboot how? by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 1

      A comic book series will go many years between reboots. It's basically impossible to have any sort of narrative with a continuous storyline and characters that works for decades. I mean, shows like Law and Order and soaps change up their cast all the time and play fast and loose with the continuity, but while it's easy to imagine a situation where a cop or DA is replaced by someone similar, it's harder to imagine that every 20 years a group of 4 astronauts get exposed to the same type of radiation and gain the same types of powers as the Original Fantastic Four. The main exception to this is the Doctor Who franchise, which of course has built in cast-replacement mechanisms and which can play fast and loose with continuity because it's about a time traveller.

    220. Re:Reboot how? by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 1

      I didn't mean to be so harsh but I couldn't find any other way to concisely express how I felt. I didn't think that was an obvious ending. I thought the only predictable Hollywood element would be the native falling in love with the soldier, regardless of him coming there to cause the downfall of her and her people.

    221. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Well, you did have a good cause to be angry; I really should have posted a spoiler alert. That was a pretty big oversight.

      But yes, if you think about it given what you've seen in the previews, the situation as we know from the press is that the humans are on a faraway moon called Pandora, and there's 10-foot-tall natives there called Na'vi, who apparently can fly on winged creatures much like we ride on horses and fight with helicopter-like machines. The humans are there because of some extremely valuable mineral, and the Na'vi are in the way. There's some kind of war (this was shown in the previews briefly). Pretty obvious parallels to many Earth events here. There's only 3 possible outcomes really: 1) the humans lose and go home, 2) the humans win and exterminate the natives and strip-mine the beautiful forest moon, or 3) they somehow learn to get along together. Obviously, #2 isn't going to happen in a big-budget Hollywood movie (maybe some weird indie movie, but not a mainstream one), so the possibilities are #1 and #3. But that's not too likely after a bloody war. Anytime someone is invaded brutally and manages to defeat the invaders, they always kick them out with extreme prejudice. So it's the only logical ending for this story.

      But don't worry, it's still a great movie and well worth watching, especially in 3D IMO. Just don't sit too close to the screen like I did. Even though I stupidly spoiled the general ending, the details of how everything ends up, and what exactly happens to the characters, is still unrevealed here. If I had a little extra time, I'd go watch it again. It's like watching "Aliens" (another great Cameron flick); even though you know what's going to happen to the Colonial Marines and the aliens in the end, there's no such thing as seeing it too many times. (The only thing bad about "Aliens" is knowing that the follow-up movies, which were not by Cameron, were horrible, so you have to try to put those out of your mind and believe that "Aliens" is the last in its line. Just like with Star Wars, where you have to make your mind believe that the prequels don't exist.)

    222. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Granted, the power itself is neutral, but I don't think it's provincial or close-minded to say it takes moral courage, in some cases tremendously so, to avoid becoming corrupted by its influence. All power corrupts. I see how it's any different from cautionary tales about the dangers of wealth, or other kinds of political or social influence.

    223. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I may be misremembering, but I thought in one series of events he has internalized web-shooters but they stopped working (I forget why), so he replaced them with the mechanical ones.

    224. Re:Reboot how? by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      Yeah, fuck you too.

      Great comeback. You should join a debate team.

      What, not eloquent enough for you? I felt it got right to the heart of the matter. Why waste eloquence on you?

      Only a comic dork debates the merits of how or how many people are endowed with superpowers in a movie. What's the cutoff? 2?

      Right, 'cause you have to be a comic dork to care what the hell happens in a comic book movie.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    225. Re:Reboot how? by mgblst · · Score: 1

      Spiderman always sucked, all the Hulks sucked, and only the last Batman was any good.

    226. Re:Reboot how? by mgblst · · Score: 1

      Yes, agreed. They clearly want to ride the darkness from the last batman movie. Movie execs are scum, the lot of them (even though I hated every spiderman movie to date).

    227. Re:Reboot how? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there's a website that is called supermanisa@i$% where it shows all the really crummy things that old comic superman does basically due to perceptions at the time of the writers. Not going to link it because it is NSFW and I'm at work.

    228. Re:Reboot how? by Triv · · Score: 1

      Breach the cannon of...

      If I had mod points right now I'd drive over to your house and whack you in the head with them for that joke.

    229. Re:Reboot how? by sonicmerlin · · Score: 1

      What an insightful post. I wish I had modpoints.

    230. Re:Reboot how? by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 1

      What the fuck, dude? ... It's almost as if you feel personally insulted by what I wrote

      I get personally insulted by human stupidity when wrapped in elitism (each in isolation I have much less trouble with). Other people have to live in this species too y'know.

      Specifically, it's the direct accusation that hollywood does little except degrade art. Hollywood does no such thing. It just creates a not-so-artsy form of art: entertainment. And many people like it (hence it's being "mainstream").

      It pains me now to have to provide the obligatory disclaimer, that I have seen but one or two movies (cinema or rented) in the past six to twelve months, especially since it has nothing to do with my argument, but it is true. I'm not a fan of hollywood. That doesn't mean their contributions to our culture aren't valuable.

      My mud slinging wasn't vague.

      OK then. Which studios are you referring to? Have you seen all or most of their movies? What specifically in them do you object to?

      Your knee-jerk defense of Hollywood

      Yeah. As opposed to your cookie-cutter, slashdot-groupthink-generated attack on hollywood.

      There was nothing knee-jerk about it. I read your post, I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that you jumped to the same conclusion that so many before you had jumped to.

      --
      You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
    231. Re:Reboot how? by darthvader100 · · Score: 1

      You do if it is running Windows:


      Important updates installed [reboot now] [reboot in 20 seconds(do you feel lucky punk?)]

    232. Re:Reboot how? by npsimons · · Score: 1

      I'm not trying to be elitist and say what I like is better than what anyone else likes.

      Well then, I'll go ahead and say it: what I've seen you say you like on slashdot is generally better than what other people like. Yes, I happen to like those movies too, why do you ask? ;P

      The thing is, I'm not just talking out my ass here: these movies are either well written/directed, have deeper meanings and are contemplative and thought provoking or don't have plot holes big enough to drive a mac truck through. Generally all three. That would generally qualify them as "better". So what if some shmuck doesn't like Kubrick? I think people would generally agree that Kubrick's movies stand on their own and are "art" and "better" than most other movies.

      Don't get me wrong, I have my guilty pleasures (usually in the form of "Buckaroo Bonzai" or "Johnny Mnemonic"). But I still hold that "Memento" was better than either of the most recent Batmans, even though they were made by the same director (all props to Heath Ledger, though; he's the only guy who seems to have out-Jokered Nicholson). Of course, I have to kind of laugh at people who take Batman "seriously" (or like it "darker" or "grittier" or whatever else you want to call it to try and make it more "grown-up"). They're comic books about a guy dressed up as a bat fighting bad guys in bad Mexcian wrestling masks for pete's sake! Also, nobody likes brooding moralists.

    233. Re:Reboot how? by rdnetto · · Score: 1

      Many times they have a single story, they tell it, and it's over.

      I agree completely. The longer a series is, the worse the filler gets. The only downside I've found is the tendency of directors to stray from the original manga when producing the anime (e.g. Full Metal Alchemist [although the new series is faithful to the original, apparently], Elfen Lied, Gantz [one of the worst offenders in this regard - even if you've never seen the manga you can still tell the difference]). Usually this happens because the manga can't keep up with the rate of production.

      --
      Most human behaviour can be explained in terms of identity.
    234. Re:Reboot how? by Fred_A · · Score: 1

      Mary Jane will be some sort of mystical, prophesied Queen of the Spiders.

      Riding a spider pony with a long gliterry mane. Which she combs languorously.

      --

      May contain traces of nut.
      Made from the freshest electrons.
    235. Re:Reboot how? by tragedy · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure where vampires burning in sunlight first appeared in literature, but I'm pretty sure that it first appeared in film in _Nosferatu_, sort of. He didn't burn exactly, just vanished in a poof of flash powder, but the implication of combustion was there. I'm pretty sure the idea didn't appear in literature until after film made it popular. The idea of the sun, or the dawn (even if the vampire isn't exposed to the sunlight in some cases) killing vampires has been around for a long time, although most stories were pretty vague about whether it actually killed them, or just drove them back to their graves, made them drop dead until night came again, etc. There was one story where a priest defeated a vampire with a rooster, it crowed and made the vampire drop dead, even though it was night. But most of the time, daytime isn't a problem, or it doesn't even come up. Trolls are more consistently killed by sunlight than vampires. Considering how widely varying the mythical characteristics of trolls are, the fact that they're more consistent than those of vampires really says something. The idea that vampires are creatures of night certainly appears in early vampire novels, but Dracula and Carmilla are able to move around during the day, even in sunlight, even if they don't necessarily have all of their powers.
      Vampire myths come, of course, from numerous sources, with lots of ideas about what a vampire is. A lot of old vampire stories are really ghost stories. The vampire isn't a re-animated corpse, but is a spirit apparition, usually of the recently deceased, which visits the living at night, often family, and drains their life, one by one. That kind of story seems to be pretty obviously a rationalization of infectious disease but in any case depicts the vampire as a ghost, which are generally considered creatures of the night, but generally not destroyable by sunlight. Other vampire stories seem to be based on doctors who, at the time, were often quite literally men who visited people in their beds, and drained their blood again and again until they died from it. Witchcraft was also an association, as some myths said that a vampire was a witch or warlock, risen (bodily, not as a ghost in this case) after death.
      I remember a vampire story involving a physical vampire. A woman is the victim of a vampire by night and ends up trapped near death in a sleep from which she will not awake. A vampire has been visiting her by night and a soldier visiting the family realizes this and lies in wait for the vampire and confronts him the next night. The vampire reveals that he has been taking her blood and has it in a bottle and she will never awaken unless it is returned to her. He also reveals that he cannot be killed except if he were to be burned in a fire, at which point his body would turn into a multitude of rats, snakes, ravens, etc. which would try to escape and must be slain and cast back into the fire. If even one should escape, the vampire would live again. After giving this helpful advice, the vampire attacks the soldier. The fight, the vampire falls, and the soldier carries out his instructions, burning the vampire and killing all the creepy crawlers that come out. Then he takes the bottle of blood back to the home and it's returned to the woman (I have no idea how) and she returns to health.
      The vampire in that story was clearly corporeal and collects blood with tools, not through fangs, and clearly doesn't drink the blood right away, if at all. Maybe the vampire uses the blood instead in some sort of magic ritual, Countess Bathory style, to preserve its life. In any case, this vampire operates by night because that's when he can sneak into womens rooms and steal their blood, but it's never suggested the day will kill it. According to its boasts, only the fire will do the job. In any case, this vampire may not actually be undead, but merely some sort of evil sorcerer. In many vampire stories in fact, the vampire is an apparently respectable member of the community, quite alive as far as anyone can tell, b

    236. Re:Reboot how? by Mad-Bassist · · Score: 1

      The years between Batman and X-Men were dark and filled with things like the nippled batsuit. To me, X-Men was the start of the golden age of comic movies we're living in now.

      A Spiderman reboot? Unnecessary! Reboots work for things that went irreversibly in the wrong direction, and Mr. Raimi's direction is far from wrong.

      Curiously, his IMDB listing includes "Spiderman V" and "Evil Dead IV." Hope it all comes true.

      --
      "The only legitimate use of a computer is to play games." - Eugene Jarvis
    237. Re:Reboot how? by kungfugleek · · Score: 1

      Vampires don't sparkle in sun light, they burn.

      Dracula didn't.

      But he didn't sparkle either. And he had a long mustache. And he, (assuming he had the same powers as Lucy) could make himself paper thin to slip through cracks in the doors. Not exactly the stuff of terror these days, but I'm sure it was good and scary back in the day. AHH!! PAPER VAMPIRE!! (I call "scissors").

    238. Re:Reboot how? by Knitebane · · Score: 1

      The wife and I called it Spiderman 3: The Musical

      --
      "...history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." --Ghandi
    239. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      It's my opinion that the entertainment that Hollywood creates is designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Hollywood is risk averse. It's corporate. That is not to say that there are no great artists working in Hollywood, of course there are. And sometimes they even get to create great art. But mostly, it's recycled drek. Yes, I know people like it. I like it too. That's not the point. I like lots of cheesy shit, just because I like it doesn't make it great art.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    240. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      I like cheesy crap, too. I just don't think that because I like it, that makes it great art.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    241. Re:Reboot how? by spun · · Score: 1

      A spider unicorn, dude. A spider unicorn named Snookie. But yes, it has a long glittery main, and she combs it.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    242. Re:Reboot how? by sorak · · Score: 1

      Mel Gibson?

      So Peter Parker's parents were killed by the Jews?

    243. Re:Reboot how? by Spazztastic · · Score: 1

      But don't worry, it's still a great movie and well worth watching, especially in 3D IMO.

      The special effects are reason enough to see it. You can't see this movie in regular, you HAVE to see 3D. By now it's out of the IMAX, but it will remain in theaters with 3D for a while.

      --
      Posts not to be taken literally. Almost everything is sarcasm.
    244. Re:Reboot how? by JetTredmont · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, I've never bought a comic book in my life, and I care about relative believability.

      It's not just a problem in comic book movies. Every movie you go in needing to accept some (often ludicrous) premise. Heaping coincidences and other unlikelinesses on top of that premise weakens the movie.

      For instance, I watched "Untraceable" the other night. It asks you to accept the title premise, that somehow this particular killer's web feed is really untraceable, despite it being easily routed by the internet DNS servers (not to go into details, here, but they pseudo-explain this by saying he's broadcasting his source feed to a bunch of botnet drones, and the DNS entries re changing the one web site URL to a different drone with every request, and for some unexplained reason they can't just bring one of these drones in to see where it is getting it's feed from). Since it's the title of the movie, and I already groaned when I saw that in the trailer, I accepted it. And since it's a serial killer movie, I also accepted that the killer had some unnatural set of skills at hacking bits and hacking people. That's premise. And it's a whopper of a premise, already pushing the boundaries of acceptability. Note: spoilers of a bad movie follow. But then the writers throw in every possible serial killer movie cliche coincidence: the FBI agent who is meticulous about everything lets her daughter surf the net and download apps from "friends" to run on her (presumably secured) home machine which also happens to have all her FBI files sitting on it unprotected; the other FBI agent engaging in blind Internet dates gets targeted by the killer right when he happens to figure out the key to the case; said FBI agent calls heroine but instead of telling her the key to the case tells her he'll tell her later, right before he is snatched by the killer, and the "key" turns out to be two words which he "blinks" in morse code to her; another FBI agent who knows morse code sees the internet-dating agent blinking and "knows" that left eye is dot and right dash so he can get those two words written down .... blah blah blah. At this point, you've blown past the premise and the movie is schlock.

      As a general rule, since you asked, a good non-absurdist story will have a central premise of a single unlikely event, perhaps two (kid bitten by spider gets special powers; world is going to end in 2012), and other unlikely events either follow naturally from that one unlikely event or spring from the same cause as the first unlikely event. In today's movie, it is rare for that premise event not to be spelled out in the trailer, so you are guaranteed that the folks who are sitting in the seats have either accepted the premise or are placating someone who accepted the premise. Once the premise has been accepted, additional unrelated unlikely events (various other superheroes/villains spawning due to unrelated accidents; guy happening to come across all the information the 2012 guy comes across AND happens to survive everything even though the information he came across played no part in that, etc) weaken the story, bringing the viewer back "out of" the story.

      Again, you don't need to be a comic book geek to care about this. It's a central characteristic of all good non-absurdist writing, that aside from the premise, all facts are internally consistent and believable.

      "Absurdist" writing (say, just about anything from Chuck Palahniuk) is the exception, here, as the unlikeliness of what follows is the entire point.

    245. Re:Reboot how? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      I thought I read somewhere that it was actually better in non-IMAX 3D theaters, because it wasn't really designed for a wrap-around screen.

      I wouldn't see it in IMAX anyway; the only IMAX theater in my town (Phoenix) is in a mall that's basically #1 in the area for auto thefts.

    246. Re:Reboot how? by ninjamonkey26 · · Score: 0

      I agree with you, its one thing that always bothered me about Spiderman the comic and cartoon stories. It just didn't make much sense to me that he would gain these major abilities of spiders from the bite but not their ability to shoot webs. Excluding the fact that Peter developing the webshooters is just background for establishing his reputation as a gifted scientist, I was really thankful for the natural webshooters, though now that I think about it given the location that spiders actually release webbing from wouldn't Peter expel it from his a-?.... *turns green*

    247. Re:Reboot how? by ninjamonkey26 · · Score: 0

      The thing was, that wasn't a reboot. It was a sequel that just wasn't named as a sequel. As distasteful and disgusting as it may be to recall. The Eric Bana Hulk ended with him hiding out in Brazil and the Edward Norton Hulk began with him still in Brazil. Sure the story elements on exactly how he ended up in Brazil were changed but I still see it as a sequel.

    248. Re:Reboot how? by altern1ty · · Score: 1

      And yet, they sadly screwed it up yet again. I'm more than slightly saddened to think that the one marvel hero that should come naturally to hollywood is the one they screw the pooch on the worst. Somebody please make a decent dang Punisher movie!

    249. Re:Reboot how? by Spazztastic · · Score: 1

      I thought I read somewhere that it was actually better in non-IMAX 3D theaters, because it wasn't really designed for a wrap-around screen.

      I wouldn't see it in IMAX anyway; the only IMAX theater in my town (Phoenix) is in a mall that's basically #1 in the area for auto thefts.

      I went to the IMAX one and I didn't get decent seats, so I'm betting it would be better in the IMAX if you were in the center of the theater at the first level, but yeah the regular 3D was better from my personal experience because of that.

      --
      Posts not to be taken literally. Almost everything is sarcasm.
    250. Re:Reboot how? by npsimons · · Score: 1

      I like cheesy crap, too. I just don't think that because I like it, that makes it great art.

      Aye, you can tell the difference and you don't go around spouting the rhetoric that "there are no good or bad movies, it's all just taste."

    251. Re:Reboot how? by Jimmy+King · · Score: 1

      Yes, I know who/what Spider-Man 2099 was. The whole 2099 universe was a re-imagining of various Marvel heroes in the year 2099. It is still part of the Marvel universe and the Spider-Man franchise. So my point that natural web shooters are not a new idea to Spider-Man and was used by Marvel long before the movies still stands.

  2. Thank you... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another franchise killed..

    At this rate they'll have almost nothing left soon.

    Hollywood will end up so crap they'll make one film a year, it'll cost $88 billion to make and they'll re-do it the next year.

    1. Re:Thank you... by lorenlal · · Score: 1

      At this rate they'll have almost nothing left soon.

      Isn't that why they constantly reboot franchises?

    2. Re:Thank you... by MBGMorden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's just getting ridiculuous now though. We're getting into 2nd and 3rd gen reboots where we're rebooting series that have already been rebooted. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if a Hulk reboot was announced next year.

      How many times do we want to see the same freaking origin story?

      Who wants to place bets that we'll see a Lord of the Rings "reboot" within 10 years?

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    3. Re:Thank you... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Look, the owners want the billions in toy sales and McDonald's cups. The people in charge of the almost incidental film creation couldn't make it. The money lost delaying those toy sales a year is worth more than the profits of a hit.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    4. Re:Thank you... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      It wouldn't surprise me one bit if a Hulk reboot was announced next year.

      Can't happen until after the Avengers movie, but yeah, I get what you're saying.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    5. Re:Thank you... by not-my-real-name · · Score: 1

      As the rate of reboots increases, we'll eventually get to the point where no movie is completed before the story gets rebooted. Once we reach this point, there will be no more movies and we can all curl up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book.

      Well, one can dream...

      --
      un-ALTERED reproduction and dissimination of this IMPORTANT information is ENCOURAGED
    6. Re:Thank you... by teko_teko · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Who wants to place bets that we'll see a Lord of the Rings "reboot" within 10 years?

      Another LoTR adaptation in 10 years is a remake, not a reboot. Unless if you're thinking to redo the storyline or characters...

    7. Re:Thank you... by 1u3hr · · Score: 1
      Who wants to place bets that we'll see a Lord of the Rings "reboot" within 10 years?

      Peter Jackson is doing a 2-part "The Hobbit" now. And there is loads of material in the Silmarillion and other stories published after JRR's death. There are plenty of stories left without having to recycle.

    8. Re:Thank you... by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      There are plenty of stories left without having to recycle.

      Since when has that ever stopped the reboot happy film makers?

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  3. Too soon. by potscott · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They should probably leave well enough alone at this point. I personally don't want to go see *another* Spider Man movie, reboot or sequel, for a while. By while I mean years.

    --
    I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class, especially since I rule.
    1. Re:Too soon. by Sockatume · · Score: 1

      It's a franchise, they can't not have a new one. That's how Hollywood works now: yearly installments of something that's proven to be successful, with three-move reboots to relaunch the franchise and introduce it to new customers when the current viewership grows out of it.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    2. Re:Too soon. by MBGMorden · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's sad, but you're mostly right. It's like TV shows have transferred to the big screen. Movies are now pretty much episodic content.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    3. Re:Too soon. by kalirion · · Score: 2

      Am I the only one that liked Spiderman 3?

    4. Re:Too soon. by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Yes.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    5. Re:Too soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes.

      Now go away, or I shall taunt you again.

    6. Re:Too soon. by gestalt_n_pepper · · Score: 1

      I understand there are two teenage boys in Kazakhstan who loved it.

      --
      Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
    7. Re:Too soon. by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If you went in with low expectations, there some sequences where you could have fun. However, I can't imagine wanting to watch it a second time.

      What bothered me more than the way Venom was handled, and the odd jazz sequences was how Harry knew and wanted to kill Peter, but waited for no good reason. Then he picks a random moment to try and kill Peter. They fight, and Harry develops amensia. Then at the end of the film, with no reasoning at all, the amnesia disappears and Harry wants to fight Peter again. Then, at the end the family butler comes out and says "I happen to know your father died by his own hands, but I've waited all this years and allowed you to foster notions of revenge that tore apart your friendship. I hope you don't mind that I waited several years to speak up."

      Kevin Smith talks about how Hollywood demands big fights and action sequences in certain portions of the script, whether they make sense or not. I'm pretty sure they screwed the entire Harry storyline just to try and keep the standard formula of action pacing.

      Note, this is the same terrible writer that Sony is keeping instead of keeping Raimi, Macguire, etc.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    8. Re:Too soon. by hitmark · · Score: 1

      "new goblin" had some level of appeal, but beyond that, meh...

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
    9. Re:Too soon. by Pojut · · Score: 1

      I think the fact that your post got modded Flamebait should give you a clue about the answer.

      As for myself, I think Spider Man 3 sucked on many levels and for many different reasons (not giving Venom enough screentime and Peter Parker crying like a bitch for half of it certainly didn't help.)

    10. Re:Too soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      dude you have very shitty taste in film. some would say you're doubly stupid for admitting to being so low brow.

    11. Re:Too soon. by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      The biggest problem with superhero films is that they've always gotta kill off the bad guys. They even did it in the Dark Knight, killing off Two Face, though they did leave the Joker alive (just to have Heath Ledger die, life imitating art, no?). The thing about the old comics and cartoons was that you had a stockpile of villains that usually ended up in jail or fleeing or whatever, and then returning. In the superhero movies now, you take an incredible villain like Dr. Octopus, make a great movie, but then kill him off. Rinse, repeat, until the franchise bogs down, then they reboot it, and start again. Now admittedly, for the most part, it's worked for the Batman reboot, but I'd say that's the exception rather than the rule.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    12. Re:Too soon. by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      I’d like to add my own few reasons to the ones you listed...

      : : Lame villains (indestructible sand man who just needs to be understood? WHAT. THE. FUCK.)
      : : Spider-Wuss (because zomg, he has to be human for us to sympathize with him... or something)
      : : Too many side-plots. Way, way, way too many side-plots.

      The only good villain in the movie was Venom, and as you said, he was under-utilized.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    13. Re:Too soon. by Pojut · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, the sand "man"...how could I have forgotten?

      Seriously GP, Spider Man 3 was just a big pile of crap. Considering how decent Spider Man 1 and 2 were, this was a bit suprising. They should have cut out all the crying bullshit, given Venom more screentime, gotten rid of sandman-man, and included Carnage.

      Now THAT could have been crazy.

    14. Re:Too soon. by residieu · · Score: 1

      The problem was they insisted on including 3 villains (so they had 3 times as many toys to sell?) so didn't really get to fully explore any of them. With Harry knowing Spider-man's identity, they really had no choice but to include the second green goblin, but I guess they decided that another spider-man vs. green goblin would be too close to the original. They should have left out Sandman, introduced the black suit, and left Venom as just a sequel hook.

    15. Re:Too soon. by fredjh · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, comics come out monthly, movies of any particular superhero... once every two or three years?

      I don't know... I wouldn't want the movies to be never ending. Only James Bond has really managed to pull that off, and even then it's been... rebooted? Updated? Transformed, at least. You don't really expect continuity except in a really loose sense.

      --
      Stupid, sexy Flanders.
    16. Re:Too soon. by operagost · · Score: 1

      The first Spider-Man movie came out in 2002. I was already almost 30. Nothing makes me feel older than the idea that that movie franchise is already considered so tired it needs to be rebooted.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    17. Re:Too soon. by Tridus · · Score: 1

      From what I've read, that was due to executives interfering in the process because they wanted more villians. Raimi didn't.

      Similar problems this time, only with more interference.

      --
      -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
    18. Re:Too soon. by bsDaemon · · Score: 1

      veeeeeeerrrrrrrry niiiiiiiccceeeee /borat

    19. Re:Too soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I understand there are two teenage boys in Kazakhstan who loved it.

      ...and each other.

      Just sayin'.

    20. Re:Too soon. by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      The Sandman angle was baffling, because he was really underused. His only purpose was to look wronged and put on a big fight scene. There's nothing about the plot that couldn't have been accomplished without Sandman.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    21. Re:Too soon. by Jaysyn · · Score: 1

      More than likely, yes.

      --
      There is a war going on for your mind.
    22. Re:Too soon. by Chris+Burke · · Score: 3, Funny

      Then, at the end the family butler comes out and says "I happen to know your father died by his own hands, but I've waited all this years and allowed you to foster notions of revenge that tore apart your friendship. I hope you don't mind that I waited several years to speak up."

      So basically the butler manipulated Harry by withholding that information. And thus the true villain of the Spiderman trilogy is revealed. I bet he was the one who convinced Harry's dad it was a good idea to take his super-soldier serum. Everyone always underestimates... The Butler!

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    23. Re:Too soon. by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      There's nothing about the plot that couldn't have been accomplished without Sandman.

      I’m still trying to disentangle all the negatives in that statement...

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    24. Re:Too soon. by Jaruzel · · Score: 1

      .... which is exactly the same process that gave us that cinematic masterpiece: 'Batman & Robin'

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
    25. Re:Too soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take out Kirsten singing (twice!) and tone down the CGI on Venom a bit, and I'm all good.

    26. Re:Too soon. by hrimhari · · Score: 1

      Interesting enough, I seem to be the only one who hated X-Men 3, for much of the same reasons people hated Spider-Man 3.

      --
      http://dilbert.com/2010-12-13
    27. Re:Too soon. by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      That's partly the problem. Comics are episodic. You can have long story lines developing over a lot of issues. In contrast, films in a series come out once a year or so and last a couple of hours. A year after watching a two-hour-long film, most people in the audience can't remember details. On the other hand, people who buy the DVD may watch both films in a row. So you have to make something that works both as a stand-alone work and as a part of a series. The comic format is a lot more similar to a TV series, with stand-alone episodes forming an overall season than like a film, and doesn't really adapt well to the big screen.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    28. Re:Too soon. by Pojut · · Score: 1

      Eh...on its own, X-Men 3 was ok, but when compared to the first two, it was by far the weakest of the trilogy.

    29. Re:Too soon. by camperdave · · Score: 1

      He's saying that not including sandman would have left nothing unaccomplished plotwise.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    30. Re:Too soon. by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      The movie was take it or leave it; that said, Bryce Dallas Howard forgives all.

      ALL.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    31. Re:Too soon. by IICV · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I vaguely remember reading that Sam Raimi did not want to include Venom in the movie at all, because he was more interested in the other aspects of Spiderman 3. However, the executives thought that Venom would make the movie more profitable, so they forced Raimi to include that plot.

      Apparently, Spiderman 3 makes a lot more sense if you just cut out the parts with Venom. Not that that makes me want to watch it again.

    32. Re:Too soon. by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      You mean he wasn’t saying it wouldn’t have?

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    33. Re:Too soon. by dontmakemethink · · Score: 1

      And it's not worth making a movie unless it has franchise potential, yeah yeah yeah... The problem isn't the game, it's the players. If they had that approach all along the great movies of the past would have lead to great movie franchises. The problem now is they're making sensationalistic tripe catering to new technologies instead of traditional plot and character development.

      Similarly, if you look back, the best playing games (not necessarily the best selling) were made for systems late in their life cycle, after their technical potential had been reached, and there was no new fluff to exploit. Games had to stand on their game play, at least until another console with fancier video processors arrived.

      It's not like the best selling movie at the moment is an egregiously sensationalistic rip-off of a simplistic fairy tale or anything.

      --

      War as we knew it was obsolete
      Nothing could beat complete denial
      - Emily Haines
    34. Re:Too soon. by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      Movies are now pretty much episodic content.

      Which is pretty much how they started out.

      Kids...

    35. Re:Too soon. by YourExperiment · · Score: 1

      Why should this necessarily be a bad thing? It's only because the vast majority of movies are so soul-destroyingly abysmal that you feel that way.

      Admittedly, some films are perfect as a single, one-off entity. Sequels are usually produced solely to cash in on the success of the original, which is why they so rarely work.

      Now imagine one of the greatest films you've ever seen, but with a story so epic that it couldn't possibly be told over the course of two or three hours. Imagine going to see the first instalment, and already you're hooked, and gagging to see more. The story arc has already been planned, and the next movie is out in a couple of months time. The story plays out across the course of six movies, all of them released over the course of a year or 18 months. Then the story comes to its natural end, with no possibility of pointless sequels or tiresome reboots.

      Sure, it couldn't happen with the current Hollywood system, but it's looking increasingly unlikely that any decent films could.

    36. Re:Too soon. by Rich0 · · Score: 1

      Don't forget - every character needs a car too!

    37. Re:Too soon. by flintmecha · · Score: 0

      I'm pretty sure Raimi went so far as to call Venom a terrible character, and that's why he didn't want Venom in his movies. In the same way Nolan has already been adamant about how there will never be Robin in his Batman films, Raimi wanted to never include Venom, but too many fans kept requesting him (which lead to the executive order). I've even heard that a lot of the more die-hard Spidey fans agree with his sentiments towards Venom, but the majority of people seem to instantly think of Venom as "the" Spiderman villian, moreso than GG or Octy.

    38. Re:Too soon. by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Probably because Venom is pure evil. For some reason all of the Spider-Man villains have to be angry misunderstood nuts. It got progressively worse from the outset. The Goblin was just insane enough to forgive his sob story, and it went downhill from there.

      Which is also why Venom was just about the only Spider-Man villain who didn’t trigger the gag reflex.

      Vs. in Batman, where the villains are pure, insane evil, and that’s exactly what makes them good villains.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    39. Re:Too soon. by PaganRitual · · Score: 1

      It's the truth. If you look carefully in the first Batman, you can see Alfred lying prone with a rifle on the edge of the grassy knoll overlooking the alleyway in which the lives of Thomas and Martha Wayne were taken.

      Back and to the left.
      Back and to the left.
      Back and to the left.

    40. Re:Too soon. by Kuroji · · Score: 1

      The Sandman angle was baffling because they tried to pass him off as this poor sod who's just trying to do right by his daughter and get the money for the mystery surgery she needs that they never addressed again. For all we know he thinks he'll solve her ills by getting her a heart transplant when they just need to repair a valve, or something.

      Regardless, don't forget that this son of a bitch killed a man while trying to steal his car, intentionally or not, and the movie glosses over it. We don't need that sad single-emo-tear moment from him, we need him hermetically sealed in a prison cell and left to rot.

    41. Re:Too soon. by sorak · · Score: 1

      They should probably leave well enough alone at this point.

      I personally don't want to go see *another* Spider Man movie, reboot or sequel, for a while. By while I mean years.

      I agree. The real advantage to a reboot is that they can benefit from hindsight. They can look back at what worked and what didn't, update it for today's generation, and give it a new look and feel that either wasn't possible before, or that the director chose to ignore.

      The only way this film can benefit right now, is if they feel that the current franchise has gone too far in the wrong direction. (See the discussion about making it grittier in other comments). This move will not "unjump" any sharks, and it will not replenish the pool of good ideas that was depleted by the last three films.

  4. Comic Stories by lymond01 · · Score: 1

    There's something slightly disturbing about have 50 years of source material, most of it better than anything Hollywood has done with their superhero licenses, going unused and instead choosing to "reboot" a perfectly good series. If the Spider-man franchise had planned ahead, they could have inserted the Jean DeWolfe (it's been a looooong time since I read this series and I may have the spelling wrong) character -- a New York detective, pretty and likeable enough but a bit rough and tumble who has a slight crush on Spider-man. Give us some emotional investment into some returning characters like her, then introduce the Sin-Eater plot.

    "Forgive me father, for you have sinned." BOOOM! (headshot...)

  5. You Have No Idea by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Perhaps Raimi is too busy working on other projects.

    Now, keep in mind that directors often have multiple projects that are in some form of production -- either stalled or pending development or in full swing -- but Raimi's up there with the busiest. If you consider him as both a producer and director (from IMDB):

    In Development: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Shadow, The Familiars, Anguish, Untitled Sam Raimi Project, The Substitute, Sleeper, Evil Dead IV, Panic Attack, ArchEnemies, No Man's Land, The Transplants, Just Another Love Story, Burst 3D, Refuge, Monkey's Paw, The Given Day, The Dorm, Monster Zoo, The Wee Free Men and "The Taking"

    And for what he's actually got in production includes The Evil Dead (2010), Dibbuk Box (2010), Warcraft (2011) and Priest (2010) where he's directing Warcraft and The Evil Dead -- two movies in sequential years. Yeah, I'd say he's staring down a rather full plate. I wish he would tackle some more original movies though like he did with Drag Me to Hell last year even though it wasn't the greatest, I'd rather see some originality and am happy he's washing his hands of a series that's run its course. But of course Sony wants to milk that cash cow ...

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:You Have No Idea by Rogerborg · · Score: 2, Funny

      But of course Sony wants to milk that cash cow ...

      I think she's still going by "Kirsten", actually.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    2. Re:You Have No Idea by Conchobair · · Score: 1

      Bruce Campbell as Leeroy Jenkins imo.

    3. Re:You Have No Idea by Chris+Pimlott · · Score: 2, Informative

      Dibbuk Box (2010)

      Ha, you're kidding me, a film based on an ebay auction?

    4. Re:You Have No Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *I’d* milk that cow, if you catch my meaning...

    5. Re:You Have No Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's funny, I didn't know Anonymous Coward is synonymous with Sony

    6. Re:You Have No Idea by DerekLyons · · Score: 1

      Now, keep in mind that directors often have multiple projects that are in some form of production -- either stalled or pending development or in full swing

      Indeed. And at any given time only a portion of those multiple projects actually require significant personal attention at any given time. The rest, maybe a couple of hours a week or month. (Much of it just reviewing what other people are doing, E.G. supervisory/management work.)
       
      Seriously, why do some people (like the story submitter) not understand multitasking?

    7. Re:You Have No Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't you see the last Spiderman movie? She's already dried out and now she looks anemic.

    8. Re:You Have No Idea by Ginger+Unicorn · · Score: 1

      he's a synonymous coward

      --
      (1.21 gigawatts) / (88 miles per hour) = 30 757 874 newtons
    9. Re:You Have No Idea by Phocks · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm sure they can make one based on the P-P-P-Powerbook - http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/

    10. Re:You Have No Idea by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      And for what he's actually got in production includes The Evil Dead (2010),

      A reboot? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

      Or just the new tradition that the 4th movie in a series should restart the numbering cycle?

    11. Re:You Have No Idea by YourExperiment · · Score: 1

      Untitled Sam Raimi Project sounds awesome, when's that out?

    12. Re:You Have No Idea by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      I'll take the real cow. Unlike her, at least it's smart enough to keep its mouth shut when it has nothing to say.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    13. Re:You Have No Idea by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      An Evil Dead without Bruce Campbell playing Ash is like Christmas without Santa Claus.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  6. Problem is: by Mongoose+Disciple · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They can't wait years, or the rights revert to Marvel (Disney). They'd rather crank out anything to keep them.

    1. Re:Problem is: by mrdoogee · · Score: 1

      Expect to see a lot of this in the coming years. The money from these franchises is just too sweet a pie. As long as the current studios vomit out a new film every few years they keep the property out of the Mouse's hands.

    2. Re:Problem is: by Jaruzel · · Score: 1

      Marvel (Disney)

      Ugh. Seeing those two words together make me shudder.

      Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you... Spider-Mouse.

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
    3. Re:Problem is: by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Expect to see a lot of this in the coming years. The money from these franchises is just too sweet a pie.

      It was a long road from Batman to Batman Begins, but worth the wait.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    4. Re:Problem is: by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you... Spider-Mouse.

      Wolverine with sporks.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    5. Re:Problem is: by DiEx-15 · · Score: 1

      Oh dear sweet merciful Xenu... Does this mean Sony is going to be in a rush to make this and make a craptastic movie? That is what I see coming...

  7. ...why? by Shadowruni · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I think we could forgive them for the 3rd movie since the 2nd one rocked so hard.

    It's rather annoying that so many franchises and movies are getting the reboot/rewrite treatment. It's almost like Hollywood is afraid that most multimillon dollar investments won't turn a buck.

    Oh,wait....

    BTW, I thought the Batman reboot was needed but am not ashamed to say I loved the first hulk (Eric Bana not Nick Cage). Hulk was never really about mass destruction,as awesome as it is to watch, but his inner conflict.

    --
    "Chinese Amazons, power armor, laser swords.... things just meant to be." - Shampoo, A Very Scary Bet
    1. Re:...why? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 1

      I think we could forgive them for the 3rd movie ...

      Sadly, no. There is NO forgiving that ridiculous Jazz Sequence.

      I am not surprised that the rest of this movie series was scrapped. I think it really was the best thing for it. As for a reboot, I'll have to see who the new Director and Cast are, but like someone said above, I think its just a little too soon.

    2. Re:...why? by navygeek · · Score: 2, Funny

      What Nick Cage Hulk movie are you referring to? I think you mean the Ed Norton one.

    3. Re:...why? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1, Insightful

      The Batman reboot was probably the most successful I've ever seen. Mind you, each time they make a sequel, they risk screwing the pooch. Spiderman 3 was certainly the weakest of the three, but still, I didn't think it was that bad, but who knows, Spiderman 4 might have been a gawdawful mess. I have the same fears for Batman, which took a franchise that had been completely fucked up from the moment they picked Michael Keaton to play Bruce Wayne/Batman, and had only gone down hill from there, and transformed it into something completely different, and in a way, far more in line with the original conception. If the third movie sucks, then they've taken a wondrous thing and turned it to shit.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:...why? by VShael · · Score: 1

      Your brain may be trying to protect itself, by forcing you to forget the Ang Lee movie, where Nick Nolte played the abusive father of Bruce Banner.

      I believe the parent poster just had a brain fart, and typed Nic Cage by mistake.

    5. Re:...why? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Nick Cage would make a cool Hulk. You wouldn't even need CGI. Just paint him green and tell him "Okay, Nick, BE YOU, BABY!"

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    6. Re:...why? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Hulk was never really about mass destruction,as awesome as it is to watch, but his inner conflict.

      Strangely that's why I much prefer the recent Ed Norton film. I didn't see any inner conflict in the first one. For a guy who is supposed to be full of barely suppressed rage and constantly wrestling with inner demons, Eric Bana's Bruce Banner sure looked placid. It was like his solution to the whole Hulking-out problem was lots and lots of Valium. Even when being provoked into becoming the Hulk, he didn't look like he was actually upset until he was big and green. Norton's Bruce Banner on the other hand was shown to actually have the emotion of anger, and to have to fight to suppress it and keep himself calm.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    7. Re:...why? by maxume · · Score: 1

      I liked the ethos, but I didn't like the machine that boiled thousands of gallons of water at a distance without boiling the hero.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    8. Re:...why? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      Makes no sense, why would he say "Eric Banna not Nick Cage" to distinguish which movie he was talking about when Bana was in the same movie as Nick Nolte? I think he just got Cage confused with Norton.

      But yeah, it was a brain fart, nothing to see here move along...

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    9. Re:...why? by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      You're thinking of Christian Bale again.

      "Am I gonna walk around and rip your fuckin' lights down..."

      That's more Hulk than Batman.

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    10. Re:...why? by canajin56 · · Score: 1

      "Oh no not the bees, not the bees, aaauuuugugh, they're in my eyes, my eyes! aughghghhg auuugh!"

      --
      ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
    11. Re:...why? by fredjh · · Score: 1

      The Batman movie franchise was good for the first 1 and 3/4 movies (up until Batman saw a duck on his radar screen in Batman 2), and seriously needed to die after that.

      The first Hulk movie... my wife and I rented it. We fell asleep watching it, and gave it a try the next night. I was falling asleep again, so I started fast forwarding through a bunch of stuff. I asked my wife if she minded, and she was like "I didn't notice."

      And I LIKE Eric Bana and I really like Jennifer Connelly.

      The Ed Norton Hulk was all about inner conflict and didn't put me to sleep.

      --
      Stupid, sexy Flanders.
    12. Re:...why? by Shadowruni · · Score: 1

      Umm... actually yeah I did. Don't answer Slashdot posting while figuring out an Active Directory FUBAR....

      --
      "Chinese Amazons, power armor, laser swords.... things just meant to be." - Shampoo, A Very Scary Bet
  8. Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and these days they make it about 9.

    I think it is partially the fact that they are using very young actors.

    Of course, part of that is the comic book universe's problem.

    Spider man was 18-26 for 40 years. In "reality", spider man in the comics should be in his late 60's.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    1. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by btcoal · · Score: 1

      Or maybe it has something to do with audiences today being more finicky. They had to reboot the Bond franchise a few years ago because audiences didn't click with the old school Bond. And having seen every film, I can tell you that Casino Royale and especially QoS are *very* different from the first 18 or so films.

    2. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Young Bond Actors?

      I guess you should look up how old Roger Moore was when he made his last Bond Movie.
      Perhaps you light like to rethink your statement then?

    3. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by MMC+Monster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah. The problem is that if they had comic book characters age appropriately, it would destroy the storylines. An arc that takes 2 years would not be possible in a comic involving a teenager. Gaps between arcs are a bit better.

      For more info, see the disaster behind Marvel's New Universe from the mid 80s. Having a month of real time between issues killed the entire line of comic books.

      --
      Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
    4. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by R2.0 · · Score: 1

      Spider man was 18-26 for 40 years. In "reality", spider man in the comics should be in his late 60's.

      http://www.superstupor.com/sust02132009.shtml

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    5. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by bloobloo · · Score: 1

      They had to reboot Bond because Die Another Day was pure, unmitigated, drivel. It went beyond even the excesses of Moonraker from being a spy thriller to being a science fantasy.

      Casino Royale showed that you could still tell an exciting story with gadgets, without having to resort to invisible cars or surfing down melting icebergs.

    6. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      My point was that action stars in the 60's tended to be mature males (30's).
      When I was talking about young actors, I was talking about movies today, not about bond (see below)

      Action stars to day are in their mid 20's (young adults) and portraying early 20's (Star Trek)

      Consider the fantastic four-- it used to be a mid 40's to early 50's scientist, his 30's wife, a 30's test pilot, and the young 20 year old hot head.

      Today, it's a late 20's scientist, his mid 20's wife, a mid 20's test pilot, and a young 20 year old hot head.

      This creates problems of the fact that the protagonists hasn't been alive long enough to possess the skills being portrayed (this bothered me in Avatar where the protagonist learned years of skills in 90 days). While it feels nice, there is a reason the Navy doesn't make 20 year olds the captains of large ships. Somethings really do just take time.

      Having a young character like Spider Man, you have a challenge that every 3 movies either you address the fact that spider man is now in his 30's and can't be a struggling photographer any more (it's okay, no-- cool, to be poor and struggling when you are young- it looks odder and more pathetic the older the character gets).

      On Bond:

      Roger Moore was extremely old and they probably should have changed to a younger star in his thirties- but Moore's golden gun was quite good (it got goofy after that). He was always a bit too "happy" compared to the book bond.

      Daniel Craig (in his mid 30's)was a very good choice and the "reboot" was really not a reboot but a return to the "real" bond story (tried less successfully with Timothy Dalton who was also an emotionally wounded, comparitively low tech bond-- the tuxedo that folded over to make a completely black suite was a really cool assassin low tech item.) Craig *looked* like a man, not a boy.

      A good "bond" is going to be 30 to 50. Much outside of that age range, he's too young or too old to be credible.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    7. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Brotish Actora can be villans at any age. Because(IMHO) they don't have the clean looks demanded by Hollywood for its Heroes.

    8. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by fredjh · · Score: 1

      But James Bond has evolved over the years... and I would say the Daniel Craig Casino Royal was a reboot, of sorts... maybe you'd prefer "reimaging."

      --
      Stupid, sexy Flanders.
    9. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Omestes · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Don't forget that it threw in 300% more "edgy", and made Bond into a cheap action hero. They completely ditched the feel and spirit of the series. The only thing that made it a Bond film was the character names (and the fact it was loosely based on an Ian Flemming Bond novel).

      The original Bond movies were fun, and fun is something that modern Hollywood cannot abide by. Same with Batman, they sucked all the fun out of them, and made them into straight action movies, and added around 500% more edgy.

      I'm sick to death of edgy. I hate angst, I cannot stand dark brooding morons. I thought we moved beyond that since it was the trend du jour of the 90's. Also Hollywood forgot that you can make a violent action movie, and keep it fun.

      --
      A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
    10. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      Ask Lisa Simpson or Eric Cartman. And don't argue that they are cartoons, are fiction just like Spiderman or even Bond.

    11. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by mbourgon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The real problem has nothing to do with the actors. It's everything to do with Raimi wanting one movie, and the studio wanting a different movie. They want to make sure their cash cow is adequately milked, whereas Raimi wants good milk. Spidey 1 & 2 worked well, though apparently the whole Venom arc in 3 was put in at the insistence of the studio. Raimi, not liking that, did a half-assed job anyhow.

      This time around, he said "I want to do X" they said "No, you'll do Y", he said "no" and they started looking for someone who would do as they were told.

      --
      "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
    12. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      True... Colm Meany (sp) just doesn't look like an action star with the smaller mouth and chin.

      As an american tho, I grew up knowing that the Romans all spoke with british accents while robin hood spoke with an american accent.

      It partially depends on the parts too tho.

      Consider Alan Rickman. While he was a big villian, he was also very sympathetic in Pride and Prejudice, and quite funny and heroic in Galaxy Quest.

      But you are right, the classic hero is a lantern jawed alpha male type.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    13. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      Casino Royale with Craig was explicitly a reboot. Although I truly believe they should have also made it explicit that 'James Bond' is, indeed, an identity, which is assumed by a succession of agents.

      Have a cameo by Pierce Brosnan, or Sean Connery, or something, as a contact who the current Bond has to get info from. Current-Bond shows up, and says 'the name's Bond' and the cameo goes '..James Bond. Yes, I know.'

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    14. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hate the STUPID fighting style they have the new batman doing. Those two guys who can up with it are morons. All hunched over and throwing just short hooks and elbows, it looks ridiculous.

    15. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by domatic · · Score: 1

      Casino Royale showed that you could still tell an exciting story with gadgets, without having to resort to invisible cars or surfing down melting icebergs.

      I generally agree though I caught that one during the card game and it was still going on 10 or 15 minutes later. How long does that drag on? An hour? I don't mind a little plot and character development but if I wanted to watch that then I would have tuned in to a poker tournament.

    16. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by sesshomaru · · Score: 1

      Well, the thing is Spider-man's career is super-hero and freelance photographer is just his cover.

      Also, he's a very good freelance photojournalist, because he gets great, newsworthy action shots that no one else can. It just never seems to pay very well. I think he sticks with it because it let's him make his own schedule. (I was an irregular reader of Spider-man as a kid.)

      In comics, superheroes usually have cover careers that go with superheroing, or else are independently wealthy. That's why so many superheroes are reporters of some sort.

      One of the things that was made clear early on in Spider-man was that with his abilities, he could have made considerable money as an athlete, but he gave that up because he believes he has a higher calling.

      --
      "MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
    17. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by MrNiceguy_KS · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As someone else pointed out above, Casino Royale was closer to the Ian Flemming novel than nearly any other Bond movie.

      As a big fan of the original books, I've been thinking for years that they should reboot the Bond movie franchise, and start making them faithful to the original books - including the setting. I'd love to see a series of Bond films set in the 1950's cold war.

      For those that haven't read it, Moonraker deals with the early development of the ICBM.

      --
      Redundancy is good And also good.
    18. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by BJ_Covert_Action · · Score: 1

      Also Hollywood forgot that you can make a violent action movie, and keep it fun.

      That's what I loved about Fifth Element so much. God bless you Bruce Willis.

    19. Re:Amazing how bond could go 30+ years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't see why... If you've ever read comics you may know that they come out once per month. However, the storyline picks up right where it left off in the last issue. In the comic storyline a month hasn't gone by like it has for us. Six months of a single storyline could follow one week in the hero's life. So, Spidey being 18-26 for 40 years seems about right. Get it?

  9. This is not a reboot by MobyDisk · · Score: 1

    I think the industry is starting to use the term "reboot" in place of "screw-up." There is no reason to reboot something recently made and still successful. Remaking the first Spider Man movie would be dull.

    I know, let's reboot Avatar!

    1. Re:This is not a reboot by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      I think Microsoft can claim prior art on that.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    2. Re:This is not a reboot by JasterBobaMereel · · Score: 1

      Reboot means throw away all the previous movies, actors and plot.... go back to the source material and reinterpret it in a new way

      This either means they have :

            an established actor that is demanding too much for the next episode

            so screwed up the plot that they have painted themselves into a corner

            run out of source material that makes sense with the established movies

      --
      Puteulanus fenestra mortis
    3. Re:This is not a reboot by Requiem18th · · Score: 1

      Please do so, and this time add a sensible explanation of why every animal has usb ears/hair.

      --
      But... the future refused to change.
  10. Hello! Which part of radioactive spider bite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    do you not understand?

  11. Yeah.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps Raimi is too busy working on other projects.

    He's too busy working on CodePlex.

  12. A bit dissapointing... by mrdoogee · · Score: 1

    I was somewhat interested in the direction that Rami was going in for #4. I'd heard talk of The Vulture played by perhaps John Malkovitch, and the Movie appearance of Black Cat. Might have been good. However the writing was on the wall with #3, the studio had too much of a say in the process and the end result suffered. Rami is a talented guy and I'm sure one of his upcoming projects is going to be a hit. The future of the Spiderman franchise is not so certain.

  13. Reboot Sony by seven+of+five · · Score: 0, Redundant

    'Nuff Said.

    1. Re:Reboot Sony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In fascist US of A Sony reboots you!

      U Suck Ass.

  14. Stick a fork in it, it's Dunst! by Prototerm · · Score: 1

    Maybe now they'll replace that lame choice for Mary Jane with some hot babe who can pull off that whole "Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot" scene (Pete's first blind date with MJ) from the early Spiderman comics. Yowza!

    --
    "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." --Senator Carl Schurz (1872)
    1. Re:Stick a fork in it, it's Dunst! by Snarkalicious · · Score: 1

      What? You mean the MJ from the comic books wasn't in a perpetual state of Valium OD?

    2. Re:Stick a fork in it, it's Dunst! by dzfoo · · Score: 1

      And the lazy eye! Don't forget that creepy lazy eye!

            -dZ.

      --
      Carol vs. Ghost
      ...Can you save Christmas?
  15. spiderman by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The first one wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. Worst casting choice was who they got to play Peter Parker. He's not a complicated character! He's a science nerd, yes. He's smart. He's also helplessly introverted. The introduction of the spiderman character to his life creates an alter ego. And this is where he cuts loose, being the irreverent, humorous wall-crawler of page and screen. That Toby McGuire guy could do mumbly and introverted but nothing else. This is not complex storytelling, folks. This is basic heroic mythmaking that goes all the way back to the paleolithic campfire. Hero good. Bad guy bad, but maybe have a beef we could sympathize with. Hero has a girl and he gets her in the end. And given the nature of the character, there should be plenty of laughs.

    And for the sequels, all the stuff that was bad about the first movie was expanded upon. Spiderman 3 approached epic awful comic book movie status. Bad for the franchise but great for rifftrax.

    The recent Iron Man movie was an example of how to do this. Perfectly crafted popcorn fare. Great characters, great lines, good 'splosions. Hope they don't screw the next one up.

    Oh, and one quibble. So the Goblin guy from the first film had a super-serum and so became super-human. He can trade punches with super-human people because he's super-durable. I can buy that. Same goes for Goblin jr. But Doc Oc, he's just a dude with creepy robot arms. Even if those robot arms can kick eight kinds of ass, the guy they're attached to is still a flabby middle-aged science guy. Our friendly neighborhood spiderman is super-strong and a punch from him should cause disfiguring if not immediately fatal injuries. The guy's strong enough to hold up a frickin' cable car. His punch should be like from that freeway accident in Final Destination, where the log truck drops its load and this guy looks up just in time to see a 20 foot log come flying right through his windshield. We're talking a punch from a super-human should cause the head to shatter like a melon dropped from a six story building, a red mist everywhere, the now mostly headless body dropping while blood goes squirting everywhere. Ok, so that would completely screw the PG-13 rating but c'mon, seeing a podgy scientist shrug off those punches makes spiderman look lamer than Toby himself is managing.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:spiderman by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      We're talking a punch from a super-human should cause the head to shatter like a melon dropped from a six story building, a red mist everywhere, the now mostly headless body dropping while blood goes squirting everywhere. Ok, so that would completely screw the PG-13 rating but c'mon, seeing a podgy scientist shrug off those punches makes spiderman look lamer than Toby himself is managing.

      Not exactly on-topic, but this kinda reminds me of how excited I am that James Cameron is directing the Battle Angel Alita movie. It's a world where cyborgs are common, and normal humans are exactly as squishy as they should be when manhandled by a cyborg. Like getting partially decapitated when a cyborg knocks off the top half of someone's skull. I really hope he keeps that aspect, it would necessarily mean an R rating, but if anyone can include that kind of realistic violence without making it seem over the top (as I think some of the comic panels do), it would be him.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    2. Re:spiderman by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      IMO, Doc Ock is very hard to do realistically. He's not any more durable than a non-super street punk, probably less because he's a science geek. But he can dish out enough punishment with his robot arms that it would be harder for Spidey to pull his punches than it would if he was whooping a common punk.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    3. Re:spiderman by jitterman · · Score: 1

      If I had mod points I'd get you back to 0 at least. Not sure why disagreement = negative mod.

      I gotta say I think you hit it right on the head - McGuire got a great paycheck for doing "dork" really well, but man his Spiderman persona is even outdone by the old (60's?, 70's?) Spidey cartoons. That type of wit and playful attitude was what I was hoping for in the first film but didn't get. I saw the second film too, and still wasn't impressed (also again you're right, once past the mecha-arms, it should be easy to kill Doc Oc if you can lift cars).

      I haven't seen film #3. No plans to do so.

      --
      For conscience is the wound, and there's naught to staunch it
    4. Re:spiderman by halcyon1234 · · Score: 1

      Nah, it's just that EVERYONE in the movie is super-strong. That's why Doc Ok thought nothing of just whipping a car at Peter Parket in the cafe-- long before he knew Peter Parker was spiderman.

      "How do I get their attention, without harming them, because I want to capture them. I know, THROW A CAR AT THEM! {chuck}"

    5. Re:spiderman by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

      If I had mod points I'd get you back to 0 at least. Not sure why disagreement = negative mod.

      Toby fangirls in the house? People downmod for disagreement simply because they lack the wit to make a cogent counter-argument.

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    6. Re:spiderman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't really follow comics... but wasn't there some Spiderman arc where Peter Parker sort of goes on the warpath after Aunt May gets shot... and it's made more explicit that Spiderman usually pulls his punches a lot?

    7. Re:spiderman by Graff · · Score: 1

      But Doc Oc, he's just a dude with creepy robot arms. Even if those robot arms can kick eight kinds of ass, the guy they're attached to is still a flabby middle-aged science guy. Our friendly neighborhood spiderman is super-strong and a punch from him should cause disfiguring if not immediately fatal injuries.

      There's definitely some movie science going on here. Some of the reasoning is that since the arms are fast and strong they can act as shock absorbers, pulling Doctor Octopus back from the impact and softening the blow. There's a few nods to this in the movie, where Doc Oc uses a couple of the arms to brace himself before doing something or where the arms stabilize him when he loses his balance.

      Then again Spider-Man was also depicted to be a lot stronger in the movies than he was in the comic books. Yes, he has super strength from the mutation but in the movie he approaches Superman strength and durability. In the comic books he can take a beating and lift fairly heavy objects but he lifted far more in the movies than he did in the comics, aside from a few story arcs in which his powers were boosted. They definitely inflated everyone's abilities in the name of selling box office tickets.

    8. Re:spiderman by Necromancyr · · Score: 1

      They actually have an arc in the comic about this - basically Doc Ock is falling apart because of all the pummeling he's taken over the years since he's basically a normal person. He's in a little cocoon type thing where he can't move and his arms do everything. He tries to take over the world, etc etc., spider-man screws it up, etc. Semi-interesting arc.

    9. Re:spiderman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is pretty well established that guys like Spider-Man pull their punches when hitting normal(ish) people:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man%27s_powers_and_equipment#Superhuman_strength_and_durability

      "When in combat, Spider-Man must pull his punches unless fighting someone of similar or greater durability and power. Otherwise, his blows would kill a normal person.[13]" (citation is Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, 1987)

    10. Re:spiderman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yo, have you ever actually READ Spider-man? The whole point of the thing is that Spider-man is STILL the same mumbly geek under that suit, he still has the same tortured inner life, he still has the same complex monologue going on. The suit does not change who he is, like it does with Superman. That was what made the character brilliant - it was a hero who was accessible and human, not super-human. He is an emotional creature. Which they pretty much nailed in the first two movies (the sequel especially).

    11. Re:spiderman by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      The suit didn’t change Superman... the mumbling doofus was entirely fake. His true identity was the Superman that you see when he dons the suit.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    12. Re:spiderman by npsimons · · Score: 1

      Not exactly on-topic, but this kinda reminds me of how excited I am that James Cameron is directing the Battle Angel Alita movie. It's a world where cyborgs are common, and normal humans are exactly as squishy as they should be when manhandled by a cyborg. Like getting partially decapitated when a cyborg knocks off the top half of someone's skull. I really hope he keeps that aspect, it would necessarily mean an R rating, but if anyone can include that kind of realistic violence without making it seem over the top (as I think some of the comic panels do), it would be him.

      I loved the anime version of "Battle Angel Alita"; the scene before she fights the guy she beat before and he shreds the dog is just heart-rending for me. It's gory and violent, yes, but it gets the point across that humans (and animals) are squishy and the world of Alita is harsh.

      That aside, they got James Cameron? The same guy who directed "Vietnam in Space"? The same guy that directed Pocahontas" (er, I mean "Ferngully")? And "Titanic"? Ick. I think I'll skip the live action version of Alita.

    13. Re:spiderman by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      That aside, they got James Cameron? The same guy who directed "Vietnam in Space"? The same guy that directed Pocahontas" (er, I mean "Ferngully")? And "Titanic"? Ick. I think I'll skip the live action version of Alita.

      And Terminator and T2 and Aliens.

      I'm sure Avatar is horrible because it's similar to stories you've heard before (minus Sigourney Weaver) but obviously he knows how to take good source material and make a bad-ass movie from it.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    14. Re:spiderman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would also go against the grain of the comic where Doc Oc seemed more than able to hold his own against Spider-Man time and again. Also, it would go against Spider-Man's own ethical approach to, you know, pulling his punches so he doesn't kill people...

    15. Re:spiderman by npsimons · · Score: 1

      And Terminator and T2 and Aliens.

      I'll give you "Terminator", but "Alien" was better than "Aliens" (that was what I was referring to by "Vietnam in Space"). "Aliens" may be quintessential in the oeuvre of action movies, but it's still just an action flick.

      I'm sure Avatar is horrible because it's similar to stories you've heard before (minus Sigourney Weaver) but obviously he knows how to take good source material and make a bad-ass movie from it.

      Don't get me wrong: Avatar is very pretty, there's just not a whole lot of substance to it, and what little it has has already been covered in other movies and covered better. Sure, people still haven't learned the lesson, but if they haven't picked up on it by now, another enviro-preachy movie isn't going to do it.

      Sigourney Weaver is one of my favorite actresses, but *the* most important factor to a movie's quality is the director. The second most important factor is the writers. Alita has an fairly typical post-apocalypse/love story, but what makes it great is the way it's done. It's subtle and understated, yet shocking in places (eg, the scene with the dog; the boy's death scene). I just don't think Cameron has the style, chops, subtlety or whatever you want to call it to pull it off well. I mean, how can you care about the death of space marine when you've already seen five or six die? If it wasn't for his unusual name, no one would remember Wiersbowski.

  16. Reward failure, punish success by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Each film made near a billion dollars. Raimi fought with the studios over the script for 3, which was terrible. So now the studio is forcing the same writer for 4, and gave him a contract to write future Spider-man movies as well. Let's keep the guy who wrote a TERRIBLE script, and punish a much-loved and successful director.

    As Kevin Smith said, in Hollywood, you fail upwards.

    I'm not suggesting that everything Raimi did was perfect, but when Spider-man 2 was released, many hailed it as the best superhero film of all time.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    1. Re:Reward failure, punish success by VShael · · Score: 1

      As Kevin Smith said, in Hollywood, you fail upwards.

      If that were true, surely he'd be running his own studio by now. :)

    2. Re:Reward failure, punish success by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Hollywood really isn't interested in making good movies, it's interested in tie-ins. Spiderman 3 had more characters to make action figures out of to be sold at McDonalds or Wendys or whatever. That Spiderman 2 was a fantastic movie was rather besides the point. I think even winning Oscars is pretty irrelevant now. I mean, who cares about critics, Oscars are any notions of artistic or narrative value, when you can get a guy like Michael Bay to make an eyesore like Transformers 2 and have that teen and early 20s demographic run to it, despite the fact that it may actually stand as the worst big budget film ever made.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Reward failure, punish success by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Kevin Smith's problem isn't failure. All of his films turn a profit, and then sell like mad on DVD. He doesn't make 200 million in the box office, but he almost always shoots with a very low budget.

      There is something to be said for a director who always turns a profit. Kevin Smith will never make a billion dollar picture like The Dark Knight, be he also won't lose you 200 million on a failed tent-pole.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    4. Re:Reward failure, punish success by paiute · · Score: 1

      Hollywood really isn't interested in making good movies, it's interested in tie-ins. Spiderman 3 had more characters to make action figures out of to be sold at McDonalds or Wendys or whatever.

      And yet the film still hasn't turned a profit.

      --
      If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    5. Re:Reward failure, punish success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Each film made near a billion dollars. Raimi fought with the studios over the script for 3, which was terrible. So now the studio is forcing the same writer for 4, and gave him a contract to write future Spider-man movies as well. Let's keep the guy who wrote a TERRIBLE script, and punish a much-loved and successful director.

      I thought Raimi wrote (or at least co-wrote) Spiderman 3...

      Vanderbilt's the guy who was originally slated to write 4, but apparently there was infighting over the script between him and Raimi....

    6. Re:Reward failure, punish success by greg1104 · · Score: 1

      And yet the film still hasn't turned a profit.

      Sure it did; a big one at that. The fact that they crapped out a terrible movie and it grossed more than the first or second is exactly why they're following this path.

    7. Re:Reward failure, punish success by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Nothing Hollywood makes turns a profit.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    8. Re:Reward failure, punish success by paiute · · Score: 1

      No, it had a big gross, and if you had points off the gross you were good. But if you had points off the net, you are screwed. There will be no net. There will not be a profit.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting

      --
      If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    9. Re:Reward failure, punish success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      a sam/toby/kiki spiderman 4 is as close to a sure-thing in hollywood as you can get.... the past three films have ruled the global box office, rentals, and dvd sales.

      without those key people, and "rebooting" so soon after the others, the next one will tank... think gigli in a spidey suit...

    10. Re:Reward failure, punish success by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Hollywood's method of accounting, basically assigns costs from unsuccessful films to successful films. This allows them to cut their tax bill and more importantly to negotiate payments net of costs (which will be 0) to anyone the producers don't want to pay. In the books of Sony, there are ~890 million in costs attributed to Spiderman 3.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    11. Re:Reward failure, punish success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  17. Stretching the Imagination ... by foobsr · · Score: 1

    TFS: "If you consider Spider-Man as 'proper sci-fi,'"

    IMHO, it is hard to imagine this as 'Fantasy', but 'Sci-Fi"? Perhaps it is the best they scrap #4 altogether.

    CC.

    --
    TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
    1. Re:Stretching the Imagination ... by Civil_Disobedient · · Score: 1

      IMHO, it is hard to imagine this as 'Fantasy'

      Not fantasy. Amazing fantasy.

    2. Re:Stretching the Imagination ... by foobsr · · Score: 1

      Oh, yes, I was thinking along the line of what is a 'comic' to me. If I think of 'fantasy', I rather imagine 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Conan'. Might be a language issue.

      CC.

      --
      TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
    3. Re:Stretching the Imagination ... by 1u3hr · · Score: 1
      Not only would you haev to be illiterate, but ignorant of most visual media, to call Spider-Man "proper sci-fi".

      Put that down to a Slashdot editor's lame attempt to segue from another article.

  18. I love it when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they repackage the same shit over and over and over and over again. I think hollywood needs a reboot.

  19. I feel a great... by cigawoot · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I feel a great disturbance in the force. As if a million voices cried out in joy, then were suddenly silent as they realized the World of Warcraft movie will come next.

  20. This rocks! I love the spiderman reboots.. by filesiteguy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm thinking that we could have Spiderman 4 - The Revenge.

    Then we could have Spiderman 5 - The Final Frontier.

    Of course, Spiderman VI - Jason Lives, will be a little scary.

    That could be the final movie.

    1. Re:This rocks! I love the spiderman reboots.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am still hoping for a reboot of spiderman 2, the wrath of Kahn.

    2. Re:This rocks! I love the spiderman reboots.. by dzfoo · · Score: 1

      No, no, no. After Spiderman VI - Jason Lives, comes Spiderman vs. Alien vs. Predator, in 3-D!

              -dZ.

      --
      Carol vs. Ghost
      ...Can you save Christmas?
    3. Re:This rocks! I love the spiderman reboots.. by need4mospd · · Score: 1
      I've got a few more they can try...

      Spiderman VII - Salvation

      Spiderman VIII - The Return of the King

      Spiderman and the Prisoner of Azkaban

      Spiderman X - Dead Man's Chest

      Spiderman XI - New Moon

      Spiderman Reloaded

      Spidermans (my favorite)

    4. Re:This rocks! I love the spiderman reboots.. by filesiteguy · · Score: 1

      ROTFL!

  21. "Reboot" by LoudMusic · · Score: 1, Funny

    I don't know if this is proper use of the term or not, and frankly I don't care. It's really fucking annoying and I wish people would stop using "reboot" in a non-shutdown-a-computer-OS-and-start-it-up-again" sense. This use of the word makes me want to stab someone in the eye.

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reboot

    http://www.google.com/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en|en&q=reboot&hl=en

    In order to REboot a production it must be booted in the first place, correct? So I've booted my slashdot comment. And the Spider-Man franchise was booted a few years ago. See how fucktarded that sounds? Well "reboot" in this context sounds just as dumb.

    --
    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
    1. Re:"Reboot" by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      After Spider-Man 3, the series definitely needed the boot.

      Oh wait... different boot.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    2. Re:"Reboot" by JasterBobaMereel · · Score: 1

      Reboot (Fiction) : discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas.

      The term originates from its use in computer science. After a computer is rebooted, nothing (except non-volatile storage, such as on a disk drive) of the computer's previous operating session has any bearing on its new session.

      --
      Puteulanus fenestra mortis
    3. Re:"Reboot" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously? Are you so genuinely disturbed by the evolution of language and the repurposing of terms?

      Interestingly, "booting" a computer came from the term "bootstrap" which ultimately has its roots in the little leather tabs on large boots, to help you put them on. To 'pull up by your bootstraps' was used metaphorically for a long time (and still is) meaning to start and do something, by yourself and unaided by another.In the1950s it came to be used to describe the hardwired processes required to create self sustaining software processes.

      So if were were to get pissed about the bootstrapping metaphor being applied to computers we could say:
      "In order to 'bootstrap' a computer, it must have boots in the first place, correct? So I've bootstrapped my slashdot comment. And the Spider-Man franchise was bootstrapped a few years ago. See how fucktarded that sounds? Well 'boot' in your context sounds just as dumb."

      Not that the wiki links lend credibility to my argument but please see:
      http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reboot#Etymology
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping
      http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bootstrap

    4. Re:"Reboot" by dzfoo · · Score: 1

      I really wish people stop using "booting" and it's variations when not talking about ankle-tall shoes.
              http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/boot?jss=0

      In order to "reboot" a computer it must be "booted" in the first place, which requires having legs and feet. "I've just changed the socks of my computer before putting in new boots", see how retarded that sounds?

            -dZ.

      --
      Carol vs. Ghost
      ...Can you save Christmas?
    5. Re:"Reboot" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I worked with a guy who would always say "recycle" as "recycle power" instead of "cycle."

    6. Re:"Reboot" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, if the boot fits...

    7. Re:"Reboot" by dbug78 · · Score: 1

      I was more or less with you until you used the word "fucktarded." You don't get to complain about word use anymore.

  22. Hollywood by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will blame this on piracy in 5, 4, 3, 2...

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Hollywood by xTantrum · · Score: 1

      I don't know...."Variety is like a high school newspaper that pays their writers 25 grand a year just to write stories about the popular kids!" I think i gonna wait till i get this from the L.A. times or something ;)

      --
      $action = empty(PHP) ? backToC() : unset(PHP) ; "when the concrete cases are understood, the abstractions are readily
  23. Who cares about Tobey McGuire? by ultraexactzz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm more worried about JK Simmons! Who else could be as perfect a J Jonah Jameson?

    --
    Never underestimate the potential of Human stupidity. -Heinlein
    1. Re:Who cares about Tobey McGuire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm more worried about JK Simmons! Who else could be as perfect a J Jonah Jameson?

      No one.

    2. Re:Who cares about Tobey McGuire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      JK Rowling

    3. Re:Who cares about Tobey McGuire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hugh Laurie.

  24. Who cares by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Spiderman sucked anyway

  25. Reboot really equals .. by Rastl · · Score: 1

    Reboot means a chance to make all new merchandise for the masses! Forget anything you already have - this new stuff is going to be SO cool!

    Um, yeah. Kinda in a cynical mood today.

  26. No Maguire, no movie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This means that Raimi and the cast including star Tobey Maguire are out.

    So shouting "Show me the money!" over the phone didn't quite work this time?

  27. Sing it with me! by paiute · · Score: 5, Funny

    Spiderman, Spiderman
    Agent told him it was in the can.
    But the suits missed the scoop
    Now his Raimi has flown the coop
    Lookout! There goes your Spiderman!

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    1. Re:Sing it with me! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This, good sir, is awesome.

      (Side note: Loved the Raimi flicks - even the fourth, despite being weaker. Could have done with a more interesting Venom).

  28. Tag required by megamerican · · Score: 1

    !ramji

    --
    If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
  29. Here's why Raimi walked... by GPLDAN · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you read into these articles, Raimi walked because the studio wouldn't go along with the Vulture story, and specifically Raimi wanted John Malkovich to play the Vulture. And he wanted Anne Hathaway to be the Vultress. I am not making this up.

    The studio told Raimi he didn't need an expensive star like Hathaway in that role, and they didn't want Malkovich and they didn't like the Vulture as the bad guy at all.

    Now consider how Raimi has approached bad guys so far. Doc Ock? He was a good scientist, distraught over his wife's death, and the tenatcles took over his mind. Harry Osborn? Tormented by his father, instead of becoming the Hobgoblin he turns back to good. The Sandman? Just a father trying to redeem himself to his family.

    Even Dafoe as the Green Goblin was obviously mentally ill. He was mad/evil, yes, but almost sympathetic. He really did get his company taken away by the corporate board, it really was all his genius, and the military was choosing an inferior technology due to politics. In some respects, he was kind of justified to get that pissed off.

    Now imagine how Malkovich's Vulture would have come off? Probably just a sex freak with Anne Hathaway as the Vultress. Maybe he's bad because he was abused as a child. Maybe his mind was taken over by a Hippie played by John Cusack. So many possibilities.

    In any case, it would have probably been the most way out there movie, really for the hardcore comic crowd and probably would have totally lost the under 21 crowd.

    1. Re:Here's why Raimi walked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're missing the wonderful invulnerability Doc Ock somehow acquired when he got his arms. Instead of being a 'normal' brilliant man with metal arms sticking out of his back, he turned into someone who could take punches from Spider-Man (several times human normal strength) and give them back with no bruising or ill effects. AND he had the arms. Hmmm. Reminds me of the super toughness Tony Stark got when he put on a metal suit.

    2. Re:Here's why Raimi walked... by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      I like your post a lot.

      It's an interesting take that I agree with but hadn't noticed.

      Partially, it fits with the old marvel universe "personality" too.

      --
      In response to the "Octavius shouldn't take the beating" posts, I can't find anything to contradict them. It's a hole you could drive a truck through but apparently it's never been addressed yet.

      I assume spider man realizes how weak Doc Oc is and pulls his punches since spiderman doesn't want to be a murderer.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    3. Re:Here's why Raimi walked... by canajin56 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Almost all of those are the same as they were in the comics, though. It's not like Raimi decided to make them all psychologically damaged. Well, the Sandman in the comics was just a criminal because it's what he was good at. It's very common in comics, really. You have two kinds of villains: Criminals, and crazies. Criminals are just criminals, they want cash, and they use their newfound superpowers to get it. Or they don't even have powers, they just have cunning plans and gadgets. Then you have the crazy ones. Their powers made them nuts, if they weren't already. They're the ones you see with the "blow up the city" evil schemes. They're evil for evil's sake. But nobody is just pure evil, without being nuts. Look at Batman, too. Almost every batman villain is crazy, that's why they get sent to an insane asylum, not prison. And even the criminals, most of them are driven to crime by some sob story or other, in the comics. The Vulture, he got screwed by his business partner. The Penguin, he was picked on for being ugly and looking like a bird (Penguin because he wears a tux). A sympathetic villain is hardly something Raimi invented. It's just because, a person who wants to blow up the city is a shitty villain if his only reason is "I'M EVIL LOL". So pretty much, he's got to be nuts. Or, his evil plot is just Diehard subterfuge, distract the hero(es) with a bogus terror plot so you can pull a heist while they're looking the other way ;)

      --
      ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
    4. Re:Here's why Raimi walked... by fermion · · Score: 1

      The thing I like about Spider man is that villains are subtle, and the hero is not really flawed, just normal. In this way we move from the tired formula of the tragic hero, or protagonist as Venture Bros are calling them, to the tragic antagonist. We end up with someone that we would be better off without, that we can mostly conformably vanquish. This to me is good. It allows character development to occur. If we are going to focus on the protagonist for every movie, with lower dimensional cartoon villains, then it becomes difficult to make sequels that are not just retellings of the previous movie. Look at The Wrath of Khan. It was a good star trek movie, in the was that many of TOS were very good, because it focused on a character outside of the normal cast. We also see that people want to see Bond, or Doctor Who for that matter, battle the interesting antagonist. Sure they are still Superheroes, but comfortable enough with their status not to be stuck up Superheroes.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    5. Re:Here's why Raimi walked... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      In any case, it would have probably been the most way out there movie, really for the hardcore comic crowd and probably would have totally lost the under 21 crowd.

      They cater to the under 21 crowd? I guess this explains a lot of the recent Hollywood releases. Though I though that when your IQ got that low you were nearly vegetative, how do they get to the theaters?

  30. Prozac enduced by jhoegl · · Score: 0, Troll

    The themes to the Spider-Man movies were so depressing that the whole cast and director were up to 9 prozac a day. Spider-Man dark? No... it was a standard gay college kids experience back in the 1980s. Why? Because what dumbass would not go after the ass that keeps floating in front of their face, he was poor, and he wears tights. IMO, Spiderman sucks, and I hate Stan Lee for injecting his dumb ass in all the movies. Reboot something better... reboot Punisher and Spawn.

    1. Re:Prozac enduced by jhoegl · · Score: 1

      If a troll is someone that posts their opinion, then yes... yes I am.

  31. Creative Integrity? by JM78 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Lol. The Spider Man trilogy, as a whole, stands as one of the worst of the decade. Spider Man 4, if you can use Spider Man 3 as any gauge, would've been the biggest turd Hollywood's put out in a long while and I'm not so sure even Toby's star-power could recover.

    --
    I am Jack's smirking revenge.
  32. i'm getting tired of this narrative by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Insightful

    i agree with every single one of your points, and yet fail to find what the problem is. we're talking about ENTERTAINMENT. empty, pointless, useless, entertainment. of course, with that statement i am precluding the possibility of something transformational. the original star wars, for instance, is a silly space opera, and yet, including for me, its been a source of much love and awe

    however, as it has degraded into a weekly animation on the cartoon network with a IM-speak trash talking teenage padawan, i find i can't hold that against lucas, not even his 3 prequels. why?

    because nothing lasts forever. you fall in love with something, and it changes. there's no way around this. getting frustrated about this fact of life will not change this fact of life

    a lot of fan boys need to come to grips with the fact that nothing lasts forever, that everything degrades in quality over time, and that's just the way it is, and always will be

    and that hollywood, milking the cow, rebooting a desecrated corpse, is business as usual, and always will be. you need to move on and find love for some other scifi franchise when your much loved series jumps the shark. railing against the world when that happens is just pointless sour grapes and wasted effort on your part

    stop hating hollywood. just realize what is inevitable in this world and realize when it is time to move on

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:i'm getting tired of this narrative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i agree with every single one of your points, and yet fail to find what the problem is. we're talking about ENTERTAINMENT. empty, pointless, useless, entertainment.

      This is where our opinions diverge. I don't find empy, pointless, and useless films/books/comics to be entertaining. If the content is not multi-layered it will fail to hold my attention. Give me something to think about, then I'll be entertained.

    2. Re:i'm getting tired of this narrative by droptone · · Score: 1

      everything degrades in quality over time, and that's just the way it is, and always will be

      Everything good will likely degrade in quality over time. Regression to the mean, combined with the fact that creators of these works have lives. Their attention and dedication can fade because they have other things that they care about (different projects, families, etc). I am upset when an author mails one in, but I try hard to compare the work they produced to the alternatives that I would've considered. Usually, even then, the author that I read for legacy's sake comes out ahead.

      --
      Every post I make begins with the assumption P=~P.
    3. Re:i'm getting tired of this narrative by Requiem18th · · Score: 1

      Alternative solution, become a book buff, the kind that never watches movies, people will hate you when you say that you didn't watch the movie because the book was better, but they'll know you are right.

      --
      But... the future refused to change.
    4. Re:i'm getting tired of this narrative by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      Maybe you can be entertained be empty, pointless, useless, shit. I can’t. I prefer art.

      Nowadays that means small independent (mostly PC) games, music and videos e.g. from youtube (Kutiman and Scroobius Pip come to mind), and the rare find of a movie at the cinema or a good book.

      I’m pretty much separate from the hollywood plastic-fantastic trash and “charts” “music”. Not because I avoid them. Bet because they avoid my lower barrier.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    5. Re:i'm getting tired of this narrative by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      The issue is this: most movies are dry crackers (average budget dramas). A few are cotton candy (big-budget blockbuster). It's sweet, but it doesn't last and isn't ultimately very satisfying. What we want is steak. Kobe steak. A movie that is both visually pleasing and literary satisfying. Good dialogue. Multi-faceted plot. If there is a moral, then a good one, not a broken aesop. Loose ends tied up. Chekhov's gun smoking by the end. etc. etc.

      The frustrating thing is that you can't get steak. You can't get it anywhere, *at any price.* The best you can do is get some cotton candy with dry crackers crumbled into it (high-budget remake of hamlet) and occasionally accidental veal (Empire Strikes Back).

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  33. Nothing but original stories! by tylersoze · · Score: 1

    Sounds great to me, that's the best part, right? Of course that second Hulk movie totally missed the point by cramming the original story into the opening credits. Let's reboot every comic book movie each and every time!

    1. Re:Nothing but original stories! by tylersoze · · Score: 1

      Oops, I meant to type *origin* stories. Doh!

      Actually I just had a better idea, how about a reboot of the franchise during the movie itself! Or maybe do it Rashomon style where the origin story is told over and over again from different points of view.

  34. Spider-Woman by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 1

    I can think of two reasons why it would be more succesful, and at least it is an existing comic-book character.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  35. Let it Die by necro81 · · Score: 2, Funny

    (This space left intentionally blank)

  36. Why don't they... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just mine the sci-fi canon for unfilmed authors?

    There are hosts of good ones out there. Why don't we see a film of RUR, or something based on Olaf Stapleton's work?

    Where are the stories of Blish and Zelazny? There's still a lot to be mined out of Clarke....

    1. Re:Why don't they... by rkhalloran · · Score: 1

      Because the studios execs are scared crapless at the prospect of putting buckets of money into a movie and see it tank. They'd much rather "reboot"/"re-imagine"/rehash old plotlines that sold before than actually take a risk.

      SCOX(Q) DELENDA EST!!

    2. Re:Why don't they... by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      Because the studios execs are scared crapless at the prospect of putting buckets of money into a movie and see it tank. They'd much rather "reboot"/"re-imagine"/rehash old plotlines that sold before than actually take a risk.

      That's what I don't understand here... Spiderman4 with the original cast is a guaranteed moneymaker. Rebooted Spiderman is a guaranteed loser. Maybe they want a loser for some reason?

  37. You mean they are gonna fuck it up .... by unity100 · · Score: 1

    the golden rule of i.t. applies here too : if it aint broke, dont fix it.

    they couldnt have waited till fall or winter to put the movie forth. despite they had an assuredly successful franchise. the greed is SO big that they HAVE to make profit this summer. or else.

    and they think the audience is just going to accept whatever put in front of them like pussies, which will probably be a huge deviation from what defined the franchise in the first place.

    in the end they will just fuck up a great entertainment title for hasty profits. profits, fast profits before quality, even at the cost of totally destroying a profit making franchise.

    another detrimental result of unbridled capitalism ....

    1. Re:You mean they are gonna fuck it up .... by kenp2002 · · Score: 1

      p>another detrimental result of unbridled capitalism ....

      Because Soviet Russian under communism did so much better in cinima....

      --
      -=[ Who Is John Galt? ]=-
    2. Re:You mean they are gonna fuck it up .... by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Are you familiar with Tarkovsky or Eisenstein?

  38. Just don't do a "Brand New Day" reboot by Orion+Blastar · · Score: 1

    Where Peter Parker aka Spider-Man and his wife Mary Jane make a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May from dying and make the world forget that Peter Parker was Spider-Man in exchange for changing history so Peter Parket and Mary Jane Watson never got married.

    If I would reboot the film, I would base it on the Ultimate Spider-Man or Spider-Man Unlimited versions and then make a Spider-Man 2099 with a different actor just for the heck of it later as a joke.

    --
    Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
  39. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sony's hearts are not *truly* klingon.

  40. So this is the flaw in show business. by CherniyVolk · · Score: 1

    Off the cuff, the only series that had sufficient success with alternate actors playing key roles, I think is the Batman series. However, I propose a solution to this exception in the amazing match-ups each movie had regarding the villian, Danny Devito as the Pengiun, Jim Carrey as the Riddler etc. Also, it sorta helps when the blunder becomes the norm, Michael Keaton played the first and second, then Val Kilmer, then George Clooney, Christian Bale....

    They did it with the Incredible Hulk, while the second release had good actors... Ed Norten, Tim Roth, Jennifer Connelly is hotter than the both of them, plus 'Hulk' also had Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte... ultimately, 'Hulk' came first and was of sufficient quality.

    They can't go and muck with super heros, and I don't know why they try. If you attach a personality to a super hero, then in most cases that needs to stick (the exception most likely to refute this claim would be pointing out Jack Nicolson vs Heath Ledger, but you'll find that these people are not aware that Heath Ledger was technically playing a different character, Joker from the Dark Knight series rather than the classic Joker from the original Batman that Jack did so well doing.)

    Spiderman has had too many movies to start swapping around actors. If Tobey Maguire isn't spiderman, if Kirsten Dunst isn't his squeeze, no matter how much money Sony throws at the problem, a new release is likely to receive more criticism than praise; things like this need a huge time buffer, a revision or remake 20 years later sort of thing. Sony needs to keep the key actors in a Spiderman 4, otherwise it's going to go straight to DVD and be forgotten... but maybe it'll become a cult film?

  41. Re: real time killed Marvel's New Universe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Real time seemed to work in the 1960s. I think rushing to print, removing all funding, zero initial demand, uninspired stories and massive office politics may have had more to do with it. Removing the real time element a year later did not help sales one bit.

  42. "Yesterday we discussed" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, but we agreed on "no reboots".

  43. director's conception vs studio greed by brunokummel · · Score: 1

    Sorry if I'm trolling, but Spider-man 3 was already kind of sucky... The idea of cramming as much villans and action in a comic book's movie, believe it or not, is not a great idea. At least to the fans, who are expecting a little bit more than a 2 minute appearence of Venon....
    Not quite sure if I made my point...

    --
    What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
  44. Avoiding the 4th sequil syndrome by doconnor · · Score: 1

    Both the 4th Superman and 4th Batman movies where so soul destroyingly bad that both franchises where shut down for years before rebooting. I wasn't too impressed with Spider-man 3 and I expected the 4th movie might really bad.

    Perhaps they learned from history and are trying to avoid that fate.

  45. Why I hate reboots. . . by JSBiff · · Score: 4, Interesting

    While it's true that, sometimes, a character idea needs a reboot, there is a *reason* I hate reboots. . .

    I hate having to slog through essentially the same story again. I want *new* stories. Not the same basic Spiderman, Superman, or Batman story 'remixed'.

    The recent Star Trek 'reboot' was nice in that, at least, they basically presented a brand new story. If companies insist on rebooting things, I hope they realize they don't have to take us back through the same 2 or 3 *tired* stories all over again. I really don't care if I never see another Batman movie which has The Catwoman, The Joker, or The Penguin, ever again. I want *other* Batman stories.

    1. Re:Why I hate reboots. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check out Orson Scott Card's work on Iron Man. Pretty different from the original.

    2. Re:Why I hate reboots. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The recent Star Trek 'reboot' was nice in that, at least, they basically presented a brand new story."

      You mean they presented an entertaining RECYCLED story. Time travel, one dimensional villian, plot holes galore and action. Blend and serve.

  46. There are a couple ways by Stregano · · Score: 1

    Dude, if they did Spiderman 2099, that would be stellar.

    The thing about Spiderman is that the comics have been around for so long that it would not be difficult at all to "reboot" the series since there are so many different directions it could go in.

    --
    The world is how you make it
    1. Re:There are a couple ways by Chess+Piece+Face · · Score: 1

      Came here to say that - of the 2099 books, Spider-Man was actually good. Bright, funny, none of this Ultimate Dark Vengeance BS that's all the rage these days. Would love to see some of the fringe religions howling that the Thorites are a thinly-veiled mockery of them.

      Wouldn't hold out much hope though, given the new ownership issues. Hulk 2099 predicted the music business would be reduced to only singing about itself, and Disney has been a big part of making that happen much earlier than predicted. Even if this got made, you know all of the anti-corporate themes would be scrubbed out.

  47. i think it's time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for another one of Uwe Boll's movie master pieces. lets see how he does with spiderman 4

    lol detest was the capcha for this post

  48. Bond reboots with every new actor by Shivetya · · Score: 1

    How many times have they done what comes off as his first mission? If the actor does more than one there always seems to be a movie where Bond and "Q" or "M" have to get to know each other

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  49. Stupid Stupid Stupid by cptnapalm · · Score: 1

    1. Take a well loved superhero, a good cast and great director
    2. Let them make a couple of awesome movies
    3. Throw away the makers of the multi-billion dollar franchise
    4. ?
    5. Profit!

  50. Hollywood Douchebag-Speak by rudy_wayne · · Score: 1

    from the Variety article:

    Star Tobey Maguire and helmer Sam Raimi, who were both set for big paydays for "Spider Man 4," will no longer be involved in the franchise as Col moves forward with a high school-aged Peter Parker pic, which will bow theatrically in summer 2012.

    1. Re:Hollywood Douchebag-Speak by orgelspieler · · Score: 1

      Let's not forget the use of the word 'lensing' instead of 'filming' or 'shooting.' Pretty ridiculous. Is this really even Hollywood-speak, or is this an attempt at neologism?

    2. Re:Hollywood Douchebag-Speak by 1u3hr · · Score: 1

      Not "neologisms", Variety has been using this style for decades. I don't know if anyone actually talks like that in real life, but it's certainly the dialect of the trade press.

    3. Re:Hollywood Douchebag-Speak by orgelspieler · · Score: 1

      Shows you how often I read Variety. I guess all trade magazines have their own dialect. It's just a bit jarring when you're not accustomed to it.

  51. you are only announcing your irrelevancy by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Informative

    entertainment FOR YOU must be multi-layered. good for you. but the population in general has no such prerequisites. therefore, it makes perfect business sense for hollywood to pander to the the population in general, and ignore you, the much smaller marketplace

    hollywood exists to make money, not to meet your narrow criteria

    and please don't conclude that your tastes are somehow superior to the general population. you just have rigid needs. it could just as easily be said that you are harder to please, which is no sign of superiority at all, simply rigidity and ossification of mind

    populism rules. in fact, it is the most difficult of entertainment efforts to make that which appeals to many, rather than a small narrow group of interests

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you are only announcing your irrelevancy by spun · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Populism is a race to the bottom, Idiocracy style. If you as an artist don't rise, even slightly, above what your audience expects, then your audience will never learn to appreciate greater things. As an artist, neither pander to your audience nor talk over them, but lead them to greater things.

      But we aren't talking about artists, are we? We're talking about corporate products produced by blank faced clones with all creativity squashed out of them.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  52. 3 was bad, really bad! by yoshi_mon · · Score: 1

    Why was 3 so awful? I've seen a few comments here that talk about it but are there any movie geeks that can expound on why it was so bad? (Not just that the screenplay was bad but why was it so bad?)

    I'm not a huge Spiderman fan but I thought that at the very least the first one was a nice setup. The second one was nothing great but did it's job. Good popcorn movie. The thrid, ugh, I turned it off before it was half way over. And I've sat though all of Battlefield Earth, non-Rifftrax version!

    --

    Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
    1. Re:3 was bad, really bad! by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Way, way too many plot lines, for starters.

      They turned Spider-Man into a crying whiny child.

      Flint killed Uncle Ben? He shouldn’t be punished for that... that would be revenge, and revenge is bad... but he just wants to help his poor sick daughter? Aww... isn’t that sweet.

      Of course the sandman was totally indestructible, which means you eventually have to defeat him by some mushy-gushy mind business.

      Harry goes bad and tries to kill Peter, but of course Peter can’t kill Harry, because he’s his best friend. Er, was. Naturally, sparing Harry ends up being beneficial in the end.

      Venom was the only decent part of the movie.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    2. Re:3 was bad, really bad! by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      Venom was the only decent part of the movie.

      I thought the exact opposite. I though Venom was a terrible addition to the movie. The "Black suit" was okay, as was Eddie, but having the ending of the movie tie in with the removal of the suit and showing more of Eddie Brock's hatred of Parker as a lead-in for Spiderman 4:Venom would have cleaned up the plot lines from Spiderman 3 and made people's mouths water for Spiderman 4. Venom in this movie was too underdone, and his role could have been played by Crazy Harry easily (Spiderman would defeat him by doing the cliche appeal to Harry's good side, but Flint would end up being persuaded instead since Harry's two coconuts short of a tree).

    3. Re:3 was bad, really bad! by clone53421 · · Score: 1

      Let me rephrase that: Venom was the only part of the movie that had any potential at all, although they failed badly at utilizing its potential.

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    4. Re:3 was bad, really bad! by sudden.zero · · Score: 1

      As a huge Spiderman fan I can tell you from my perspective that the biggest problem that I had with it was that there were just too Damn many villains in one movie at one time! I mean come on Hobgoblin, Venom and Sandman. Each one of these villains could have spanned a whole feature film. Not to mention that they could have broken Venom (As intricate as his story is) into two movies! Spiderman three was a huge flop just for this fact alone much less the storyline and other reasons mentioned!!

  53. Classic plot by johndiii · · Score: 2

    "Power corrupts...". The sentiment is not new; its consequences have been the subject of stories for literally thousands of years. The notion of someone struggling with the consequences of having gained power is certainly not new.

    It is only in the last hundred years or so that science has been perceived as a source of such power. As far as such stories are concerned, it has no meaningful distinction from political power, religious power, an aristocratic title, or a gun. All are effectively neutral in and of themselves; the good or evil of their use is determined by the wielder. But we have a cultural perception of such things as tending towards evil. As science is perceived increasingly as a source of power, it will inevitably be seen as having an increased potential for evil.

    Given that power is the ability to impose one's will on others, I think that this tendency is a good thing. It is somewhat ironic, though, that Hollywood is telling such a story.

    --
    Floating face-down in a river of regret...and thoughts of you...
  54. Star Wrek by bussdriver · · Score: 1

    I repeat:

    Star Trek the reboot was as if billions of Vulcans suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. And that terrible thing happened!

    They removed science fiction from star trek, they'll have to find a way to remove the comic from spiderman. How about get that vampire kid and this time make it a COMPLETELY shallow teen flick this time. Spiderman at Twilight.

    Stop giving these people your money.

    1. Re:Star Wrek by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      They removed science fiction from star trek

      That happened in "The Wrath of Khan", actually... "The Slow-Motion Picture" (which I like, BTW - and love to make fun of as well 'cause it deserves it) was their last real attempt at science fiction in a Star Trek movie...

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    2. Re:Star Wrek by kimvette · · Score: 1

      I actually like the newest Trek movie. Some of them I just can't sit through but the latest one was Trek for non-trekkies. I actually went to the theater to see it after reading reviews. It wasn't the same dreck rehashed for the eighteen thousandth time.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    3. Re:Star Wrek by EpsCylonB · · Score: 1

      the genesis stuff was semi-hard (fnar fnar) sci fi, trek was always about villains as well though and khan remains the greatest

    4. Re:Star Wrek by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      I actually liked the new Star Trek. I liked the emphasis on action and that the makers didn't get carried away with CG. I think staying focused on the plot and not CG was very much a Star Trek thing. You could say they didn't take a lot of time to focus on science but really all the ideas are old and tired and no longer need explained. Nothing in Sci Fi is new anymore and to really jump to the next stage will be rough because bleeding edge science and near future science is going to be mind bending for the average person. Science is approaching magic and is no longer visually understandable in the way engines and lasers were. I probably won't watch a new Spider-Man movie anytime soon without Raimi and Maguire. I think they have made very good Spider-Man movies and it hasn't been long enough to see the same story with new eyes. Aren't there enough comic heros that they could wait on the next Spider-Man and instead role out something else? I'd rather have quality than quantity anyway.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    5. Re:Star Wrek by scrib · · Score: 1

      Never happened.
      Original Spock would never sit idly by as his home world gets destroyed by some glitch in continuity...

      We went back in time to grab a couple whales and save Earth from aggressive space-whales. Spock is biding his time until the next movie when he can repair the rupture. Kirk won't be born in space, but Iowa. Vulcan won't be destroyed generations before other prior future references to Vulcan.

      Basically, the whole "Reboot" movie will be a redundant time loop.

      --
      Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
    6. Re:Star Wrek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I liked the emphasis on action and that the makers didn't get carried away with CG. I think staying focused on the plot and not CG was very much a Star Trek thing."

      Didn't get carried away on CG? Did you actually WATCH the movie?

      As for the plot, WHAT PLOT?

      But, yes, it had action. As long as you viewed it as an action movie and didn't exercise your mind it worked.

  55. Spiderwhimp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why were the last ones so popular? Tobey Maquire's only expression was to stand and stare blankly. He's a block of wood as an actor and sucked as Spiderman. The whole character was yes he was unsure of himself as Peter Parker but he was confident and wise cracking when he was in the suit as Spiderman. The scripts were just plain goofy. The only redeeming thing were the villians. They tended to be solid to excellent. Rami did his best to cast himself as Spiderman and it just never worked. He kept trying to be funny and it didn't work. When he tried to be serious and strike emotional cords it got even worse and ironically even sillier. Is there any hope the reboot will be better? Probably not. Look at it this way, you want to see what Disney does with the character?

  56. you're confused on the subject matter by circletimessquare · · Score: 0

    intelligence is a bell curve. there is too stupid, and there is too smart. populism is about appealing to the vast middle, the bell curve. there is no "race to the bottom". nor is there is a "lead them to greater things". you are injecting all sorts of red herrings and unrelated agendas to the issue at hand: entertainment

    "But we aren't talking about artists, are we? We're talking about corporate products produced by blank faced clones with all creativity squashed out of them."

    name ten of your favorite movies. i will wager a majority of them are products of hollywood. so you are obviously intellectually dishonest and venal in your opinions

    hollywood is where artists of great talent toil. and also some stinkers. its a mixed bag. not at all onesided as you portray. to see the bad that comes from hollywood only, and ignore the good, is simply a sign of weak perception and character on your part

    sometimes artists are constrained by the money, sometimes the money frees them to do their art. hollywood is simply a pact between artistic endeavour and financial resources, and plenty of what you admire about the art of cinema is impossible without that money. and the people with the money, out of good or bad instincts, have to place their bets on what is worth pursuing and what is not in their mind. sometimes they fail spectacularly, because of the intrusions of the moneymen. sometimes that fail spectacularly because of the artist himself and a failed artistic vision. sometimes they muddle through and produce mediocre fare. but sometimes, and you are liar if you don't admit this, they hit it out of the ballpark with an amazing movie, that you admire

    that's the truth. meanwhile, for someone with pretenses to intelligence, you seem to have some straightforwardly unintelligent understandings of the concepts in play here

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by spun · · Score: 1, Troll

      You want to play asshole games? You want to see who can be the bigger asshole? We've played this before and you've lost, but if you want a rematch, whatever.

      It's always enjoyable discussing art and film with a failed film maker wannabee. You aren't an artist, you're a hack who wanted to sell out to Hollywood but didn't even have the talent to do that.

      My favorite films:

      Synechdoche, NY
      Adaptation
      2001
      Sideways
      Lost in Translation
      Blade Runner
      Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
      Being John Malkovich
      Magnolia
      Brazil

      Hmm, not really many major studio films on that list, so your asinine opinion is, hmm, what were your words? Oh yes, 'intellectually dishonest and venal.' Venal? really? I'm in this for the money? Methinks though dost project too much. Maybe you should brush up on your English, kid.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    2. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Methinks though dost project too much. Maybe you should brush up on your English, kid.

      My Archaic Grammar Mistake Detector and Irony Alarm just exploded!

    3. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Synechdoche, NY - Philip Seymour Hoffman
      Adaptation - Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep
      2001 - Stanley Kubrik & MGM
      Sideways - Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church (and Fox Searchlight is indie-focused but not a true small indie company)
      Lost in Translation - Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansen
      Blade Runner - Harrison Ford
      Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Jim Carey
      Being John Malkovich - John Malkovich
      Magnolia - Several b-list stars
      Brazil - Robert De Niro

      Ok, not many major studio films on there, but most had actors who were already known quantities - upper b-list, lower a-list. Nothing exists in a vacuum.

    4. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1

      Methinks though dost project too much.

      Applauds. :)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    5. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      name ten of your favorite movies. i will wager a majority of them are products of hollywood. so you are obviously intellectually dishonest and venal in your opinions

      Sorry, you're wrong, but I'm pretty sure Hollywood made remakes of them.

    6. Re:you're confused on the subject matter by ajlisows · · Score: 1

      Hey! A lot of those movies are newer. With a UID like yours I would have expected Several Charlie Chaplin silent films and that newfangled "Gone with the Wind" movie.

  57. Not a Hollywood Reboot by spun · · Score: 1

    I knew someone would bring that up, but the thing is, it's not a Holyywood reboot. It's just a rip off of Frank Miller's Batman.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  58. Clone / Robot !! by Imazalil · · Score: 1

    Does this mean he was a clone / robot all along !?!?!

    Or wait... he dies will be split into 4 different characters? I don't even know how the rest of that whole Superman's dead plot line played out.

    Or better. 'Gasp' what a nightmare!

  59. From his butt, you say? by bdwoolman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Then we will call it Spiderman Rebooty.

    Damn it Mary Jane! we're all out of toilet paper!

    --
    "No fear. No envy. No meanness." Liam Clancy
  60. Propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right-wing american concepts made their way into many films; much more subtle than FOX... Its like they feel the need to appeal to those people; but more likely they hire more like-minded people because of the perceived left wing bias caused by many of the left wing actors.

    300 was a blatant pro bush war film.

    Batman 2 clearly got its hooks into the tea bag nuts; plus making batman the fall guy for doing the "right thing" etc; invasion of privacy when needed. It resonated really strongly with that demographic much more than the 1st film (I know some of these people.) Science and detective abilities of batman are minimized as well for more of a warrior thing. etc.

    Spiderman 2 had a bunch of post 911 stuff put in there; not likely with any bad motives I think, but were pulling on feelings that people remembered having had not to long before. Yeah, and science wasn't a force for good either; spiderman is not a big science guy other than a couple prods to the comics backstory it wasn't a factor. I thought it had an anti-physics thing too with the whole fusion alt power thing; if it was done a bit later they would have worked in the LHC and blackholes instead.

    Spiderman 3 was too shallow for me to study it much. overkill and lost in its own hype; was an attempt to make a good superman 3... did better but still... Spiderman 1 made him almost as shallow as the remake of The Time Machine; a lot of teen fantasy elements. The original story for that one wasn't good to begin with so I was happy with the result.

    Star trek removed science. Star wars 1-2 removed the mythology for hamburger helper; the 3rd one was an echo of the 1st ones with political connections it was trying to avoid when historically it was based on past events which just happened to be similar to the times. My wingnut friends were livid with that 3rd film... forget trying to explain the source of history to them on that... brownshirts can't think clearly. period.

    1. Re:Propaganda by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Star wars 1-2 removed the mythology for hamburger helper; the 3rd one was an echo of the 1st ones with political connections it was trying to avoid when historically it was based on past events which just happened to be similar to the times. My wingnut friends were livid with that 3rd film... forget trying to explain the source of history to them on that...

      Maybe they were livid because it was such a horrible movie? I never did see that one. I stopped with the 2nd prequel; it was so horrible, and the dialog so painful to watch, that I couldn't imagine sitting through the 3rd installment.

      I like your analyses of all the other movies in this post, but with the Star Wars prequels, I don't see the point. They were all so horrible because of the terrible acting, scriptwriting, and dialog that doing any further analysis seems to me to be as pointless as trying to analyze "Battlefield: Earth" this way. It's easier to just dismiss it as outright, unwatchable crap and move on to a movie that's actually watchable.

    2. Re:Propaganda by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      In all fairness, the "third" wasn't as bad as the "first" or "second", although I admit that I am setting the bar REALLY low with that statement.

      It's about on par with ROTJ.

    3. Re:Propaganda by dwiget001 · · Score: 1

      || 300 was a blatant pro bush war film. ||

      WTF are you smoking?

      You might want to set the liberal kool-aid down for a moment, until you can think clearly.

      300 was a story, based on real events in history.

      How you tie this to being "pro bush" is beyond imagination.

      And, don't get me wrong here, I am A) not a Republican and B) I think Bush is/was a war-monger and I do not and did not support him. And, for full disclosure, I fully oppose Obama and what the Democrats are and have been doing since the took over the House and Senate. On top of that, I oppose both major parties, Reps and Dems alike, as they are both equally responsible for the mess this country is in, and appear to be hell bent on making thing monumentally worse!

      I have some advice for you: Fricken chill!

    4. Re:Propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "300" was based on actual historic events.

    5. Re:Propaganda by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Not all criticism has to be partisan. I'm not a US citizen and to me certain themes were very apparent in 300. Condoning and elevating of concepts of racial purity, eugenics; the evil Middle Easterners rampaging and devouring and sub-human. How one could watch the film and not see these things beggars belief.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    6. Re:Propaganda by sesshomaru · · Score: 1

      300 was a story, based on real events in history.

      Ok, this is not a criticism of the 300, but to say it was based on real events in history is a tad ridiculous. Yes, there was a real battle between the Persian Empire and some Greeks. It was nothing like the version shown in the film though. (More importantly, the Spartans weren't a particularly sympathetic bunch in real life.)

      To put it another way, it was based on real events the way the Amityville Horror and Fargo were based on real events...

      --
      "MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
    7. Re:Propaganda by tragedy · · Score: 1

      Good point. As an example, the 300 were actually 900. There were 300 Spartans, but each warrior had two Helots who flanked him. The Helots were Sparta's serf/slave class and would, quite frankly, have probably been better off under Persian rule. The incident was actually one where a small army did manage to hold back a large one for a time, eventually sacrificing their lives for it. However, the relative size of the army, and many other details have been distorted greatly by propaganda over the years.

  61. all of these reboots... by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    i'm getting the impression that hollywood runs on microsoft windows

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  62. Hollywood, do us all favor by postmortem · · Score: 1

    And replace these thousand-times-reused-themes, effect and nonsense filled movies with something novel with more substance.

  63. OMD appearance? by RyoShin · · Score: 1

    I haven't read One More Day myself, but it made a huge uproar in the comics community as well as causing a huge shift in the Spider-man universe.

    While I don't think it should be adapted faithfully (like it would be, anyway), it could serve as a good kick-off for a reboot without completely throwing away or disregarding the previous entries. Something bad happens, Parker makes a literal deal with the devil, boom, everything resets.

    The main problem with approaching the film in this manner, though, is that the reset would have to be done within the first half hour, which would likely leave a lot of people confused who aren't familiar with the comics.

  64. you're cute ;-) by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    blade runner was produced through the ladd company (warner bros)

    2001 was MGM

    sideways was michael london, straightup hollywood producer

    all of your charlie kaufman fanboy stuff: synechdoche, adaptation, being john malkovich, eternal sunshine, adaptation... hollywood produced/ distributed. charlie kaufman is straightup hollywood, he lives in pasadena and has toiled in hollywood long before his fame

    brazil is the brits and terry gilliam, so i'll give you that

    lost in translation is goddamn sofia coppola, which is about as nepotistically hollywood as you can possibly get

    why are you such an angry little man with such a huge chip on your shoulder, yet coupled with such a poor understanding of the subject matter you inject your uneducated superiority into? you do understand the idea of production and distribution, don't you?

    by your list of movies, your taste is solidly mainstream. it has that obvious stink of "i'm a suburban wannabe who buys what hollywood has marketed as 'upscale'", but this is a personality issue, not an aesthetic mark of exception. you know, for suburban douches who imagine themselves alternative, but are just another marketing segment that the hollywood dvd aftermarket panders to. sorry kid, but your tastes solidly describe you as middle of the road. it sounds like you hit the goddamn netflix "suggest other movies like this one" to make your list. you forgot "american beauty" lol

    i would be worried if you responded to my challenge with a bunch of japanese or korean or indian fare, you know, clearly not hollywood, clearly intelligent, vibrant, and utterly alien to hollywood mass-produced stuff

    start in japan kid. judging by your style of taste in hollywood fare, i suggest something like "love exposure" from the genius sion sono, or "fine, totally fine", which you will love if you liked sideways

    then get on over to korea. see something like the sublime "M", which rivals kubrick at his best in terms of being transcendent, or then anything by mark chanwook (probably outside your tastes though). and there's always plenty in europe

    there are people who are genuinely counterculture. then there are people who have pretensions and a false sense of superiority. this is a character weakness, not a mark of aesthetic exception. you're a strange little suburban angry douche. i hear the voice of squidward in spongebob squarepants when i read your comment

    oops! sorry if that's too "idiocracy" a reference for you! thinking of a children cartoon character? obviously i am not a intelligent culture vulture like yourself!

    lol! cute little angry man

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you're cute ;-) by spun · · Score: 1

      Me angry? I'm not, I just thought you wanted to play 'who's the bigger asshole.' I'm perfectly willing to have a rational discussion if you are. But you started it, didn't you? Venal?! Sheesh.

      The movies I like aren't your typical Hollywood fare, they aren't reboots of a film franchise of a book or comic. Even if you do consider them products of the Hollywood system, it only proves my point that movies do not have to cater to the lowest common denominator.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  65. "I Hate Clones!" -Spiderman by Culture20 · · Score: 1
    How many reboots / new franchises has this been for spidey in the last 20 years?
    • Regular Marvel Earth 616 Spiderman Comics:
      • Clones
      • "Spider-Totem" magic powers retcon
      • Mephisto reboot (Parker and Mary Jane never married)
    • Spiderman 2099 Comics
    • Ultimate Spiderman Comics
    • 1990's Spiderman cartoon
    • Toby MacGuire Spiderman movies
    • 2000's Spectacular Spiderman cartoon

    That doesn't count the Spiderman & Amazing Friends, Spiderman cartoon, Spiderman Live action TV, Old Spiderman movies, etc. Technically, these were all supposed to be the same spiderman as Earth 616 and the 1990s Spiderman cartoon. Marvel's starting to dilute a main figure of their mythos. It's like they're writing an Arthurian legend and making King Arthur an evil usurper. Nice for a "What If?" comic, but not so much for a retelling of a well-known story. Given how often the first Toby movie is still played on TV, I don't think a lot of people are going to pay money to go see Uncle Ben get shot again unless it's in a flashback in Spiderman 4.

  66. i'm the bigger asshole by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    don't even try. i have you beat 100x different ways

    and you are venal: you are claiming some sort of superiority of product in your personal preferences. this is intellectually dishonest and corrupt of you. you have a false sense of superiority. you are full of false pride about supposed better tastes than some other group of people for arbitrary reasons, when the truth is, you're just another marketing segment. you look down on mass produced comic book fare when you like what? mass produced hollywood fare of a different flavor! and then you try to come across as superior in some way to the "common man" when you ARE the common man... with a chip on his shoulder. which in my mind makes you INFERIOR to the common man

    i really, really am bothered by people who have the need to feel superior to other people. and your need for that is obviously huge. when you look at the common man on the street, you are looking at your equal. when i look at the common man on the street, i am looking at my equal. show some fucking humility, then i will give you my respect. i think that's a pretty basic social contract that we are all bound to, no?

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:i'm the bigger asshole by spun · · Score: 1

      i really, really am bothered by people who have the need to feel superior to other people.

      Self-hating, eh? Look, pal, I never claimed to be superior. You are the one with a superiority complex. You think people are so inferior, they can't handle anything but pure drek. You think good art is too 'elitist' for them. I, on the other hand, respect people, and feel they can handle art that isn't pre-digested for them.

      I don't have a chip on my shoulder, I just say what I think. I could give a rats ass what you like, it's your business. But I am entitled to my opinion, despite what you may think.

      I don't want your respect. The respect of failures with badly hidden superiority complexes isn't something I court.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    2. Re:i'm the bigger asshole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spun, you already lost. Give it up. You're making it worse.

  67. Too soon by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

    Do something new for films, like Metal Men (we have the CGI to do this now) or Doom Patrol

    Or go completely nuts and do Mark Waid's "Irredeemable"

    Or go even more completely nuts: The Umbrella Academy

  68. Re:Star Blech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I actually like the newest Trek movie. Some of them I just can't sit through but the latest one was Trek for non-trekkies. I actually went to the theater to see it after reading reviews. It wasn't the same dreck rehashed for the eighteen thousandth time.

    No, the dreck was all-new for that one.

    As for not being able to sit through a lot of the old Trek movies... That's because a lot of them are pretty bad as movies go. I think all the old and Next-Gen Trek movies had at least one really serious flaw.

  69. that's a lot of deflection by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Insightful

    and a complete 180 from your comments above like the one where you cite 'idiocracy'

    "I, on the other hand, respect people, and feel they can handle art that isn't pre-digested for them"

    no, you, on the other hand, are so condescending and patronizing you can't even see it in your own words, where you prejudge what they like as something that you see a need to be improved upon, based on nothing but your own self-certain sense of knowing what is "better" for them. what is "better" for them, apparently being your own arbitrary likes. this is a pure definition of being self-centered, superior minded

    charlie kaufman is awesome, and i loved eternal sunshine and have it on dvd and have enthused about it and suggested college aged visitors watch it with me and they loved it. not because i was improving them, condescendingly, as you portray your noble one man crusade, but just because i wanted to share with my equals. i don't think my love for that movie is the basis upon which to judge what other people like and i don't have a need to "show them the light". you do. you do because you have a false sense of superiority based on nothing but your arbitrary proclivities for hollywood mass marketed alternative movies. you're a fucking poster boy for self important small minded suburban rec room elitism

    i realize that the complete aboutface and backtracking on your own statements in your comment immediately above is about as close as i am going to get with you admitting you are wrong, and that i have made my point, so whatever

    adios! sorry i can't say well met, self-centered, patronizing little man

    xoxoxoxoxox

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:that's a lot of deflection by spun · · Score: 1

      You don't understand my comment. I'm saying, the idiots in charge of entertainment are racing to the bottom, not that regular folks are. Entertainment industry execs think people can't handle real art, and just want crap spoon fed to them, but they are wrong.

      So, just because you don't understand what I'm saying, and read your own, self-righteous meaning into it, doesn't mean that what I'm actually saying is wrong.

      Who said anything about a crusade? Your words, not mine.

      Again, just because you've realized that I am saying something 180 degrees from what you thought I said, doesn't mean you had any understanding of what I was saying in the first place.

      To be clear: you misunderstood. You acted like a smug, self-congratulatory elitist who was afraid of competition in the elitism department. I made myself clearer, to help you understand. You admitted that what I'm actually saying is different than what you originally thought.

      So, we are on the same page now. Glad I could help.

      --
      - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  70. In other news by ZPWeeks · · Score: 1

    Red hair dye companies' stock shares plummeted yesterday due to loss of demand from the Kirsten Dunst market.

  71. Spider man is NOT sci fi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't care what you comic book reading morons say. It is not science fiction. Not by a long shot.

    Go pick up a real book and learn to read words with more than 5 letters.

  72. Re:Star Blech by uniquename72 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think all the old and Next-Gen Trek movies had at least one really serious flaw.

    Yeah, not enough Tribbles.

  73. re: Kevin Smith by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    I agree.... But in some ways, I consider Kevin Smith to be a "one trick pony", too. As good a filmmaker as he is, almost all of his movies are really just a continuation of the same theme he started out with. (I'm not enough of a movie buff to argue if he's done one or two films that totally broke that mold. Quite possibly he did.) This isn't a "bad" thing either. It's better to know what you're good at and practice/hone it, than to experiment all over the place, doing things poorly and disappointing audiences.

    (I'm thinking "Woody Allen" here, as another example of a guy doing a lot of movies in a similar vein, over and over again - but doing very well with them.)

    If anything though, the lesson he probably brings to the table is, we're spending FAR too much on movies. If you stick to a low budget, you can still make a great movie if the script is there, and the acting is decent. If you spend loads, however, you exponentially increase your risk that it won't be profitable -- and all the money does little to nothing for the quality of the script. That part is either there, or it's not .... and they usually seem to just substitute expensive CGI and cool explosions when it's lacking. A filmmaker on a tight budget doesn't even have that *option*.

  74. Re: Kevin Smith by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

    You should see his next movie that's coming out:

    http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/copout/

    The trailer is terrible, but apparently the dialogue is such a hard R, that they had a hard time cutting a trailer around it. That looks like a Lethal Weapon to me. It looks absolutely nothing like he has done before.

    His next movie after that will either by "Hit Somebody", a sports flick about hockey, or "Red State", which he describes as a very dark psychological horror film.

    I think that while Smith has been making the same type of films for some time, he seems to have come to the same conclusion, and now he is trying something else.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  75. Better as a TV Series by monkeythug · · Score: 1

    Spidey would be better done as a TV Series than a movie. They should do it in a similar style to Smallville. I don't mean the prequel aspect, I just mean it should be a lot more character based, exploring how Pete deals with his new powers and how he deals with integrating his activities as Spidey into his ordinary life. In other words it should be a lot more like the comic books dammit!

    --
    Don't you wish you hadn't wasted 3 seconds of your life reading this sig?
  76. sheesh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    he [Sam Raimi] felt he couldn't make its summer release date and keep the film's creative integrity.

    So instead of listening to your experienced expert who has built up a following for the last 2 decades, you said "fuck that guy." Brilliant, Sony. I'm sure your new movie will be excellent.

  77. Re:Here's why Raimi ... by mrmeval · · Score: 1

    It doesn't come across as a field of pansies in the comics. I comes across as whiny pansy crap when Sam Raimi does it. I really disliked #3 and a reboot to something enjoyable will be welcome.

    I like a lot of Sam Raimi's work and the Spiderman franchise started out well but he failed in #3.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  78. Interest draining... ennui increasing... by roc97007 · · Score: 1

    Oh God, not high school again. Sorry, Sony, I've lost interest. I wonder if they'll call it Spider Man IV: The Quest for Peace?

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  79. Hollywood's cleaned your clock by recharged95 · · Score: 1
    Who the F cares if it's a reboot, you're still gonna watch it....in the theater....likely under 3D. And pay double for it.

    The studio's figured out, the majority of folks will see it (it's branding folks!), then complain about it on places like Rotten Tomatoes and forget about it as Transformers 3 comes to the screen the following month. Since critics are now the advertising system (bought out like technology or political "journalists" aka. bloggers), there's no stopping the studios. So:
    • They still make >$200M.
    • SM consumer products still rolls forward
    • The brand is strong enough for a few stupid storylines in order for a really decent story to come out around SpiderMan 7
    • Studio stays cash full via blueray and online downloads--the long tail in effect...

    Reboots in the production pipeline are now the norm folks.... And yaw'll will still go and see it. Even if the fanboys boycott.... Lucas was right, create new fans with the same "stuff", the old fans will always be fans. That means the same characters, stories, etc...

  80. Ultimate Reboot: Spidey goes Bollywood by Dana+Larsen · · Score: 1

    The ultimate Spider-Man reboot would be to change the whole location to India. Base it on the four issue Spidey spin-off Pavitr Prabhakar, and do it Bollywood style!

  81. Oh no , not another batman franchise by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    There was nothing worse then to hear another actor was taking over batman's role...now we got christian bale, who did awesome for the last 2...and gave it the dark feel...more so then anything done before...however it took a full first batman rewrite to do this....
    Just because the director could not do what he wanted (immature little boy issues I guess) he does not need to take the whole team with him! As for the rest of the actors, ...if the director is not aligned with the one paying your salary, I would think about job security...
    (that means you Tobey...you haven't done anything worthwhile except the Spider man movies!)

    I would recommend John Stavereau, who surprisingly is the director for Iron Man, I did not know this crazy actor was such a good director. Hats off to him, and I would like to see him on this project!

  82. Re:Star Blech by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

    I think all the old and Next-Gen Trek movies had at least one really serious flaw.

    Yeah, not enough Tribbles.

    Tribbles didn't save "The Search for Spock"...

    --
    Bow-ties are cool.
  83. What's with all the reboots? by paragon1 · · Score: 1

    Since when does Hollywood run Windows?