RIP Stan Lee 1922-2018
You’ve most likely heard the sad news that comic book legend Stan Lee passed away this week, at the age of 95. We won’t go into details as there are much more eloquent obituaries to be found online elsewhere, however, Stan the Man will be greatly missed. Without him, the world would be a much different place, as he was responsible (along with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko) for creating most of Marvel’s superheroes. He shook up comic book conventions by creating complex, flawed characters we could all relate to, hiding social commentary in popular entertainment.
In most recent times, Lee was remembered for his witty cameos in the comic book adaptations, something that was started long before the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Here’s a handy video which compiles his many appearances over the years.
RIP Stan, you are a true legend.
Reacher Around
We big fans of the Jack Reacher novels – yes, they’re formulaic and the character is practically superhuman but they’re solid escapist reads (what we affectionately refer to as “man-trash novels”. Despite the controversial casting of Tom Cruise, Jack Reacher (based on the novel One Shot) is a decent action thriller and paved the way for director Chris McQuarrie to take on the Mission: Impossible series.
Author Lee Child and Tom Cruise
It’s sequel, Never Go Back, was a messy, cliche-ridden chore, and following its disappointing performance, author Lee Child has plans to bring the character to TV. The Reacher books are probably better suited to the TV show format and no doubt the move has been influenced by the success of Amazon shows like Bosch and Jack Ryan.
With many fans outraged at the casting of the pint-sized superstar Cruise as the beloved man-mountain, Child has promised the casting for the TV show will be more faithful.
Tom Cruise said nothing.
Question is, who the hell do you cast?! There are not many leading actors that could fill his very large shoes/build (6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds to be precise). And don’t say The Rock, he’s far too busy! Let us know your suggestions in the comments.
YouTube Offers Hollywood Movies for Free (with Ad-breaks)
In an interesting and some-what old school move – YouTube has started offering a selection of films to watch for free – provided you sit through some ads. Unsurprisingly, the current list of films is fairly average, but it does include classic films like Rocky and The Terminator. The offering only seems to be available in America, but don’t be surprised if you see it popping up on YouTube UK in the future.
Source – Ad Age