With the roaring success of Marvel Studios inaugural independent feature film “Iron Man,” there are a lot of eyes on what will happen with the company’s subsequent releases (both reboots) “The Hulk” and “Punisher: War Zone.”
One of the most interesting aspects of these films is that they demonstrate how the perspective on translating comic book heroes to film has grown up. Arguably refashioned by Chris Nolan’s “Batman Begins” that endeavored to remain much more faithful to the work of Frank Miller by pressing the human behind the mask rather than the superficial caricature, the new slate of films employs some of today’s top dramatic talents - from Christian Bale, the late Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Edward Norton and in the case of Punisher, goes one step further to put lesser known names in the title roles in exchange for their proven abilities as actors (Ray Stevenson will play the Punisher in a film that also features Dominic West and Colin Salmon.)
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Most interesting about Punisher is that it is looking to be far less reliant on the ubiquitous CG to which these big action films are prone, and more interested in mis-en-scene - using (gasp) lighting and atmosphere to evoke the Marvel Universe comic book style that the characters inhabit. To add to this the film will be scored by founder of Sonic Images record label and one-time member of Tangerine Dream - Christopher Franke. |
Hrm. Evocative, rich and dark lighting, relative unknown actors hired for their talent and appropriateness for their respective roles, an ambient electronic musical score - sounds like a film that came about some quarter century ago starring Harrison Ford, Edward James Olmos, Rutger Hauer and debutante Sean Young.
Franke has scored many projects prior to Punisher: War Zone; High School Confidential and over 150 episodes of reality TV show “Big Brother” among them so simply being associated with Tangerine Dream does not necessarily mean we can expect the next Vangelis masterpiece, however when coupled with the dark contemporary urban subject matter of the Punisher framework, odds are we may get close.
Punisher: War Zone is slated for release December 5th, 2008 from Lionsgate Films.
I was too young to recognize when I saw U2’s Rattle and Hum in theaters back in the early 90’s that it is shot by Jordan Cronenweth (the DP of Blade Runner fame), but revisiting it on HD-DVD - it is an amazing thing to behold. I consider this to be U2’s golden period - when they immersed themselves in roots American music and produced amazing tracks like Angel of Harlem, recorded at Sun Studios or employed a gospel choir to revisit With or Without You. A landmark music doc that merits at least one more look.
Live Review: mr. Gnome, Knitting Factory, June 6
Lawn and Garden Refugees: mr. Gnome at the Knitting Factory
photo by the author
Despite online coverage in Rolling Stone and Spin, being one of LA Weekly’s picks of the week and having their set pushed back to the 11:00 pm prime-time slot, Cleveland-based duo mr. Gnome was greeted by an anemic crowd of eight as they took the stage in the Knitting Factory’s small room last Friday.
Regardless of the turnout, the near-empty space was overwhelmed within moments by an unlikely marriage of tenebrous sonority and frenetic noise, fueled by blog-darling rock power couple Nicole Brielle (guitar, vocals) and Sam Meister (drums, keys and random off-mic vocals).
If you took that aborted fetus that PJ Harvey was whining about in “Down By The Water,” resuscitated it, then had it raised by wolves who listened to nothing but Tool, Black Sabbath and Lisa Germano, you’d be on the right track to understanding something about what mr. Gnome is up to, made all the more impressive when you factor that these two perform with all the proficiency ascribed by those artists despite purportedly taking up their respective instruments just a few years ago.
Touring in support of their recent release, Deliver This Creature, mr. Gnome ripped through “Pirates,” “Rabbit” and “Deliver This Creature,” addressing the material with the kind of subconscious insouciance that comes only from artists who have been touring and playing the same songs every night for weeks. A warren of tight twists, turns and investigations of dialectics, their music revved from whimper to cheese grater in zero seconds flat, never in danger of losing its full effect at any point during the night.
mr. Gnome is further a visual punch line, with the hulking Meister nearly dwarfing his kit and Brielle’s petite frame in constant danger of being overcome by her guitars. To this end, she utilized a step stool to great effect, teetering on its highest peak to careen like an errant willow over her larger half’s drum set, granting the couple as much possible proximity while providing an additional unbalanced tableau that matched in physical terms the music they created.
By the time they arrived at “Night Of The Crickets” — the closest thing mr. Gnome has to a hit in this post-broadcast age — their crowd had doubled in size to 16 (including people they were traveling with and members of other bands), none of whom seemed less than impressed with the performance, and rightly so.
The only thing mr. Gnome seems to be lacking is a booking agent who can get them into the correct venue on Los Angeles’ east side, where an undoubtedly larger, more receptive audience awaits. Until then, they remain one of the most intriguing new acts in music and one to watch.
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