#DC may have forgotten about the All Blades and the All Caste

[daydreamerwonderkid]

I know it's silly, but I would love it if DC gave Jason the opportunity to randomly summon the All Blades mid fight. Especially if he immediately tries to gaslight everyone into thinking they were seeing shit.

I just think it would be hysterical.

[about-faces]

The director Joel Schumacher has passed away, and everyone's reactions have boiled down to two topics: 1.) "He was the guy who made the bad Batman films," and 2.) "Hey, he did lots of great films besides the bad Batman films!"

Thing is... I get it. I remember being a teenage comic fan in the 90's. Not just any comics: especially Batman! But ESPECIALLY Bart especially Two-Face. I remember how "Joel Schumacher" was a name that could invoke white-hot rage in myself and everyone in the fandom. He was our modern equivalent of Dr. Fredrick Wertham, the boogyman who had (far as we were concerned) single-handedly destroyed the mainstream credibility of superheroes.

Look at that picture, and try to imagine that this was the face so loathed and mocked by Batman fanboys in the 90′s.

Never mind that Schumacher didn't WRITE the Batman films. The main credit for that goes to Akiva Goldsman, who has gone on to win an Oscar and continues to find A-list success despite ruining other geek properties like Jonah Hex and Dark Tower. Never mind that Schumacher was at the mercy of producers who wanted the movies to be nothing more than merchandise machines and toy commercials. No, Schumacher was the only name associated with the films, and he was cast at the villain.

The fact that he was openly gay played no small part in making him an easy target.

One year after the disastrous release of the infamous Batman & Robin, the beloved fan-favorite cartoon Batman: The Animated Series (then rebranded as The New Batman Adventures on the WB network) produced an episode that featured a pointed jab at Schumacher. The episode was titled "Legends of the Dark Knight," a reworking of a classic 70's Batman tale where a group of kids share their own ideas of what the mysterious Batman is really like.

Halfway through the episode, the kids are overheard by another kid, who shares his own ideas about Batman. The kid, whose name is Joel, has long dirty-blond hair, and works in front of a store which bear the sign "Shoemaker," despite clearly being a department store. He waxes dreamily about the reasons he loves Batman: "All those muscles, the tight rubber armor and that flashy car. I heard it can drive up walls!"

This last line--a reference to a silly bit in Batman Forever--he says as he flamboyantly tosses a pink fur stole around his neck. To drive home the joke, one of the kids dismisses, "Yeah, sure, Joel."

At the time, it seemed like a cathartic joke for us REAL Batman fans. Now, it's clearly just cheap and gross. Instead of any actual criticism about the films, Joel Schumacher was just seen--even if just subconsciously--as the fruit who ruined Batman.

Over time, the hatred for Schumacher lessened. Starting with Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man, on through to Batman Begins, Iron Man, and onward, superhero movies became huge mainstream successes, with greater fidelity to the source material than most adaptations we saw up to the time that Schumacher "killed" the superhero movie. There was no point in hating him anymore, if there ever was (again, Goldsman more deserves that ire, if you're gonna be angry about anyone. Why does he still get work?! WHY IS HE NOW WRITING FOR STAR TREK?!?!).

But even still, especially among Millennial and Gen-X fans, Schumacher is still--at best--considered a low point for fandom. Even though the same generations have come to appreciate and love some of his other films, such as The Lost Boys, Phone Booth, and the chillingly-prescient Falling Down, there's still this need for people to dismiss the Batman films as embarrassments that are best forgotten in favor of Schumacher's better films. And if they're to be remembered at all, it's to trash them all over again in a tone suggesting that the films are objectively, irredeemably bad.

Except they're not. Oh sure, if you go in looking for a grim and gritty capital-M "Mature" take on Batman, of course you'll hate them, just like you probably also hate the Adam West Batman show. Remember, that show also used to be hated by decades of Batman fans because of how it didn't take the comics seriously.

... except it did. The show was VERY faithful to the Batman comics of the 50's, which often out-weirded and out-sillied its TV counterpart. If anything, the show made some of those stories even more entertaining with camp value and jokes that added different levels of enjoyment to the adults watching. Comic fans resented how Batman became a pop culture joke, and increasingly fought against anything that was colorful and campy (which makes me wonder if this might also be related to latent homophobia). Whether or not they admitted/realized it, the Batman fans of the 70's and 80's carried a chip on their shoulder about a show that DARED to make Batman FUN.

And really... how is that any different than Schumacher's two films?

You don't have to agree, but I think Schumacher's films are fun. I think Batman Forever is highly entertaining, that Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey are bringing their hammy A-games as much respected actors like Burgess Meredith and Caesar Romero brought to their roles. Same goes for Arnold and especially Uma in Batman and Robin. They KNOW what movies they're in, and they're all having a blast.

(How many of us remember the exact line Eddie says at this moment? I bet you probably do too, which should tell you something about how memorable this movie is)

Now, BF and particularly B&A are by no means GOOD movies, but you can't tell me that you couldn't have a blast putting the latter on at a party and riffing it with friends. It's not a pretentious, ponderous, self-serious slog like, say, the shit Zack Snyder cranked out (apologies to the one or two cool Snyder fans here, I just find his films interminable). Even besides the many things I could say to defend Schumacher's Batman films (that's a whole other essay), you can't say they were boring. They were entertaining, even if on a level of making fun of the film, and that is NOT as easy as it looks.

Let me put it to you this way: Batman Forever has, objectively, one of the worst takes on Two-Face I've ever seen. He's one-note, he's kind of a rehash of Nicholson's Joker, he gets completely overshadowed by the Riddler, he gets killed by Batman in a way that completely betrays the whole “DON’T KILL HARVEY” arc with Robin, and worst of all, he CHEATS on the coin toss. That alone would be enough for me to condemn this depiction in any other Two-Face story.

And yet, even I--the most passionate, opinionated, and picky Two-Face fan you will EVER know--still have a soft spot for Tommy Lee Jones' take on ol' Harv. He’s just too fun, too flamboyant, too damn extra not to love. If only all bad takes on Two-Face could be this fun!

But that’s the thing: it’s not because the script was good. Oh god no. I've read the script, and if it were put on the page like a comic, I would have hated it just like any other bad Two-Face comic. I have to imagine that, as director, Joel Schumacher deserves the bulk of the credit for pushing the restrained and laconic Tommy Lee Jones into that oversized performance, and making it a delight to watch despite everything it does wrong.

I'm rare for my generation to have learned how to stop worrying and love Schumacher's Batman. But the younger generation, the up-and-coming Gen-Zs getting into Batman, don't share the same grudges we did. There's a genuine, shame-free enjoyment of those films among The Kids, many of whom are LGBTQA+, who love the jokes, the silliness, the camp, the Freeze puns, the swag of Uma Thurman, and the homoerotic subtext between Two-Face and the Riddler. Maybe it's just a reaction to so much GRIM, SERIOUS shit that DC and their fanboys are trying desperately to push even today.

But comics--especially Batman--have a long history of colorful, stupid, fun shit. Schumacher's films carried on in that tradition, and they should be appreciated on their own merits by those of us who aren't limited by narrow ideas of what Batman "should" be, and who still remember how to have fun.

Schumacher's Batman films should no longer be seen as embarrassments. They didn't ruin superheroes. They didn't ruin Batman. They didn't even ruin Two-Face. Nor should they be disregarded in favor of Falling Down, like losers in a respectability competition. They're fun. They're entertaining. And they didn't pretend to be anything else.

And if you still think they're bad... I mean, objectively, you're not wrong! But be mindful of the reasons WHY you think they're bad, because on another subjective level, you may not be right either. And it's certainly not worth holding a geek-grudge over after twenty-five years.

[gnollandvoid]

MADical Items! The Strongest Items you'll never want to touch.

[Read the original thread here.]

Beautybane Blade (by ArchRain)

Legendary Item +3 Longsword. Requires Attunement by a Druid, Ranger, Oath of the Ancients Paladin or Cleric of the Nature Domain. If ever attuned a Character can never gain further levels in the aforementioned class. The character gains the ability to cast the Cantrip Druidcraft, learning another cantrip from the Druid Spell list if they already possess it and gain the ability to cast the spell Shillelagh targeting only this weapon. When the blade is drawn the DM calculates and announces a +1 for every Acre of Grass or Flowers, 100 trees and population of animals equaling either 100 Creatures or two CR within immediate unaided view of the Character with a maximum of +5 from these features to attack rolls. Whenever an attack is made with this weapon one of the aforementioned features instantly dies and the bonus is reduced by one. When this weapon critically strikes the opponent can expend two uses of the Legendary Save feature or instantly die. After killing an enemy with this weapon all party members lose inspiration or go to -1 inspiration if they had none available and the user cannot cast spells from their attuned class's spell list for the next week. Furthermore the DM randomly determines which prominent flower across the world instantly wilts and rots away.

Why it's fucking horrible: It visibly blights the land around you, permanently destroys a beautiful lifeform and leaves anything that survives in a horrible depressed state. There are no cheers and applause when you strike down an enemy with this blade. Only the quiet sobbing of the Universe. Why it's worth using: It's overpowered, edgy and cinematic.

Umbral Stone (by ignoringImpossibru)

Wondrous item, very rare. Any creature that makes contact with the crystal surface is instantly transported to Shadowfell, as if affected by the plane shift spell. Any time this effect is triggered, roll 1d20. On a 1, this location becomes a permanent gate to the plane of Shadowfell, open only under a new moon at midnight.

If the Umbral Stone is fashioned into any sort of melee weapon, treat it as a +1 weapon of that type, and trigger it's effect on hit.

Twilight's Cut (by Bluesamurai33)

This +3 weapon visibly distorts the air around it with waves of magical energy, similar to heat rising off a hot surface. An intricate handle made of Black Wood inlaid with Obsidian and Cold Iron meets with an axe head formed from the metal of a fallen star and granted power from a long forgotten Archmage.

In order to attune, a memory of a person, place or thing must be voluntarily surrendered to the blade each day at sunset in order for the attunement to happen. The wielder cannot offer up memories formed while attuned to this weapon. These memories can never be restored by any form of magic. While attuned, the user is shielded from any magic or effect that would effect their mind. Anyone who witnesses this blade being used must roll a WIS Save DC 18 or forget the event entirely.

The blade deals an additional 2d12 Psychic damage on a hit, and the target must make an INT saving throw equal to the psychic damage dealt or be paralyzed until the end of their next turn. Any creature killed by this blade is erased from the knowledge of the planes. No magic, not even a Wish spell can cause anyone to ever remember the creature. Paintings of the creature are unmade, any writing about it is made unreadable by any means and any memories involving them alter to not include them. Even the wielder is left staring at an unknown corpse, with only the knowledge that it was killed by his/her hand, but the who, what, and why of it are lost for all time.

Dreamcatcher (by Tsunimo)

Magical Weapon (Chakram), Artifact

The wielder of this weapon must first attune to it by sleeping with it under their pillow for a week. While doing so, the person attuning to it has fantastical dreams, as well as the best sleep they’ve ever had, or ever will. Upon attunement, the wielder is automatically proficient in it

The wielder of this weapon is able to receive the benefits of 8 hours of sleep with only 4 hours of actual sleep each night.(The character must still not take any strenuous activity for the entire 8 hours to receive the benefits of a long rest.) Whenever the wielder sleeps, he is wracked by nightmares the entire time, always about the wielder performing unspeakable acts upon the people he cares about most.

The Dreamcatcher is a beautifully crafted mithril Chakram. Made by a master weaponsmith, in the midst of nightmare-induced insomnia, when seen under moonlight, there appears to be an intricate web of strings on the inside of the weapon, forming the shape of an open eye. No matter how you look at the Dreamcatcher from then on, it appears that the eye is watching you.

This weapon has the thrown and finesse properties, with a range of 40/120, and is treated as having a +3 bonus. After being thrown, the Dreamcatcher returns to the attuned creatures hand immediately following striking a target or a surface. This cannot be controlled or stopped by the wielder. Attacks with this weapon deal 1d8 slashing, plus 2d8 radiant damage. If used during a full or new moon, strikes with the weapon are treated as critical hits on rolls of 19 or 20, instead of just 20 (this does stack with similar abilities, effectively inc

If the wielder uses the Dreamcatcher to bring a target to 0 hit points, the fear and terror held within its inner webbing is released, and channeled into the target. The target immediately transforms into an evil beast of nightmare, usually reflective of the targets greatest fear. While in this form, the target remains aware of what he is doing, and though he can do nothing to stop himself, trapping him in his own nightmare until the monstrosity is slain.

Phantom Blade (by Dovaaahhh)

Magical Weapon (Dagger), Artifact

This small dagger is missing its blade, and has been enchanted to use the energy of souls as its cutting force. It has been speculated that the creator had a steady supply of souls that were rent from their original body. A small ruby has been haphazardly fastened to the roughly carved and heavily blood-stained wooden hilt with a thin silver band.

Requires attunement. Using a bonus action, the wielder may summon a spectral blade, but doing so will consume the wielder's soul. The blade is a faint translucent crimson, pulsing faintly in time with the user's heart. Upon a successful attack with the summoned blade it will shatter into a cloud of etherial dust, and both the target and the wielder will instantly die.

Souls consumed by the blade are entirely removed from existence, thus they will not continue to their respective afterlife.

If the blade leaves the wielder's hand after being activated, they will die. However, the blade shall still remain activated for its remaining duration. It can be used to full effect by another being with a successful DC 25 Arcana check.

One hour after activation, the summoned blade dissipates. At this time, the wielder will die.

The Azure Codex (by BlueDragon101)

As the Book of Exalted Deeds and the Book of Vile Darkness are to evil and good, the Azure Codex is to magic. Pure magic. It is useable as a spellbook, and if you are attuned to it you gain the following benefits:

1 Major beneficial property 1 Minor beneficial property +3 to spell attack and damage rolls +3 to spell save DC

The Codex is divided into 3 sections: The Eternal Spellkeep, The Encyclopedia Arcana, and the Tome of Mystic Rites

The Eternal Spellkeep responds to the ability of the user. It acts as a spellbook with every spell written in it, although the only ones readable are those of a level you can cast. If someone, anywhere, creates a new spell, it is instantly added to the Spellkeep. While attuned to the Codex, the number of spells you can memorize/the number of spells known increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. If your caster level is 10 or above, you may memorize/learn spells from any spell list, not just your own. However, none of these spells may be above 5th level.

The Encyclopedia Arcana is a guide to all things arcane. However, like the Tome of Mystic Rites, it is encrypted, abeit not as strongly. A user may make a DC 16 Arcana check to decipher a given page. The pages in this section consist of the Monster Manual Entries, the List of Magic Items in the Dungeon Master Guide and any magical lore specific to the setting.

The Tome Of Mystic Rites is a compendium of every known arcane ritual, from ones meant to summon gods to those that change day to eternal night. This is literally meant to store the instructions for whatever plot coupon/ McGuffin the DM uses.

The Open Book (by LePopeUrban)

This book allows any person who makes physical contact with it the ability to concentrate on a piece of unknown knowledge about any subject. That knowledge will be written, beginning on the next blank page, in a language the user understands.

Following this passage will be written a complete history of the user's life up to the point they used the book. If this person has used the book previously, the record will continue from where it last ended.

If the book is closed every person recorded in its pages and any living descendants will vanish from existence. All items recorded will also vanish from existence. Memory of any recorded events will be forgotten from all mundane and magical records, though their effects will remain. The book itself will appear, closed, at the location of one of these items, people, or events chosen at random.

When the book is opened again, its reader will find their own life story, written in a language they can read, up to the point they opened the book recorded within preceded by a page that reads "this book was closed" and followed by a seemingly uncountable number of blank pages. Nearby within 1d4 feet they will find a mundane quill and an inkwell completely full of ink. They will discover that any attempts to deface the writing are ineffective, but that they are free to write whatever they wish in the blank space.

Plot Hooks: An illiterate thief attempts to steal the book, only to have it vanish, and their world irrecoverably changed as a result. A power-mongering scribe or mage begins recording the history of the royal family for leverage.The book is used by an adventurer's guild to track down interesting items.The book contains the key to curing the world of some great evil, but is held open because it contains the life record of the noble paladin that found it.The book contains a record of the formation of the cosmos.There are two books, and their creators recorded the creation of each in the other.The book contains conflicting accounts of a historical event, and two opposing factions each believe one of them to be true.A cult leader enlists subordinates to obtain knowledge from the book without using it himself.An order of librarians and attempts to record as many events as possible within the book without knowing about or using its magical properties. The book is kept open only due to a tradition with unknown origins.The book is scanned in to a digital format. Its magical properties remain intact among all copies.

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 16 February 2019: Fantasy and Adventure

This week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure features unlikely dark lords, casteless rebels armies, a collector of magic swords, and an assassin collective waging war against the powerful.

The Dark Lord Bert – Chris Fox

How does a 1-hit-point goblin become the Dark Lord?

By accident. Bert is a tiny goblin with big dreams. He follows adventurers, and loots the copper they leave behind when they take the real loot. One day, Bert hopes, he’ll have enough copper to buy a warg, and finally promote from a 1-HP critter to a Warg Rider.

Kit is a typical gamer hoping to enjoy a good story, but her friends are more interested in rules, loot and experience. Kit’s friends Crotchshot, Brakestuff, and the White Necromancer rampage their way across the land desperately seeking the Dark Lord trope, which gives the wielder the power to reshape the world.

When Bert accidentally steals the trope, Kit is forced to make a choice. Should she help her friends, or help a new Dark Lord rise to power?

The world will never be the same. Get ready for The Dark Lord Bert.

Duel Visions – Misha Burnett and Louise Sorensen  

Is Death a dog or a cat? Would it be worse to be turned into a pig or a fish? After we die do we become characters in a movie, or parts for an old truck?

Weird fictioneers Misha Burnett and Louise Sorensen explore the dark depths of the human psyche across ten spine-tingling tales of terror and macabre.

The haunted visions these dueling tale-tellers have conjured find all the horrors that go bump in the night and make them dance for your delight… before drawing you down into the depths to join them.

We cordially invite you to share in our Duel Visions!

Heart of the Forest – Michael DeAngelo

Kelvin has left his country behind. His mentor, the elf Icarus Callatuil, has prepared him for a journey to Draconis, where old allies will be able to better train him for the hardships he is sure to endure in his life. But when he arrives on those distant shores, he discovers that the elves of Cefen’adiel may need him as much as he needs them.

A darkness arises in the forest in southern Daltain, and Tarenda, queen of the elves, decides that a stranger to the lands such as Kelvin can better serve their purposes as an investigator.

What will Kelvin do when he must trade his training exercises for real dangers?

House of Assassins (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior #2)  – Larry Correia

Ashok Vadal was once a member of the highest caste in all of Lok. As a Protector, he devoted his life to upholding the Law, rooting out those who still practiced the old ways and delivering swift justice with his ancestor blade Angruvadal. None was more merciless than he in stamping out the lingering belief in gods and demons among the casteless. His brutality was legendary and celebrated.

But soon Ashok learned that his life to that point had been a lie. He himself, senior member of the Protector Order, was casteless. He had been nothing more than an unwitting pawn in a political game. His world turned upside down and finding himself on the wrong side of the Law, he began a campaign of rebellion, war, and destruction unlike any Lok had ever seen.

Thera had been first daughter of Vane. A member of the Warrior Order, she had spent her life training for combat. Until a strange sight in the heavens appeared one day. Thera was struck by lighting and from that day forward she heard the Voice. A reluctant prophet with the power to see into the future, she fought alongside Ashok Vadal and his company of men known as the Sons of the Black Sword until a shapeshifting wizard with designs on her powers of precognition spirited her away. He holds her prisoner in the House of Assassins.

Ashok Vadal and the Sons of the Black Sword march to rescue Thera. But there is much more at risk in the continent of Lok. Strange forces are working behind the scenes. Ashok Vadal and the Sons of the Black Sword are caught up in a game they do not fully understand, with powerful forces allied against them.

Ashok no longer knows what to believe. He is beginning to think perhaps the gods really do exist.

If so, he’s warned them to stay out of his way.

They would do well to listen.

Into the Light (Axe Druid #1) – Christopher Johns

A tight-knit group of buddy gamers. A relentless galactic conqueror. One big ol’ axe and a whole bag of magic.

Chris and his friends had been hearing voices begging for help, but aren’t dreams supposed to stay dreams? When they finally answer the call, they’re pulled into a fantastic world with themes similar to modern role-playing games. The world of Brindolla. This is what every gamer has always wanted… right?

There’s one major problem: War. The big baddie of the universe has come to collect another planet for his relentless march. The Brindollan Gods only have the power to hold him back for a short while, which they can only hope will be long enough to give Chris and his buddies a fighting chance. Either this team gets rid of War’s vanguard of minions and generals, giving the Gods a chance to keep him out for good… or War comes for Earth.

The group is ready to dive into combat, magic, and any other obstacles that come their way. No matter what needs to be done, Chris and his buddies will always do it together.

The Killer Collective – Barry Eisler

When a joint FBI–Seattle Police investigation of an international child pornography ring gets too close to certain powerful people, sex-crimes detective Livia Lone becomes the target of a hit that barely goes awry—a hit that had been offered to John Rain, a retired specialist in “natural causes.”

Suspecting the FBI itself was behind the attack, Livia reaches out to former Marine sniper Dox. Together, they assemble an ad hoc group to identify and neutralize the threat. There’s Rain. Rain’s estranged lover, Mossad agent and honeytrap specialist Delilah. And black ops soldiers Ben Treven and Daniel Larison, along with their former commander, SpecOps legend Colonel Scot “Hort” Horton.

Moving from Japan to Seattle to DC to Paris, the group fights a series of interlocking conspiracies, each edging closer and closer to the highest levels of the US government.

With uncertain loyalties, conflicting agendas, and smoldering romantic entanglements, these operators will have a hard time forming a team. But in a match as uneven as this one, a collective of killers might be even better.

Power Forged (Chaos and Retribution #6) – Eric T. Knight

The three young heroes are defeated. The Devourers have the key. All is lost…

Except that something is missing. The key doesn’t work. The Dragon Queen is still trapped.

With help from an unlikely source, Fen, Karliss and Aislin escape. If they can get to the last piece before the Devourers do, they might still stop them. There’s just one problem…

Only Othen, a Shaper unlike any of the others, knows where it is, and he hasn’t been seen in centuries. Pursued relentlessly by demonic creatures summoned from the Abyss, the three heroes set out on a desperate quest to find the final piece and stop the Queen before she devours their world.

Shadows Within the Flame (The Elder Stones Saga #2) – D.K. Holmberg

The Forgers proved to be only part of a greater plan to gain the power of the stones, remnants from powerful beings lost to time. Their power has never been controlled by one person but now someone is close to changing that.

Having survived the last attack, Haern trains, working with the assassin Galen to hone his skills, learning about poisons and how to best use his control over metal. When he becomes the target of another attack, he must discover what the Forgers plan before it’s too late. His father might be the key to Haern’s understanding, but the more he learns about what his father has done, the less Haern wants to follow in his footsteps.

As Lucy struggles to control her new power, she’s asked to help find the depth of the C’than betrayal. It requires her to learn more about her new abilities and exposes her to dangers she had never imagined. She’s not a fighter, but she must find strength within her to ensure the safety of those she cares about.

While staying with Lucy, Daniel hopes she will eventually come to see him the way he sees her. He trains, realizing that despite everything he learned of fighting, he’s still a novice. He needs to improve his skill to protect Lucy, but saving her might require more than his ability with the sword; it will require his mind.

The stones must be protected from those who would use them for their own dark purpose, but another has maneuvered for decades, and it might already be too late to prevent the stones from falling into the wrong hands.

Six Sacred Swords (Weapons and Wielders #1) – Andrew Rowe

It doesn’t take a legendary sword to make a legendary swordsman, but it certainly helps.

Keras Selyrian is already well on the way to cutting his name into the annals of legend. He’s fought false divinities, thieving sorcerers, and corrupt demigods — and left them defeated in his wake. But he’s a long way from home, and Kaldwyn offers a different brand of danger than he’s used to.

He’s already got a sword of unfathomable power, but it’s damaged and leaking world-annihilating mana, so he’s in the market for a new one.

Possibly six. The more the better, really.

The Six Sacred Swords are Kaldwyn’s most famous artifacts, forged as the only means to defeat the god beasts. Each sword must be earned by a worthy champion, and no single person has ever managed to collect them all.

Not yet, at least.

Keras is just getting started.

Shield Knight: Rhodruthain – Jonathan Moeller

For fifteen thousand years, the Guardian Rhodruthain has protected the world from the power of the Well of Storms.

But the quest of the Seven Swords threatens to unlock the destructive power of the Well.

And unless Rhodruthain can defeat the shadows in his own mind, not even the Shield Knight and the Keeper will be able to save him…

New Release Roundup, 16 February 2019: Fantasy and Adventure published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[alexfryerproductions]

My Top 10 Favourite films of 2017

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FILMS SELECTED ON THIS LIST ARE OF UK RELEASE DATES. 

Since I won’t be able to see another new release before the end of the year, I thought it would be best to get my list of favourite films out of the way before I depart for France for the Christmas holidays with no internet connection to accompany me. 

This year has seen quite a wide variety of memorable and outstanding films through blockbusters to independent works. While these films have entertained us, they have also provided quite thoughtful commentaries on the world we live in currently, whether it is on the treatment of women (Wonder Woman) or Trump’s America (The Florida Project) or the treatment of race (Get Out). Some well-known directors on this list have produced what could be their best works yet, to the point where they may have outdone themselves, while some rising directors have shown great development in their own craft. 

Without further ado, let’s commence with the list. But before we get down to the top 10, here are some brief statements of honourable mentions and my most disappointing film of this year. 

Honourable mentions 

Thor Ragnarok (Directed by Taika Waititi)  

Yet again, the Marvel Cinematic Film has delivered not only the best Thor film, but the best directed of this series. Having seen Hunt for the Wilderpeople from the same director, I was excited. Filled with style, colour, joy, eye popping visuals and hilarity from beginning to end, this is probably the most fun I’ve had in the cinema this year. 

La La Land (Directed by Damien Chazelle) 

Self confessedly, I am not a fan of musicals but given my love Chazelle’s Whiplash, I went to see what the huge fuss was about. Watching the film felt like staring at Edward Hopper paintings (which they are evidently inspired by) crossed with a stage play. On top of that, Chazelle inserts what he crafted from Whiplash while also incorporating techniques from other musicals to create a piece that’s a loving tribute to an otherwise forgotten genre. 

My one dishonourable mention (or most disappointing film of this year)

Justice League (Directed by Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon) 

Make no mistake, after seeing Wonder Woman, I really wanted to enjoy this film. Unfortunately though, this is just filled with an endless stream of problems. It is bland, dull, directionless and doesn’t even know what do with any of its characters. I would have put Alien Covenant here, but compared to this, that film had more ambitious film-making and desire to tell a story (even if it did fall short on the latter). 

And now for my top 10...

10.) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Directed by Rian Johnson) 

While I did enjoy the previous recent instalments of the Star Wars series, this is the latest I was most surprised by. The film is full of twists and unpredictability, which, quite frankly, we have not seen since Empire Strikes Back nearly 40 years ago. With a compelling set of characters, nostalgia that is occasional and playful, a loving tribute to our princess (Carrie Fisher), plenty of new and weird elements never seen previously and a thought provoking narrative, Rian Johnson delivers a great Star Wars film that expands the vastness of the beloved universe and is not afraid to take risks along the way.    

9.) A Ghost Story (Directed by David Lowery) 

For those who have not seen the film, don’t let the title fool you, this is not your average ghost story (no pun intended) nor a frightening horror film in anyway. It is however in one word: beautiful. It has the visual melody of a Andrei Tarkovsky picture accompanied by the apocalyptic mood of a Godfrey Reggio film and the surrealism of David Lynch. Lowery composes moving images that all make for a poignant film. It is upsetting, strange and truly a bold piece of work. However one interprets this wondrous picture, the message delivered by the of end of this film is very powerful. Be warned: this film is not for the faint of hearts. 

8.) Logan Lucky (Directed by Steven Soderbergh)

In a another piece of confession, I have not witnessed any of the works of Steven Soderbergh prior to this film. But having heard nothing but praise and being fascinated by his rise as director, I went in with great anticipation and boy did I have a great time. Truthfully, I haven’t laughed this much at a comedy in quite a while. Whether it is the hilarious delivery from actors, the tension at play during heist scenes or Soderbergh’s independent applications, Logan Lucky is a tremendously different and clever breed of a crime caper and practically the feel-good film of the year. 

7.) Wonder Woman (Directed by Patty Jenkins)

Given my huge disappointment with how DC films were being handled, I was very apprehensive in seeing this. However, after the first half an hour, all I could do was just breath a huge sigh of relief because of Jenkins fantastic direction with this superhero outing. Is it formulaic? Like all superhero films, yes it is. But this has more heart, substance, style, great film-making and a thoughtful message above all else. The film reminded me of Richard Donner’s Superman films in their charm, tone, sense of fun and wonder and Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy in their maturity and grittiness. Wonder Woman is ultimately a sight to behold. 

6.) Logan (Directed by James Mangold) 

This is probably the film to signal the beginning of the end for the superhero genre itself. Even though I have enjoyed quite a few outings this year, I have been starting to feel a sense of fatigue for the genre, which will inevitably come to an end sometime, much like how the western did decades ago. The X-Men series had its highs and lows but has, nevertheless, persevered. Thanks to Mangold’s film-making and his blending of the western, science fiction and neo-noir and the gut-wrenching performances from both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, this is not only the best X-Men film but the best comic book film since The Dark Knight.  

5.) War for the Planet of the Apes (Directed by Matt Reeves) 

It’s very rare for a final film in a trilogy to accomplish a task that provides a worthy conclusion. Thankfully, War for the Planet of the Apes, proves to be one of those rare occasions. Matt Reeves constructs a piece that not only stands well on its own but also provides a spectacular end to the story of our main ape, Caesar, and does so in a emotionally satisfying manner. On top of that, Reeves expertly blends spectacle with, character, narrative, jaw-dropping visuals and emotion to provide a blockbuster that will be remembered in years to come. 

4.) The Florida Project (Directed by Sean Baker) 

While I have not seen Baker’s previous works, I was completely blown away by The Florida Project. It is impossible to determine how much of this film was improvised (like other independent works of the past) or how much of the film was written, which makes it all the more a fascinating watch. Taking cues from Jim Jarmusch, Vittorio De Sica and David Lynch, it mixes the harsh realist settings with the colourful visual tone of the story. This is independent film-making at its most visually gorgeous. 

3.) Baby Driver (Directed by Edgar Wright)

Even though one actor in this cast has lost my respect given the recent horrifying scandal going on in Hollywood right now, it doesn’t take away my enjoyment and love for Baby Driver. Edgar Wright is at his best as he crafts a spectacular piece of guilty pleasure with truly masterful film-making. Wright directs a film, which is practically ridiculous for the right reasons. All that ridiculousness serves the edge-of-your-seat action, characters and narrative, which is why Baby Driver is one of the most creative action movies I have seen in recent memory.

2.) Blade Runner 2049 (Directed by Denis Villeneuve) 

When I first heard that they were making a sequel to one of my favourite films of all time, I was terrified...but Villeneuve has done the impossible and has made a worthy sequel that may even be cinematically better than the original Blade Runner. At first, I was not sure how to digest it, but then the more I thought about it, the more I loved it. The film wastes no time with nostalgia (although there are a few tidbits here and there) and tells a story in a way that is visually gratifying, and answers questions left from the first film while also leaving some new ones. Villeneuve makes every image in the film matter as he transports us into this authentic, apocalyptic, yet beautiful world Ridley Scott envisioned. 

1.) Dunkirk (Directed by Christopher Nolan)

Truthfully, I am a huge suck-up when it comes Christopher Nolan. Nevertheless, (having seen it on 70mm IMAX) I just wasn’t prepared for the cinematic experience of Dunkirk through its grand-scale film-making. This was the most intense experience I have ever had in a cinema given its manipulation of both sound and images (thus giving it a feeling of virtual reality).This is the film where Nolan shows his true mastery in the art of film-making, whether it is through the script, genre-bending narrative, editing, practical effects, sound, score and so on. Nolan channels the ambition of David Lean, the precision of Steven Spielberg, the suspense of Alfred Hitchcock, and the craftsmanship of Stanley Kubrick. Dunkirk is a breathtaking masterpiece that is not to be missed.