"Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion."
I bought this book because it was winter vacation, I was bored, and it was the only book in the English Literature section that even vaguely interested me.
All of the big names in capital-L-Literature have a story in this collection. Joyce, Faulkner, Steinbeck, James - they're all here. I was happy to discover, however, that I had previously read only one of the stories in this book, the one by Joyce. All of the others were new discoveries, and all of the others - save perhaps one - I liked. It's difficult to pinpoint a favorite out of 50 stories - all written by the world's most famous English-language authors - but "The Gionconda Smile," by Aldous Huxley is great, as is "Putois" by Anatole France. But I only mention these stories because they were the most memorable, not because they were definitively better than the others. I would recommend this collection to anyone looking for lesser-known authors of "serious" fiction. Yes, there are a lot of big names in it, but it's the stories by the lesser-knowns that make it most rewarding.
The Men in Black films have been left off this list, even though the characters are now the property of Marvel Comics. The original comic books were not published by Marvel, and this is the reason I left them off this list.
Dr. Strange (1978) and Fantastic Four (1994) are not here either. The former is a TV pilot, and never saw theatrical release, and the latter was only made to retain the rights to the characters.
And there are also the "novelty" superhero films, such as 3 Dev Adam and "Italian Spider-Man." These movies are/were
exercises in copyright infringement, and never saw theatrical release
outside of their countries of origin. Many of these films are good for a
few laughs, and can be seen in part or in their entirety on YouTube.
****
Excellent!Had to see it twice!
***
Good movie with a few flaws.
**
Not bad, but not great.
*
I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]
Just terrible.
@
So bad it’s kind of good.
1980s
1. Howard the Duck (1986) @
I
must confess that the shot of Leah Thompson in her panties gave me one
of my first hard-ons, way back when I was 11 years old. This movie is
so awful that it demands your attention.
2. The Punisher (1989) **
This
is the Dolph Lundgren version. It is on a lot of "worst of" lists, but
I think that in many ways it is closer in spirit to the original
Punisher comics. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination,
but not that bad either.
1990s
3. Captain America (1990)
This movie almost arrived
in theaters, until the studio responsible realized how awful it was.
It makes little sense, it's surprisingly boring in parts, and the Red
Skull bears an unfortunate resemblance to Skeletor from 1987's Masters of the Universe.
4. Blade (1998) ***
Now
HERE is a good movie. Not only was Wesley Snipes super cool, but the
script was good and the direction was competent. Kris Kristofferson
also made a great sidekick. My only complaint about this one is that
the vampires just seem to "splash" out of existence. It's kind of
unsatisfying.
2000s
5. X-men (2000) *
I
have never been a big fan of the X-men, either the films or the comic
books. This movie seemed very melodramatic to me, and I think without
Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine this movie would have been a
complete disaster. As it is, it's forgettable. Fun Trivia: Joss
Whedon, of Avengers fame, helped write the screenplay for this movie.
6. Blade 2 (2002) ****
This
movie is classic. Blade 1 was already pretty good, but Blade 2 kills
it. It's super violent, super cool, and it is the reason someone needs
to unearth Wesley Snipes for Blade 4.
7. Spider-Man (2002) **
I
was as psyched as anyone else when I heard this movie was coming out.
With Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire involved, it seemed like a sure thing.
Then the Green Goblin almost ruined the movie for me. Nothing against
Willem Defoe, but that suit was ridiculous.
8. Daredevil (2003)
This
has to be one of the worst superhero movies ever. Ben Affleck didn't
have the build to play The Man Without Fear, and the plot to this movie
was a mess. Bullseye was somewhat interesting, but this movie could
have done without Elektra.
9. X2: X-men United (2003) **
I
thought this was slightly better than the first film, but still not
that great. Had Brian Singer stayed on for X-men 3 and really built
towards the Dark Phoenix saga, this would have been a better movie in
retrospect. Like the first, a bit corny.
10. Hulk (2003) ***
I
can't see this as the unqualified disaster that it is often made out to
be. This is definitely one of the more intellectual superhero movies,
and I liked the battle between The Hulk and the Absorbing Man at the
end. Could have been better, but could have been a lot worse.
11. The Punisher (2004) *
After
Dolph Lundgren, it was Thomas Jane's turn to play Frank Castle. This
movie was better than Lundgren's, but it doesn't have the darkness that
made the comic book so interesting. Jane would have gone on to play
Castle again in Punisher 2, but grew frustrated with the process
involved. Can't say that I blame him.
12. Spider-Man 2 (2004) ****
This
is one of the great ones. This movie hits the ground running, and the
whole thing flows seamlessly from beginning to end. Alfred Molina was a
revelation as Dr. Octopus, and this movie is everything the first one
wasn't.
13. Blade: Trinity (2004) *
What a disappointment this one was. Blade 2 was excellent, but this
third installment was just stupid. Why would Jessica Biel start
listening to her MP3 as the vampires are attacking? Wouldn't she want
to hear what was going on? Fun Trivia: Wesley Snipes was THIS close to
playing the Black Panther in a movie adaptation of the Marvel character
the same year, but the studio felt he was too recognizable as Blade. A
Black Panther film is still in active development at Marvel Studios, and
the character is rumored to appear in the upcoming "Avengers: Age of
Ultron."
14. Elektra (2005) *
Not a terrible movie, but not that good either. Jennifer Garner stars
as Elektra, and she would have looked just like the comic book character
if she had only dyed her hair black. A watered-down version of
everyone's favorite female ninja assassin. 15. Fantastic Four (2005) ***
Any
movie featuring Jessica Alba in a skin-tight costume is going to have
my attention. The Thing looks kind of rubbery, but Tim Story did a good
job with the material. The battle at the end reminds you of the better
FF comics.
16. Man-Thing (2005)
Low
budget horror movie in which environmentalists square off against an
evil petroleum company. Man-thing doesn't appear until the movie's
halfway over. This film was shot in Australia, and many of the actors'
accents are less than convincing. A real chore to sit through.
17. X-men: The Last Stand (2006)
Unspeakably
bad. This movie makes you feel sorry for Hugh Jackman. Not only did
this film almost destroy the franchise, but it also butchers one of the
classic runs in the comic book. Fun Trivia: this film was based on a
comic book story written by Joss Whedon, with elements of The Dark
Phoenix Saga added on.
18. Ghost Rider (2007)
Ghost
Rider STILL deserves a better movie. Nicholas Cage is annoying
throughout, and I have the feeling they were trying too hard to make
this movie kid-friendly. Peter Fonda couldn't have been less
threatening as Mephisto.
19. Spider-Man 3 (2007) **
If
they had just cut Venom out of this movie it would have been a good
film. As it is, Venom contributes almost nothing to the plot, and one
gets the feeling that he was added as an afterthought. Not terrible,
but not that good either.
20. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) **
There
are people who hate this movie, but I don't have any problem with it.
Galactus could have looked a lot cooler, and the movie stumbles near the
end, but again there is Jessica Alba.
21. Iron Man (2008) ****
After Batman Begins, this is the other movie that reinvigorated the genre. Where Batman Begins was
dark, this one was funny. Where Batman is driven, Tony Stark is
brilliantly conflicted. It is everything that Nolan's movie wasn't, and
that's why it works.
22. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ****
This movie was sidelined by the overwhelming success of Iron Man,
but I loved it. I loved Edward Norton's take on the character, I loved
the script he wrote for the film, and I loved the Greco-Roman take on
The Hulk. My only complaint is that he let The Abomination live at the
end. I found this hard to believe.
23. Punisher: War Zone (2008) *
A more violent take on Frank Castle. It's a solid film, but maybe a
little too depressing for its own good. I consider it an improvement on
the first. 24. X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
This movie is standard popcorn fare, much along the lines of Ghost Rider.
Hugh Jackman goes through the motions, an attempt to bring Deadpool and
Gambit into the mix is handled badly, and by the end you're thankful
that it's not as dreadful as X3.
2010s
25. Iron Man 2 (2010) ***
I
liked this almost as much as the first one. Downey Jr. is given even
better one-liners in this film, and Mickey Rourke characteristically
chews the scenery. Sam Rockwell is also great as Justin Hammer, and my
only complaint is that Don Cheadle isn't given enough to do.
26. Kick-Ass (2010) **
I have friends who love this movie. I don't. I think the first half is good, but after Big Daddy dies it just gets silly - especially the jet pack. A nice warm up for The Amazing Spider-Man, however.
27. Thor (2011) *
Considering
how hard it must have been to adapt Thor to the big screen, I would
consider this movie a success. Still, compared to other movies Marvel
Studios has made, I think this is the weakest one. I've never been a
big fan of Kenneth Branagh. 28. X-men: First Class (2011) **
Michael
Fassbender makes this movie. Forgive the pun, but he is positively
magnetic as Magneto. I thought the end was weak, but it's still miles
ahead of the first three films.
29. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***
I would rank this fifth among the Marvel movies, behind The Avengers, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor: The Dark World. It might seem a bit slow for some people, but the mixture of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark really worked for me. 30. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) *
Ghost Rider journeys to Europe on an extremely low budget. The screenplay was probably good, but the direction is all over the place and Nicholas Cage overdoes the "manic" elements. The only good thing I can say about this film is that the actress who plays "the Devil's baby-momma" is extremely beautiful. Fun Fact: Idris Elba, who appeared in Thor the year before, is Johnny Blaze's sidekick.
31. The Avengers (2012) ****
There
are entire websites devoted to how awesome this movie is. It's a good
film, but not one of the best. Considering how difficult it is to put
characters as diverse as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor into the
same movie universe, this one is an unqualified triumph. I'm only sorry
the Oscorp Tower didn't make an appearance.
32. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ***
This
is a good movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Andrew
Garfield and Emma Stone have some terrific chemistry, and it's a solid
effort. The Lizard is a bit too Hulk-like for my taste, but this is a
vast improvement over Spider-Man 3.
33. Iron Man 3 (2013) *
I
was super excited about this movie, but walked away from it
disappointed. It starts out well, but neither of the villains are very
compelling, and the stunt work is too over the top. My biggest
complaint is the ending, which gives us a Tony Stark who no longer has
any reason to be Iron Man.
34. Kick-Ass 2 (2013) **
It's not a great movie, but it's not bad. There are some funny scenes in this one, but it could have been a lot better.
35. The Wolverine (2013) **
I
had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't all that good. It's
certainly much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all the other
X-Men films, but that's not saying all that much.
36. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ***
This
was a great movie. I didn't love the first Thor, but this one was a
vast improvement. Reminded me a lot of the Walt Simonson run on the
comic book. Hoping to see Beta Ray Bill in Thor 3!
37. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) **1/2
Steve
Rogers struggles with the modern world and his role in S.H.I.E.L.D.
After encountering the Winter Soldier, he has even more reasons to doubt
the nobility of certain causes. A very topical movie, with some great
action sequences. Didn't like it as much as Thor: The Dark World, but
it was well done.
38. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) **1/2
Too
much CGI, but some great performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma
Stone. I liked this movie more than "Captain America: The Winter
Soldier," though the action sequences in Cap were better. This film has
more dramatic tension, better ensemble performances, and more heart.
Looking forward to the third film!
39. X-men: Days of Future Past (2014) ***1/2
A
surprisingly good movie. As mutantkind faces extinction, Wolverine
journeys into the past to change the future. Excellent performances,
and one of the most emotionally resonant superhero films to come along
in quite a while. Fun Fact: Although played by a white midget (Peter Dinklage) in Days of Future Past, Bill Duke, a rather large black man, plays Bolivar Trask in the earlier X-Men: The Last Stand.
40. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) **
A
good movie, though it features too many characters for its own good.
Humor holds the film together, and makes some of the less plausible plot
elements seem more plausible. As with many other recent films from
Marvel Studios, seems less inspired than calculated. Maybe the second
one will be better?
41. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)**1/2
I
can't say it's flawless, but I did like it much better than Guardians of the Galaxy. It's less talky than the first Avengers, and the battle between
Hulk and the Hulkbuster is truly awesome. Quicksilver seemed a bit
underused, and I would have liked to see more of the Vision, but it's
still a great movie.
42. Ant-Man (2015)**
Any
great scenes in this movie involve a) Michael Pena, b) shrinking, or c)
both. As for the rest of it? It starts off well enough, but it takes
too long to get going. "The heist" at the end is a bit of a non-event,
but the fight scenes between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket are good.
43. Fantastic Four (2015)*
This
movie is not bad up until the four return from Planet Zero. After that
point it's a mess. Once Reed escapes from the military facility the
dialogue is awful, the characters do things that make no sense, and the
movie somehow ends without building up any kind of dramatic tension. It
feels like an hour of this film was removed before it hit theaters, and
Dr. Doom looks like he escaped from another, much lower-budget film.
44. Deadpool (2016)***
The good news: as far as films within Fox's X-men universe go, this one is second best. It's not as riveting as X-men: Days of Future Past, but it's better than all the other ones. Compared to the Marvel Studios films, I'd rank it above lesser efforts like Iron Man 2 and 3, though it comes nowhere near their best. It's refreshingly profane, yet it struggles during most of the "serious" parts. A sequel to this movie would probably be much better than the original.
On the Way
45. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
More
of a sequel to X-men: First Class, this film will focus on the origin
of the mutants. Apocalypse, always one of my favorite villains, will appear in this film. After SDCC I know a lot more about this movie, though I
can't say that everything learned from that panel has me excited. Using Apocalypse to discuss the "selective breeding" of mutants (a la Dune) could add a whole other level of believability to the X-Men franchise, but I doubt they'll put that much thought into it.
46. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain
America and Iron Man face off over the superhuman registration act.
Marvel has already stated that the Black Panther will appear in this
film, and there will certainly be a host of other superheroes on hand.
Marvel's version of Spider-man will also make an appearance.
47. Doctor Strange (2016)
All
I can say is... finally! I've been waiting for this movie for so
long. Scott Derrickson is directing, and Benedict Cumberbatch will star
as Stephen Strange.
48. Deadpool 2? X-Force? New Mutants? (2016)
The Gambit movie has been put on hold for the time being. A Deadpool sequel so soon seems unlikely. X-Force also seems unlikely without Deadpool. New Mutants is a distinct possibility, however. 49. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
Who
would have thought the first Guardians of the Galaxy would be such a
success? And who would have thought that a sequel would be on the way
so soon? Most of the original cast and crew will probably return for
this film.
50. Third Wolverine Film (2017)
Hugh
Jackman and director James Mangold will be returning. Hopefully they
can improve upon The Wolverine, which wasn't the stylistic triumph I
hoped it would be. Hugh Jackman has indicated that they'll be going for
"Old Man Logan," though of course Fox will need to change a lot of the
story to make up for characters they don't have the rights to.
51. Deadpool 2? X-Force? New Mutants? (2017)
Fox just greenlit the Deadpool sequel, and it seems likely that it will take over Fantastic Four 2's release date. Either that or they'll skip straight to X-Force and put Deadpool on the roster. New Mutants is also a possibility.
52. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The Hulk will be appearing, though nothing is known about the plot. Taika Waititi will be directing, and Chris Hemsworth will return as Thor.
53. The Black Panther (2017)
Chadwick
Boseman will play the Black Panther. Creed's Ryan Coogler is directing. I think it's safe to say that
elements of his backstory will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Age of
Ultron. Nothing else is known about this movie at this time.
54. Marvel's Spider-Man (2017)
Sony
finally set a release date for this film. After years of negotiations
with Marvel, Tom Holland will finally star as a much younger Spider-Man,
with Jon Watts directing. I thought the Amazing Spider-Man films
were... OK, but I'm glad to see the character back under Marvel's
supervision.
55. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (2018)
It
was bound to happen. Thanos will be the villain, and his quest for the
infinity gems (stones) will probably cause Earth's mightiest heroes a
great deal of misery.
56. Captain Marvel (2018)
A female-centered superhero film, even if it's a year after the proposed female-centric films by both Sony and Warner Bros.
57. Inhumans (2018)
It's kind of hard to imagine the Inhumans in the absence of the
Fantastic Four, but I'm sure Marvel will figure out a way to make it
work.
58. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
No
details on this movie as yet. It was announced this week, and the
release dates for both Captain Marvel and Black Panther have been
adjusted to accommodate it.
59. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (2019)
With a rumored budget of a BILLION dollars, this and Infinity War Part 1 will, if nothing else, be something to talk about.
60. Untitled (2020)
Have
fun guessing. My guess is that we finally get another Hulk movie.
Yeah, I know about that business with Universal, and yes, he often works
better as part of the Avengers, but a Planet Hulk or World War Hulk
movie would be amazing. Marvel also knows how bad many of us want this one. 61. Untitled (2020)
Have fun guessing here,
too. We can safely rule out Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.
Ant-Man's sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 are also listed above.
What does that leave us? Could Marvel have won back the rights to the
Fantastic Four?
62. Untitled (2020)
Go CRAZY guessing! Ghost Rider? Daredevil on the big screen? The Punisher? Ego the living planet? The U-Foes? Spider-Gwen?
