Latest news with #ZackSnyder
Malay Mail
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Cancer Diaries: On Superman — The ‘E' in Evil stands for ‘easy'
JULY 23 — Being in active treatment as a cancer patient means I try to avoid crowds when I can. Still, I couldn't resist watching Superman though it meant watching it during non-peak hours (mornings on weekdays). Like Superman I have dodged way too many bullets but while his were literal, mine came in the form of infections and injuries. Every outing now has a risk assessment after all my falls and near-falls. I couldn't possibly trip (again) sitting in a cinema seat, right? It was worth waking up early for the show as I got to enjoy a waffle in an empty café though I did have to wolf it down quickly to make the screening. I was thankful that the sound drowned out my ugly sobbing at parts in the cinema — yes, I am a marshmallow at the movies and cry very easily. Superman was the superhero of my childhood, the true poster boy for what a superhero should be and as an old school fan I think James Gunn's version of him was a lot more palatable than Zack Snyder's vision. Synder's films feel too much like they were made by a child who played with action figures by bashing them together, then grew up to be a film director. People who complain about the film being a bit too on the nose about do good-erism seem to forget that's what Superman films were made for. Director James Gunn attends a premiere for the film "Superman" at the TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 7, 2025. — Reuters pic In an age where the actress who played Marvel's Black Widow proudly schills for Zionism, it's almost refreshing having a superhero film that states quite plainly targeting civilians in a land grab excuse of an invasion is bad, actually. Yet what stayed with me watching the film is how casually the people who work for the villains in the story go along with what their employers do. There is no hesitation nor remorse about just plain murdering civilians, whether unarmed children or a reporter investigating what is pretty much a war crime. I thought, right then, that the 'e' in evil stood for 'easy'. It is easier to go along with the flow, to keep taking the pay cheques, to obey directives, to work in Alligator Alcatraz than to say no, this is wrong. That's what superhero movies do well: they demonstrate that doing the right thing is the harder choice. Whether you're wearing a cape or working for a supercorporation, there will be consequences but, the movies argue, you should do the right thing anyway. Easier to leave a nasty comment, ignore a person who collapsed suddenly or is being harassed on a train or only sympathise with refugees if they prove themselves to be deserving by being the meek, grateful and downtrodden people you want them to be. If it takes a thousand superhero movies to convince people to take the harder road because it is the right one, then make them — I will watch them all. Another thought made me smile when I left the cinema; how as a child I watched superhero movies but I didn't want to be Superman or Supergirl. I wanted to be Lois Lane. No, I didn't want a superhero boyfriend. I believed then as I believe now that journalists do have a role in making the world a better place... though I don't think they should be put on pedestals for it, either. As that Foo Fighter song goes, so many of us are looking at the sky to save us. We forget that we can all be superheroes even if it means we can only be that hero for just one person, and even if it means we won't get an award, a thank you or even acknowledgement. The late Connie Francis who passed away last week comes to mind. Francis was a sexual assault survivor, and lost her brother when he was murdered by the Mafia for testifying against them. She grew up under a controlling father, struggled with PTSD and mental health issues and while she called her personal life 'a regret from A to Z', Francis was an advocate for rape victims and mental health awareness. By suing the hotel where she was assaulted, she helped improve hotel safety in general. She said in an interview: 'It was a struggle to reconcile all of the tragedies that had occurred in my life, and I'd like to be known for my music. I'm always honoured and privileged when people remember, and it brings back happy memories for a lot of people, and that makes me happy.' Francis had never had it easy throughout her life but she made the best of sometimes tragic circumstances. In her later life she worked with veterans, even helping create support groups for them as she personally understood the effects of PTSD, which is common among veterans. 'We all have it in us to make a difference in someone else's life. The more you help others, the more it enriches your life, too,' she said. May we all find our own inner superheroes. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If new ‘Superman' movie feels like an attack, you have a guilty conscience
Spoiler alert: This column discusses the plot and characters of the 2025 movie 'Superman' in detail. Superman has always been more than just a comic book character. He's an idea and an ideal, an avatar for truth and justice — and the American way, a patriotic 1942 wartime addendum to his famous radio serial motto. I'm not a comic book guy, and I've also always found the Man of Steel a little boring — too powerful, too generic. While we've seen a couple decent live-action versions of the character (TV's Tom Welling and Tyler Hoechlin, in particular), the two most classic portrayals aren't so super to me: George Reeves was way too old for the role, and Christopher Reeve was a total stiff. But actor David Corenswet and director James Gunn have finally gotten it right. This is a Superman we care about, mostly because he cares so dang much about us. Even though he comes from outer space, there's no question Clark Kent's home is Kansas — the state we love for its all-American wholesomeness. Everything Superman does in the new movie is about protecting the people of his adopted planet. Time and again, he moves heaven and Earth to make sure the bad guys cause as little death and destruction as possible — even swooping in to save a sweet little squirrel in one particularly memorable moment. The last silver-screen Supes, Henry Cavill, certainly looked the part. But although he's a tremendous actor, his director Zack Snyder had no idea what the character is supposed to be about, framing him as a dour, aloof, Ayn Randian Ubermensch who fails to prevent uncountable human deaths in his wildly violent battles. That's not the Superman I know. However, Ubermensch is exactly how his arch nemesis Lex Luthor sees himself — and the new movie is the first time the character is legitimately scary. Michael Rosenbaum created a marvelously complex version of Luthor in the series 'Smallville,' but since we see him grow up over time, we come to understand how he gets so twisted — he's as much antihero as he is villain. Nicholas Hoult's Luthor is nothing but a screaming void of egotism, reeking of impotence and self-doubt despite his vast wealth. He's transparently a stand-in for Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, creating a literal army of 'rage monkeys' to ruin Superman's reputation in social media. And despite the fact that this movie was in the works long before Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis teamed up to throw immigrants who don't even face any criminal charges into a swamp detention camp with its own comic book name, it isn't difficult to draw a parallel from that obscenity to Luthor disappearing the politically inconvenient to tiny cells in an inaccessible pocket dimension. Hollywood and the American way So, sure, the new 'Superman' is about politics — and not terribly subtle about it. It's no surprise, either, that agitators throughout the MAGA ecosystem are freaking out over it. Even though Trump and Musk's bromance came to the ugly end we all knew was inevitable, and maniverse stars such as Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz are experiencing acute buyer's remorse over Trump 2.0's cruelty and ineptitude, some right-wing influencers are still losing their minds that the movie puts the black hat on a billionaire using his lucre to imprison his enemies and flood Americans' media networks with disinformation. I don't think the new film is a triumph for the ages. There is zero place for profanity in a Superman movie. And I actually agree with far-right professional complainer Ben Shapiro that it's overstuffed, more carnival ride than movie. However, Shapiro predictably went off the deep end when he whined about that old conservative bugaboo of the entertainment industry: 'Hollywood cannot say 'the American way' because they don't believe in the American way,' he said in his slam review. 'They don't believe that America is unique. They don't believe in these American basic values and principles and rights.' I don't know what movie he saw, but Gunn's 'Superman' champions American-style truth and justice for all — including for Luthor, whom our hero rightly turns over to the law instead of going vigilante on him. It reminds us constantly that we are defined by our choices, not by our DNA or where we come from. The movie's most touching scene takes place at the Kents' modest Kansas country home, where his parents emanate love for their adopted son — their son — and the values he embodies. Truth and justice should be for each and every human being — not just the ultrawealthy, or just those well-off enough to be able to afford health care. So if you see a murderous, lying oligarch getting his comeuppance for wreaking havoc on the rest of the world as 'woke' — well, I'd suggest you reconsider your personal concept of the American way.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Gunn and Zack Snyder Crash ‘Rick and Morty' on the Eve of ‘Superman'
The two most powerful figures in the DC Cinematic Universe just teamed up to take over an episode of Rick and Morty that was only marginally more watchable than Batman vs. Superman. In the modern superhero movie fandom, there is, perhaps, no more contentious and unending debate than the argument over whether Zack Snyder or James Gunn is the best moviemaker to helm Warner Bros.' multi-billion dollar entertainment franchise featuring Superman, Batman and the rest of the DC Comics characters. For the better part of a decade, superfans with Batarangs to grind have been warring in internet comment sections over their preferred administrator for Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent's big-screen escapades, ever since the 2017 Justice League film failed to meet fans' expectations amidst tragedy and controversy regarding Snyder's vision for the movie. As Gunn gears up to release the most anxiously awaited project of his career in Superman this Friday, Dan Harmon and the Rick and Morty creative team have taken it upon themselves to bring peace to the DCCU by surprising fans with cameos from both directors playing themselves in an indulgently meta episode that has us wondering if we'll ever get a far-superior Snydercut of 'Ricker than Fiction.' In 'Ricker Than Fiction,' Rick and Morty rage at the state of the fictional blockbuster film franchise Robo Trees in its advanced installments and break into the Warner Bros. studios to lambast Gunn, the director of the new film. Rick takes it upon himself to fix the next Robo Trees movie by using artificial intelligence, building a movie-generating robot that swallows up Gunn's script for the movie as well as Rick and Morty in The Last Action Hero fashion. While Rick and Morty try to find an ending for the movie that is thematically satisfying and will allow them to return to reality, Gunn, frustrated over the constant criticism from fans with unhealthy attachments to Hollywood action movies, vents to his friend Snyder about Rick's intrusion in the commissary of the Warner Bros. studios — but not before Snyder offers Gunn a 'word of advice' on his upcoming Superman movie, telling his fellow director, 'He's the Man of Steel, not the Man of Conversation.' As the latest Rick and Morty episode to feature a straight half-hour of meta-commentary about story structure and screenwriting, many meta-fatigued fans will invariably find 'Ricker Than Fiction' to be as grating as they found 'Full Meta Jackrick' back in Season Six. But, as Gunn pointed out tonight and will hopefully remember once the Superman tweets take over the internet on Friday, it's impossible to please all the fans all of the time. And, hey, at least no one had a baby with their sister this week. Get more Cracked directly to your inbox. Sign up for Cracked newsletters at Cracked News Letters Signup. Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Tyrant
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn's SUPERMAN and DCU Vision Is the Adrenaline Shot The Comic Book Movie Genre Desperately Needed — GeekTyrant
We all felt it. Superhero movies were starting to feel like reheated leftovers. Sure, we still watched them, but the thrill and excitement? It faded. The genre that once kicked down the door with wild imagination and bold storytelling had turned into a familiar loop of clean, polished, predictable, and uninteresting movies. While Marvel certainly gave us some crowd-pleasers, even their genre experiments felt like they were run through the same shiny factory. Different coats of paint, same frame. Then came James Gunn. With Superman , Gunn didn't just flip the table, he built a whole new one. His take on Superman isn't just a fresh start for DC, it feels like the adrenaline shot the entire comic book movie genre needed. Gone is the brooding, gritty world of the Snyderverse. While Zack Snyder's vision had ambition, it didn't get the the runway it deserved. Gunn stepped in with a full reboot of the DCU, and what he's building is radically different. It's colorful. It's weird. It's wild. It's unique. It's deeply personal, and it refuses to be boxed in. It's got the tone of an actaul comic book! After watching Superman , not once but twice, I found myself more excited the second time around. It's not just the energy of the film, it's the promise it holds. The more I think about it, the more it feels like a turning point. A signal that this isn't just another cinematic universe, it's a creative playground. Gunn isn't interested in repeating formulas. He's curating a universe where no two projects look or feel the same. He previously said: 'It's really important to me that every project has its own stamp on it. This movie is very different from the R rated movie we're making, a body horror movie with Clayface. 'It's very different from the Sgt. Rock movie we're developing. It's very different from Supergirl, which is a space fantasy — Craig Gillespie just walked by here a second ago, who directed that. So every one of these movies is completely different.' And here's where it gets even more exciting is Gunn's approach isn't about building a tightly controlled brand, it's about creating a universe that actually feels like the comics. 'What I love about DC Comics and the graphic novels is that they allowed the individual artists and writers to create their own projects, and they each had their own voice. 'The Long Halloween, All-Star Superman, Dark Knight, Watchmen — those things have very little tonally in common with each other, except for they're a part of the set of communal characters that are in the DC Comics universe. And now, we're doing that same thing in the DCU.' That's the key… voice. Gunn's DCU isn't just about linking stories, it's about honoring distinct visions. It's not one big movie stretched out over 20 chapters. It's more like a mixtape, each track doing its own thing, bringing its own mood. That freedom is what makes this all feel so fresh. There's unpredictability again. There's risk. There's room for bonkers ideas, wild tones, and emotional swings, and Superman is just the start. Imagine what happens when directors with unique voices step into this universe and get crazy! . Gunn's vision is to reinvent what comic book movies can be. Give us variety. Give us style. Give us something we haven't seen before. And finally, after years of sameness, we're getting it. So yeah, I'm 100% on board. Gunn's Superman wakes you up. It's the jolt this genre needed, and I can't wait to see how much stranger, wilder, and more personal the DCU is going to get.
Geek Tyrant
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
REBEL MOON Video Game Launches on Netflix as Zack Snyder Teases Franchise Future and Admits FORTNITE Obsession — GeekTyrant
Netflix is expanding its Rebel Moon universe beyond the screen with the launch of Blood Line , an online co-op action game set in Zack Snyder's sci-fi world. Developed by Super Evil Megacorp, the team behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and Vainglory , the game lets players take on the role of rebels rising against the tyrannical Motherworld. Exclusive to Netflix subscribers, the game is free to play via the Netflix app. Snyder said in an interview with Variety ahead of the game's release: 'I'm a giant 'Fortnite' fan, I play tons of 'Fortnite.' So for me, I really don't have huge experience with campaign-style games. That's cool and it's not really my gaming experience, so it's fun to kind of get in that head space. And they really, honestly, they're just super smart about that stuff. And I was really amazed at the level of detail. 'And when I say the level of detail, of course, everything is detailed — but the sort of narrative detail, where they really kind of giving you these exciting boss fights that make you better, because they kind of teach you how to play.' Blood Line ties directly into Snyder's Rebel Moon films, which kicked off with Part One: A Child of Fire in December 2023, followed by Part Two: The Scargiver in April 2024. Both movies received limited theatrical runs before hitting Netflix. While fans might be wondering if more films are on the horizon, Snyder isn't ready to confirm. For now, he's focused on an entirely different project for Netflix: an untitled LAPD SWAT action movie. 'I got sidetracked into this — not sidetracked, it's all uptown problems, as they say — for Netflix, I'm working on an LAPD SWAT movie. 'So I was like, OK, well, I'm gonna just sort of let that 'Rebel Moon' world boil for a minute, and I'm gonna go do this. And frankly, it was a very exhausting, long process doing the two movies together. 'So it was nice to have a bit of a break from it. I love it like crazy, but it's nice to have a bit of a break. So yeah, we'll see after I finish this, when I come back, where we are with everything.' As for whether scripts for future installments already exist, Snyder hinted the possibilities are limitless: 'There's tons of stories. So, I mean, I think it's literally, it's endless. But, again, like I say, I'm waiting to see how we want to and in what way we would move forward, if at all.' The Rebel Moon films were pretty terrible, though, so I'd be surprised if Netflix gave Snyder another couple hundred million to make a sequel. Regardless, you can check out the launch trailer for Blood Line: A Rebel Moon below and let us know if you'll be diving into this new chapter of Snyder's sci-fi saga?
