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Where do you stand on superhero movies? It’s a divisive genre, characterised
by massive budgets and a predilection for world-building over storytelling. A
seemingly inexhaustible conveyor belt of releases has become a dominant
commercial force over the last ten years. The rise of Marvel Studios – the
perfect foil to Disney’s other powerhouse franchise, Star Wars – has an
enviable output, and while DC hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success as
yet, comic book movies remain a massive business. But not everyone shares
an unbridled enthusiasm for the genre. In a 2014 interview,
Birdman
director
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu scornfully called superhero flicks “cultural suicide”
and he’s not alone in declaring his disdain. Ridley Scott, John McTiernan,
William Friedkin and David Cronenberg have all voiced ardent disapproval
for these cinematic comic creations. But are film lovers also starting to
experience superhero fatigue? Although box office might indicate otherwise,
market saturation and audience familiarity has required a fundamental shift
in the genre, which began with last year’s subversive
Deadpool
and is further
refined in this month’s equally atypical
Logan
. Director James Mangold’s vision
of the superhero movie as a gritty western noir is the first compelling comic
book movie for adults, bereft of the hyperbole, overt fan service, clichés and
CGI overload that has become a staple. The gauntlet has been thrown down
for other filmmakers brave enough to take a creative risk and re-forge the
template into something new and unexpected.
Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief
Founder
Nic Short
Editor-in-Chief
Paul Jones
Film & DVD Editor
Scott Hocking
Music Editor
Zoë Radas
StaffWriter
Alesha Kolbe
Creative Directors
Justin Buxton, Michelle Black
DVD Consultant
Kerrie Taylor
Games Consultant
Andre Eivik
Music Consultants
Mike Glynn, Fleur Parker
Chief Contributors
Bob Jones
,
Gill Pringle
Contributors
Savannah Douglas, Graham Reid,
Amy Flower, John Ferguson, Michael Dwyer, Jeff
Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell,
Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby,
Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira
Social Media Manager
Sally Carlier-Hull
Production Manager
Craig Patterson
Accounts Coordinator
Tracy Kingman
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stack.net.auIssue 152
JUNE
2017