When I first saw The Punisher: War Zone I pretty much hated it. Yet another Punisher reboot that simply didn’t work. However, upon further reflection over subsequent months I realized War Zone wasn’t bad. Actually, it was Ray Stevenson’s performance as Frank Castle that single-handedly saved the film.
Stevenson continued to flesh out his bad ass resume as Titus Pullo in the mini-series Rome. While Titus was a more benign individual at times it didn’t take much to bring out the Punisher-esque tendencies when he reverted to his soldier role. In fact, Rome had some of the best action sequences ever and Stevenson again was brilliant in this capacity.
So, what happens when you combine The Punisher and Titus Pullo? How about one of Thor’s Warriors Three: Volstagg? Of course, the most obvious question was how Stevenson would fill out Volstagg’s large, um…physique:
“…a solution is at hand, in the shape of a fat suit. “It’s fantastic,” said a beaming Stevenson. “I’ve tried the suit on, and what they’ve done is kind of sex him up: he’s sort of slimmer but rounder.”
The Crazies, a remake of the 1973 George Romero film of the same name, has gotten it’s second theatrical trailer and it ups the creepy factor. The first trailer set up a great mood of unsettling psychosis that pervades a town; even if it might have given a little too much of the movie away.
When you think of comics and comic history, one name probably comes to mind pretty quickly: Stan Lee. Having created or co-created some of the most famous and popular characters in comics history, his name has become synonymous with comics and Marvel, the company he helped put on the map.
Public Enemies, the latest film from director Michael Mann (TVs Miami Vice, Manhunter, Heat, Collateral), hit DVD shelves this week, and if you were a fan of the film in the theater, you’ll want to pick it up on DVD or Blu-Ray. In the film, Johnny Depp plays Depression-era Robin Hood John Dillinger who rose to fame as a notorious bank robber and the F.B.I.’s first public enemy #1.
