Shazam movie wishes redux

Just four months after director Peter Segal declared the Shazam movie officially dead, reports are circulating that the movie is back on according to WB execs Greg Silverman and Toby Emmerich.  Although unlikely, a rumored release date of July 2016 has been set, making it the first movie to be released after Batman v Superman. Part of me kind of hopes for a Pixar style CGI animated film using C.C. Beck's art for the character designs and Otto Binder's stories as a basis for the script.

However, if the live action movie is finally going to get made, I thought it would be a good idea, since this is also my 100th post, to publish a revised version of the Shazam movie suggestions I first posted 4 years ago when I started this blog, even though I have a dread feeling WB and DC might end up doing the complete opposite of everything you will read below.

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I want the upcoming SHAZAM movie made correctly. I unquestionably do not want it to be a campy comedy, but to be sure, the definitive Captain Marvel movie must have a lot of humor and fun. It also must be balanced out with drama and pathos and action-adventure. Needless to say, it should have breath taking special effects, and be filmed in IMAX. I would like to see the film use tilted ("Dutch") camera angles, much like celebrated film maker Orson Welles pioneered, to give it a unique look. The final shooting script should not be based on the recent DC comics, with its pale, inferior version of Captain Marvel, nor on the current DCnU version from Curse of Shazam. It is the Fawcett Captain Marvel of the 1940s and 50s which should be the source material for the film (as producer Michael Uslan once promised). When Otto Binder and C.C. Beck hit their stride, they produced some of the greatest superhero adventures of all time, certainly superior to DC's recent attempts at Shazam. Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's  Justice mini series remains the definitive modern take on the character, far surpassing anything Geoff Johns has done. Captain Marvel's appearance in the mini series, blended with the original Fawcett material, should be the template on which the movie is developed.

Previous attempts at developing the movie over the past decade seemed married to the "Big with superpowers" concept.  This concept keeps the character trapped in a goofy, juvenile stereotype. Cap should not act like a 12 year old. He has the wisdom of Solomon, which should make him more mature and less headstrong than Billy. Under no circumstances do I want to see a scene where Captain Marvel learns how to be a superhero by reading Superman comic books.

As in the Fawcett comics, Billy should be the star of the movie. Its his adventures we follow. Yet there still must be a lot of screen time and action sequences for Captain Marvel. I speculate the creators of Captain Marvel had the Old Testament book of Tobit in mind as a muse. In it, the mighty archangel Saint Raphael takes the form of a teen, Azariah, while among mortals. I suggest all Captain Marvel fans read this book. If you don't have a Bible with the deuterocanonical books, here is a link for Tobit . Mary and Freddy should be supporting characters the film, but they should not get their powers until the sequels. Needless to say I do not want to see the three new kids, Darla, Pedro and Eugene, cluttering up the film.

The film makers need to get Alex Ross to be the movie's creative consultant, and an associate producer. He is one of only a few contemporary comic book talents who really "gets" the Big Red Cheese. For the screenplay itself, a writer needs to be hired whose name is not David Goyer. Someone who can write great action and adventure and also humor, and above all, someone who will listen to Alex Ross. The film should use Ross' version of Captain Marvel's uniform, but it should not be skintight spandex or muscle enhancing rubber. The model of Tom Tyler's costume from the serial should be used, where the top is more of a jacket, and the pants, while snug, are not actual tights.

Perhaps the most infamous Captain Marvel fan was/is Elvis Presley. The definitive Captain Marvel movie must have an Elvis soundtrack. "If I Can Dream" would be a perfect theme song. Many of his under appreciated 60s tracks would fit the film perfectly, like "Long Legged Girl" for Beautia, "What A Wonderful Life" for Billy, "That's Someone You'll Never Forget" for Billy's crush on Beautia, "Kiss Me Quick" for Beautia's longing for Captain Marvel, etc.  Perhaps Duane Eddy's hit instrumental "Shazam" could be incorporated into the score.

For the director, hopefully assuming Peter Segal is officially gone, I got to go with Sam Raimi.  He knows how to blend action, adventure, and humor.  He knows how to bring a comic book to life without veering too much into fantasy nor into stark realism.  Despite the bad rap he got for Spider-Man 3, the first two movies proved his value as a superhero director.

Casting suggestions:

Captain Marvel - Derek Theler.

This 6 foot 5 actor auditioned for Captain America, but lost out to Chris Evans. Currently on the sit-com Baby Daddy, Theler has shown charisma and screen presence, and has an innocent quality to him that would be perfect for Captain Marvel.  He could go toe to toe with a certain charismatic former pro-wrestler, and make The Big Red Cheese relateable and likable.
Alternate picks: Wes Bentley, Jesse Metcalfe or Lou Ferrigno Jr. 

Billy Batson - Preston Baily.

It's tough to cast the two boy roles, because kids age fast.  Assuming filming begins in less than a year, Preston would be a good choice.  Otherwise, gotta go with unknowns.

Mary Bromfield/Batson - Kelli Berglund.

This young, talented girl would bring Mary to life and capture her personality and character wholly.

Freddy Freeman - Chandler Riggs.

Same situation as with casting Billy.

Shazam - Omar Sharif.

This movie legend is, without a doubt, the perfect pick to play the ancient Egyptian wizard.
Alternate pick: Michael Keaton.

Dr Sivana - Jackie Earle Haley. 

This talented character actor would bring the Rightful Ruler of the Universe to life and be bad news for Captain Marvel.
Alternate picks: Martin Short or  Joe Pesci.

Beautia - Dianna Agron.

Beauty and talent combined make her a great pick to play Sivana's daughter.
Alternate picks: Margot Robbie, Ginny Gardner, or Haley Bennett.

Black Adam - Dwayne Johnson. 

In all honesty, I'd rather see an actor of Middle Eastern decent play the  role instead of the African-Samoan Johnson, but recent developments and cryptic comments by Johnson and WB over the last few weeks seem to point that a deal has already been made, so no point fighting it.

Uncle Dudley - his royal majesty Micky Dolenz .

This is my #1 casting pick! Dolenz is Dudley incarnate and would be a highlight of the movie and a real scene stealer. If nothing else, I want Dolenz cast as Dudley.

Sterling Morris - Jon Voight.

This acting legend would be perfect to bring the owner of station WHIZ to life.
Alternate pick: Dan Aykroyd.

Mr Tawny - Jim Belushi.

I could really see Belushi in the role, whether it be him in extensive make up, or a CGI character based on Belushi's looks, with him doing the voice.  Just perfect.

Freddy's Grandpa - Alan Alda.

This TV legend is sure to bring gravitas and likability to the character, and really set the audience up for heartbreak when the inevitable happens.

movie review: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

As good as the first Captain America movie was, this one is even better.  Having two directors, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, was not a case of too many cooks ruining the broth.  The plot for the movie is quite intricate and complex, a political thriller, that I won't attempt to paraphrase here.  An excellent script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Suffice to say, at the heart of the movie is political intrigue, lots of superb action scenes, and two best friends who find themselves on opposing sides.  This movie will also have far reaching consequences for all the other Marvel Studios movies (not to mention the Agents of SHIELD TV series), as SHIELD is severely compromised.

The opening action sequence uses Cap's comic book villain Batroc.  Cap's partner from the 1970s, The Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, is introduced in a very well crafted role.  Also introduced from the comics is SHIELD agent 13 (payed by Emily Van Camp).  The Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) co-stars from The Avengers, in a very well written role.  The film also features Robert Redford, one of the biggest movie stars (although not necessarily the best actor) to ever appear in a superhero movie (along with Brando and Nicholson).  Samuel L Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, in what is without a doubt, that character's best written role out of all the Marvel movies Fury has appeared in. Of course, Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers.  It's hard to imagine less than a decade ago, he was doing a Chris O'Donnell imitation as The Human Torch.  As Steve Rogers, he brought to the role multiple layers, such as courage, integrity, humor, and vulnerability.  When Steve goes to the Smithsonian Institute to look at the Captain America exhibit because he feels lost in the present, it is both heartbreaking and humorous.  It is no secret the Winter Soldier is Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan).  When Captain America realises it's Bucky, Evans plays it well, not going over the top, but giving it just enough emotion.

The action sequences are very well crafted. The opening scene with Batroc. The Nick Fury car chase. The elevator scene. Cap vs the Winter Soldier. The movie is almost like an action highlight reel. In contrast, Man of Steel seemed too loud, too numbing, too much. In regards to action scenes, Winter Soldier is the true successor to The Dark Knight.

Curiously, Evan's costume from The Avengers was not used at all, perhaps because it looked a little too much like a throwback to Christopher Reeve era tights.  Instead, for the first part of the movie, Cap has an almost all navy blue SHIELD version of his costume.  In the middle part of the movie, he's in civvies, and for the end, he goes back to his World War II era combat fatigues costume (featuring another cameo by Stan Lee).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, plain and simple, is a great movie, and blew Man of Steel and  The Dark Knight Rises out of the water.  With Evans, the Russo bothers, and Markus & McFeely set to return, and Captain America 3 slated to be released on the same day as Man of Steel 2 aka Batman Vs Superman, I think Warner Brothers and Zack Snyder have good reason to be worried.

Review: Batman '66 #9

The first story in this issue features Zelda the Great, from the first season of the TV show.  Writer Jeff Parker does a nice format change, by starting the story with the cliffhanger (Batman and Robin buried to the neck in sand with scorpions approaching them), then flashes back to how the Dynamic Duo got there.  Bruce and Kathy Kane are chaperoning Dick's date with Haley, at a magic performance by The Great Griselda, whom Bruce and Dick instantly deduce is really Zelda the Great. Haley volunteers to be Zelda's assistant as Bruce and Dick slip away to become Batman and Robin.  The audience thinks the Dynamic Duo are part of the show, but once overpowered, they end up in the cliffhanger.  Young Haley seems quite enamored with Zelda's dangerous and exciting lifestyle.  Batman uses throat singing to repel the scorpions.  Zelda puts the Duo in another death trap, but as she continues to lecture Haley on the thrills of being a super villain, the Duo escape and capture Zelda and her henchmen.  But young Haley runs off, apparently determined to become a glamorous super villain.  The story by Parker is good, but he misses the mark on Zelda's character.  In the TV episode, she was bound by her Illusion Specialist Technician, Eivol Ekdal, to rob banks to pay his fee for helping her become the greatest magician since Houdini.  She really wasn't evil, rather she was forced to be a criminal.  Here, Eivol is no where to be found, and Parker makes Zelda evil, and quite happy to corrupt a teenage girl to join the criminal underworld.  The art by Craig Rousseau is a little mundane, yet has a charming anime quality to it. Since Parker really seems to be hit or miss with the scripts, I'd like to see Andy Fish brought in as a writer, as he really understands what made the first season episodes so great, and why the second and third season episodes went downhill.

 

The second story is a quick and enjoyable character piece featuring Alfred's lookalike cousin, Egbert (last seen in The Joker's Provokers episode, where he was on the take from the Joker).  The story opens with Egbert being released from the Wayne Foundation Halfway House For The Halfway Corrupt. Alfred picks him up, and he quickly knocks Alfred out to switch places, and purloin the Wayne fortune.  After Egbert answers the Bat-Phone, nearly exposing our heroes' secret identities, Batman and Robin figure out Egbert switched places with Alfred.  They take Egbert on a wild urban jungle obstacle course, which results in him admitting he's not Alfred.  He leads the Duo to where Alfred is, and Alfred proceeds to punch out his cousin.  Writer Tom Peyer does a good job with the script, and the art by Chris Sprouse is much better than the art in the lead story.  Overall, this issue earns a B-.

Review: Batman '66 #8

This issue features King Tut, perhaps the most successful of the made-for-TV villains, no doubt due to Victor Buono's over-the-top, and highly comedic performance.  Written by Jeff Parker, the story starts off very strong.  Tut apparently has legitimately acquired a fortune, and plans to take over Gotham by simply buying it.  Batman and Robin shadow Tut, and that's where things go a little south.  Tut has found a time barrier which allows him to go back in time to ancient Egypt, where he obtains gold by selling the Pharaoh some modern chocolate bars.  Batman and Robin, who have followed Tut into the past, observe this, as well as one of Tut's men drinking an ancient serum that will give him super powers. The Dynamic Duo race back through the time barrier, to head Tut and his gang off when they return to the present.  They capture Tut and his gang, but the one who drank the serum, Waylon, gets away and presumably will become the 1966 universe version of Croc.  I wasn't too keen on the whole time travel scenario, but since Parker did it, I find it more disappointing that he didn't work in a cameo of the Wizard Shazam, since Captain Marvel does exist in the 1966 universe, at least if you go by the Legends of the Superheroes TV specials (if you use those specials as a common denominator, it could be argued the live-action Filmation Shazam! TV series is part of the 1966 continuity... note to DC: think about a Batman-Captain Marvel crossover!).  I also noticed a continuity gaffe if this series takes place right after season 3.  In the second to last Tut episode, Tut had figured out Batman is Bruce Wayne, and in the final Tut episode, he confirmed it by accidentally tunneling into the Batcave. At the end of the episode, rocks fell on his head, reverting him back to Professor McElroy, and losing memory of Batman's secret identity.  But in this issue, Tut says he faked reverting back to McElroy, which means he should still know Batman is Bruce Wayne. The artwork is by Ruban Procopio, and is good, even if it has that same Mad Magazine quality that has persisted throughout most of this series.  He captures Victor Buono's likeness and mannerisms perfectly, while Parker seems to have toned down the character slightly from the TV show.

The second story features Shame, by the same creative team, but Procopio's art is in a totally different style, in what looks like painted watercolors.  The story is good, even if Parker tries a little too hard to rationalize Shame's Western motif.  It's fun to see Batman and Robin in cowboy hats, and on horses.  It's also nice to see Robin being the one to rescue Batman.

Overall this issue earns a B.

BATMAN DVD News and Review: Batman '66 #7

Before I get to the review of issue 7, the blockbuster announcement that has been eminent for a year has been made. The 1966 Batman TV series will be released in a DVD box set later this year, just in time for Christmas.  Early reports are that HD transfers made from pristine 35mm prints are being done, and Adam West and Burt Ward will be heading into a recording studio to do audio commentaries.  Hopefully, other bonus features, like Adam West appearing in full costume on shows like Hollywood Palace, will be included.


On to the review.  Jeff Parker returns as writer, and he brings False Face with him.  The story is very good and clever, where False Face impersonates Bruce Wayne, framing him.  Parker brings back Blaze and two of FF's original henchmen from the episode, a first, I think, for this comic book. The story also introduces the Bat Jet, looking just like it would had it been used on the TV show.  My one critique is that FF impersonates the president... Lyndon B. Johnson. Part of the longevity of the original series is that it was timeless.  They rarely mentioned the year, or anything too topical, at least in the first two seasons.  Season three, with all its other shortcomings, is also guilty of being too topical, with references to hippies, mods, surfers, and all other fads of the day.  The LBJ appearance is the second, at the least, reference establishing this comic book being set in the 1960s.  I would prefer it if they avoided that pitfall of season three, and followed the example of the first two seasons by keeping it timeless.  The art by Christopher Jones is excellent, although in a couple panels, as most artists on the series have done, he gives Batman a large gut.  Something else I wish would be dropped from this series.

The second story features the Joker and is written by Tom Peyer with art by Derec Donovan.  Peyer captures the Joker much better than Parker did in issue 3.  This time, I can actually picture Cesar Romero, instead of a generic insane DC Joker.  This may be the best of the short second stories.  Perhaps Peyer should write all of them, and let Parker handle the longer lead stories.  Donovan's art, however, is average, and his Batman looks more like Jack Webb than Adam West.  I wish Donovan drew the lackluster issue 3, while Joe Quinones' superb artwork graced this issue's Joker story. Overall, this is a great issue, and it earns an A-.

Finally, this week also saw the release of the trade paperback, BATMAN: THE TV STORIES, collecting about half of the original comic book stories that were adapted into TV episodes.  This book is a must have, and there has to be a volume 2 planned to collect the remaining stories.  May I also add the cover, by Amanda Conner, is spectacular, and I would love to see her draw an issue or five of BATMAN '66.

For the record, here are the stories that should be included in Volume 2:
"The Menace of False Face" (BATMAN #113 - adapted as "True or False Face/Holy Rat Race")
"The Mental Giant of Gotham City" (DETECTIVE #217 - adapted as "An Egg Grows in Gotham/The Yegg Foes of Gotham")
"The New Crimes of the Mad Hatter" (DETECTIVE #230 - aspects of this story were used in both Mad Hatter episodes)
"The Penguin's Nest" (BATMAN #36 - adapted as "The Penguin's Nest/The Bird's Last Jest")
"Batman's Deadly Birthday" (BATMAN #130 - aspects of this story were used in "Batman's Anniversary/A Riddling Controversy")
and to round out the edition, they can also include
"The Eraser Who Tried To Rub Out Batman" (BATMAN #188, the only comic book story to copy the TV series)
"Mr Freeze's Chilling Deathtrap" (DETECTIVE #373, the first story to use the TV show's Mr Freeze in lieu of the comics' Mr Zero, and to use the TV show's surname Cooper for Aunt Harriet
"Catwoman Sets Her Claws For Batman"(BATMAN #197, the first appearance of Catwoman in the Julie Newmar costume).