38 Things We Learned from the “John Wick” Commentary

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Rob Hunter and Film School Rejects present 38 Things We Learned from the John Wick  Commentary.

Here are my top five…

3. Their first “director’s cut” was two hours and twenty minutes. That’s thirty nine minutes longer than the film’s theatrical cut.

4. They acknowledge that in the real world a retired assassin probably would have changed his name, but they like they idea of this world being similar to that of a comic book.

13. They were heavily influenced by the style of graphic novels and attempted to capture some of that in the colors, framing and angles.

20. They love seeing people’s reactions to the gold coins, the cop (Thomas Sadoski) at the front door and other unexplained sequences. “A lot of people don’t give their audiences credit,” says Leitch. “You can leave it a little mysterious. They can think about it.”

18. They credit Reeves’ dedication and talent with their ability to do long takes during the fight scenes. “I think we really only cut for impact,” says Stahelski. “We didn’t really cut to get around moves, we didn’t cut to speed things up. We wanted you to see what happens before, during and after.” “You’re not using long lenses to hide bad action,” adds Leitch.

Z-View – The Black Beetle: No Way Out #2 by Francavilla

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The Black Beetle: No Way Out is a four issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics.

Written and Directed by Francesco Francavilla

While investigating a mysterious mass murder that leveled Colt City’s mob bosses, Black Beetle gets wrapped up in a puzzling maze of clues. Could the appearance of a costumed criminal named Labyrinto be related to the destruction of the powerful organized-crime racket?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below *** The Good

  • Francavilla has set up the Black Beetle to look and feel like an old pulp magazine or movie serial.
  • Another great cover by Francavilla.
  • Love the double-page splash on pages 2 and 3.
  • “But luckily no one gets hurt.”
  • “Thankfully I never leave for an ocean trip without a respirator…”
  • “I’ve learned that, in my case, ‘unlikely to happen’ is often likely to happen.”
  • Big panel on page 11.
  • “The moment I hear him… it’s a second too late.”
  • Page 14
  • “Oh, C’mon now!”
  • Darwyn Cooke Black Beetle bonus sketch!
  • More bonus art from Francavilla!

The Bad:

  • “But even with the helipack, I arrived too late.
  • “Take care of the Black Beetle once and for all.”  Yikes!
  • Who is the person lurking in the shadows behind the Black Beetle on page 9 and coming up behind him on page 10?

The Ugly:

  • “It’s a short fall… but long enough to see all those tiny hungry red eyes… waiting for me to hit the water.  They’re all over me in a second. And they keep coming.  And coming.”
  • Water rising quickly and the escape hatch is barred from the outside!

Black Beetle: No Way Out

Rating: 5 out of 5

Z-View – Black Beetle: “No Way Out” #1 by Francavilla

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The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1 in a four issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics.

Written and Directed by Francesco Francavilla

Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters—taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below *** The Good

  • Francavilla has set up the Black Beetle to look and feel like an old pulp magazine or movie serial.
  • Love the cover by Francavilla.
  • Followed by an equally awesome full page splash.
  • “Wish me luck.  Not that I need it.”
  • Bonus “title cards” after the story created by Francesco Francavilla.
  • “Are you from space, Mister?”
  • “Are right, Rick.  I don’t have time for this. So…”
  • The cliffhanger last page.
  • “Okay.  You’re good.  I’ll give you that.  But this is not over.”
  • Bonus teaser images by Francavilla and a Black Beetle pinup by Mike Norton.

The Bad:

  • “K-BAOOOOOOOMMM!!”
  • “All I can think about is WHO got to them BEFORE I did… While I should really be worrying about… freefalling from an EIGHTEEN STORY BUILDING.”

The Ugly:

  • “Thudd!”
  • “Constantino.”  “Huh?  “FWWWP  FWWWP”

Black Beetle: No Way Out #1

Rating: 5 out of 5

Z-View – The Black Beetle: “Night Shift” #0 Written and Directed by Francesco Francavilla

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The Black Beetle: Night Shift #0 is a collection of three Black Beetle episodes that originally appeared in Dark Horse Presents #11–#13 and will lead into the Black Beetle: Night Shift four issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics.

Written and Directed by Francesco Francavilla

When a powerful totem of dark magic shows up at the Colt City Natural History Museum, Hitler sends his fearsome Werwolf Korps to collect the piece. Unfortunately for the führer, Colt City’s protector, the Black Beetle, is on the case!

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below *** The Good

  • Francavilla has set up the Black Beetle to look and feel like an old pulp magazine or movie serial.
  • Night Shift is set in 1941 and the bad guys are Nazis.
  • Cliffhanger on page 7 leading in to full page 8 splash.
  • “I’ll take care of this.”
  • Who is the mysterious leader of Werewolf Korp?
  • Love Francavilla’s art and colors.
  • The Black Beetle’s plan to turn the tables on the Nazis.
  • The cliffhanger on the last page of the story.
  • Bonus “title cards” after the story created by Francesco Francavilla.

The Bad:

  • 1941 Nazis.
  • Black Beetle’s exposition to Dr. Howard — “It’s a long story but — due to the current situation I’ll give you the short version…” [great summary and fits the feel of the 1941 pulp comic but a bad time to be talking about it]
  • Adolph Hitler’s Werewolf Korp. Hitler, Nazi’s and the Werewolf Korp.  It doesn’t get much worse that than in 1941.  Ulp – it just did.  Who is their hooded leader?

The Ugly:

  • Being around to hear a Nazi say, “Keine Zeugen.” <“No witnesses.”>

Black Beetle: Night Shift #0 was a blast. 

Rating:

Message Undelivered Since WW2 Reveals Explosive Surpise

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Recently the bullet above was found by a treasure hunter.  As you can see it was no ordinary bullet in that in contained not gun powder but a secret message.  The message was written in code so the finder posted a picture to a World War II forum and received an answer…

My grandfather served in Italy, I inherited all of his military gear. He saved all of his daily code books, so looked it up. Here is the message:

QM is code for the officer that was tasked with coordinating forces for a particular engagement. This is an engagement status letter that is addressed to that officer.

The (6) 5 letter codes read as follows, from left to right, top to bottom:

THEY – THROW – GRENADES – WE – PULL – PINS – AND – THROW – BACK

The final code at the bottom is a phrase:

NOTIFY REINFORCEMENTS STAND DOWN – NOT NEEDED

Could this be some kind of joke that was never delivered?  Apparently not.  The Nazis were throwing grenades that weren’t armed until the Allied forces armed and then threw them back at the Nazis.

As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now for the rest of the story.”

Source: Sploid.

Z-View: Rasputin #4 by Grecian and Rossmo

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Rasputin is an on-going series created by Alex Grecian & Riley Rossmo published by Image.

Writer: Alex Grecian

Artist: Riley Rossmo

Colorist: Ivan Plascencia

Letterer: Thomas Mauer

BETRAYED! Rasputin’s life changes forever when he’s asked to save the prince’s life. But first the mad monk has to let someone else die. His road to infamy begins here.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • “I know how I will die and this is not yet the time.”
  • Tsarina Alexandra’s test for Rasputin.
  • Rasputin’s repeated reactions to the doctor after helping the pet dog.
  • “He eats like a dog.”

The Bad:

  • “No, I became the animal.  Only a little bit, but… I didn’t like it.”

The Ugly:

  • The “little soldier” in bed when Rasputin meets him.
  • Rasputin at the dinner table.

 

I enjoyed Rasputin 4 and look forward to future issues.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Z-View: Winter World #7 by Dixon and Giorello

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Winter World created by Chuck Dixon and Jorge Zaffino.

Winter World #7 published by IDW Publishing.

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: Thomas Giorello

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Robbie Robbins

 

“The Stranded,” conclusion! A confrontation decades in the making! Scully and Wynn are re-united with the truck that’s been their rolling home across two seas, only to find themselves in more danger than ever. What promised to be a sanctuary turns out to be a slaughterhouse as Skitters and the feral Monkey Boy finally catch up with Scully and Wynn in a place where there’s nowhere to run.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Thomas Giorello and Diego Rodriguez continue to impress.
  • The interplay between Scully, Wynn and Trina.  The sneer on Wynn’s face.
  • “We’ll find them.  Won’t we Scully?”  “Damned right we will.”
  • Rah-Rah to the rescue!
  • Preview of Tommy Lee Edwards’ art for next issue!

The Bad:

  • “Where’s Wynn?”
  • Told to throw his gun down, Scully does just that.

The Ugly:

  • Wynn to the rescue!
  • Trina to the rescue!

 

Winter World #7 is for mature readers due to violence.

Rating: 4 out of 5

20 Things You Might Not Know About “National Lampoon’s Vacation”

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Here are  20 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About National Lampoon’s Vacation:

Here are my three favorites…

1. In Hughes’ original story “Vacation ’58,” initially published in National Lampoon magazine in 1979, it’s Disneyland that’s closed and Walt Disney who gets taken hostage by the irate dad. The story’s memorable first line: “If Dad hadn’t shot Walt Disney in the leg, it would have been our best vacation ever!” Warner Bros. snapped up the movie rights almost immediately.

10. Chase claims that no one ever spots the gag early in the film, when Ellen and Clark are doing the dishes and the dishes don’t actually get washed. Ellen scrapes the food off of them, and Clark dries them and puts them back in the cabinet.

25. A reboot has been in the works that would star Ed Helms (“The Hangover”) as the grown Rusty, taking his own wife (Christina Applegate) and family on vacation to Walley World, with Chase and D’Angelo to return as his parents. So far, however, the project has yet to make it off the drawing board.

Z-View: Winter World #6 by Dixon and Giorello

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Winter World created by Chuck Dixon and Jorge Zaffino.

Winter World #5 published by IDW Publishing.

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: Thomas Giorello

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Robbie Robbins

 

Snowblind! Scully is sightless and must rely on Wynn to survive in a world that seeks to kill them at every turn. Their stolen vehicle is carjacked in turn by even more dangerous lowlifes. And their oldest enemy, Skitters, has stalked them across two frozen oceans and two icy continents and is now within striking distance. It’s a cruel world populated by crueler people where each day, each moment, might be your last.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Thomas Giorello and Diego Rodriguez continue to impress.
  • “HaHaHaHa!  Didn’t know it has a hundred gallon reserve tank?”
  • “You not run?”  “I knew you lied.”  “You not scared?” “I’m scared.”  “You not RUN.”  “I’ll choose how I die.  It won’t be by getting shot in the back.”

The Bad:

  • Scully is still snowblind!
  • Being left naked in the barren, freezing cold.

The Ugly:

  • The poor baby polar bears.

 

Winter World #6 is for mature readers due to violence.

Rating: 4 out of 5