What a fantastic month for comic books! I loved the Bojeffries Saga GN, I had been wanting to read it for years and now that I did, I must say it lived up to my expectations and in fact surpassed them. I’m quite satisfied with the first issues of All New Invaders and New Warriors (part, as you may have guessed, of All New Marvel Now). Since I no longer buy The Walking Dead I was very relieved to get my fix of zombie thrills in George A. Romero’s Empire of the Dead. Image’s Deadly Class #1 was quite an interesting first chapter and with great art. Miracleman continues to surprise me not only because it’s one of the best Alan Moore runs but also due to the high quality of Marvel’s edition. And this month I have a tie for best single issues (printed in 2014): Unwritten Apocalypse #1 and Thor God of Thunder #18 (Das Pastoras is the best!). Truly extraordinary issues. And now, without further ado, here are February comics as per solicitations.
ALL NEW INVADERS #1
(W) James Robinson (A) Steve Pugh (CA) Mukesh Singh 'GODS AND SOLDIERS' PART ONE • Eisner Award winner James Robinson (STARMAN, EARTH 2) returns to MARVEL, uniting with Steve Pugh (ANIMAL MAN, HOTWIRE, GEN-X) to create a unique, modern day take on the INVADERS. • The KREE EMPIRE intends to conquer the universe using a weapon that will grant them an army of NORSE GODS. • It falls to four heroes united by their past-CAPTAIN AMERICA, NAMOR, THE ORIGINAL HUMAN TORCH and the WINTER SOLDIER-who must now face the future and wage war against the Kree to save Earth.
ALL NEW X-FACTOR #2
(W) Peter David (A) Carmine Di Giandomenico (CA) Jared K. Fletcher. 'NOT BRAND X' Part 2 X-FACTOR IS BACK…LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Serval Industries, one of the world's most trusted names in electronics and leader in cutting-edge internet and weapons technology, has just unveiled their newest contribution to society…the All-New X-Factor. Led by mutant mistress of magnetism, Polaris, the team uses its corporate backing for the betterment of society. With her half-brother Quicksilver, notorious thief, Gambit, and more by her side, can Polaris trust that her corporate masters really have good intentions?
BOJEFFRIES SAGA GN (MR) (C: 1-0-2)
(W) Alan Moore (A/CA) Steve Parkhouse. Jobremus Bojeffries is like any other father - trying to keep the peace in a house stuffed with two kids (Ginda and Reth), uncles Raoul and Festus, a baby and old Grandpa Podlasp. Never mind that one's a werewolf, one's a vampire, Grandpa is in the last stages of organic matter, and the baby puts off enough thermonuclear energy to power England and Wales. All right, they're no ordinary family. And this is no ordinary book, with stories spanning decades, a whole chapter written as light opera, a Christmas episode, and an all-new 24-page comic bringing the Bojeffries up to the present day. On every page, the wry and anarchic creativity of the creators shines through: Alan Moore's affectionate and penetrating grasp of human nature (and British culture) creates a kind of desperate poignancy in the characters, brought to memorable life by Steve Parkhouse's deft and articulate line work. It's all there, untutored, unpolished, ramshackle and always on the edge of collapse.
DEADLY CLASS #1 (MR)
(W) Rick Remender (A/CA) Wesley Craig, Lee Loughridge. It's 1987. Marcus Lopez hates school. His grades suck. He has no money. The jocks are hassling his friends. He can't focus in class, thanks to his mind constantly drifting to the stunning girl in the front row and the Dag Nasty show he has tickets to. But the jocks are the children of Joseph Stalin's top assassin, the teachers are members of an ancient league of assassins, the class he's failing is 'Dismemberment 101,' and his crush, a member of the most notorious crime syndicate in Japan, has a double-digit body count. Welcome to the most brutal high school on Earth, where the world's top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. Murder is an art. Killing is a craft. At King's Dominion High School for the Deadly Arts, the dagger in your back isn't always metaphorical, nor is your fellow classmates' poison. Join writer RICK REMENDER with rising star WESLEY CRAIG (Batman) and legendary colorist LEE LOUGHRIDGE (Fear Agent) to reminisce about the mid-1980s underground through the eyes of the most damaged and dangerous teenagers on Earth.
DEADPOOL GAUNTLET #1
Deadpool has tangled with vampires before, but is he ready…to work for them?! • Dracula has a very important package he needs delivered safely, so he hires the Merc with the Mouth to get the job done!
GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #1 (OF 5)
(W) George A. Romero (A/CA) Alex Maleev ZOMBIE GODFATHER GEORGE ROMERO UNLEASHES HIS NEXT UNDEAD EPIC-AS AN ALL-NEW MARVEL COMIC! • Welcome to New York City years after the undead plague has erupted-but just because Manhattan has been quarantined, don't think that everyone inside is safe! • Not only do flesh-eaters roam within Manhattan, but there's another ancient predator about to take a bite out of the Big Apple! • Plus: It's a terrorizing team-up in variant cover form when the Zombie Godfather unites with the Zombie King - Arthur Suydam!
KICK-ASS 3 #6 (OF 8) (MR)
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) John Romita. It's the flashback issue you've all been waiting for: The secret origin of Hit-Girl! Training, first blood, and of course, lots of hugs and positive reinforcement from Big Daddy. Exactly how does little Mindy McCready earn her assassin stripes? Hint: It ain't by collecting stickers. This issue will be extra-sized for extra awesome!
MIRACLEMAN #2
(W) TBD, Mick Anglo (A) Various (CA) Alan Davis • KIMOTA! With one magic word, a long-forgotten legend lives again! • Freelance reporter Michael Moran always knew he was meant for something more -- now, a strange series of events leads him to reclaim his destiny! • Relive the ground-breaking eighties adventures that captured lightning in a bottle -- or experience them for the first time -- in these digitally restored, fully relettered editions! • Issue #2 includes material originally presented in WARRIOR #1-5, plus bonus material.
NEW WARRIORS #1
(W) Christopher Yost (A) Marcus To (CA) Ramon K. Perez. WARRIORS REBORN! Adventurers SPEEDBALL and JUSTICE have come together with a group of young heroes including NOVA, SUN GIRL, and HUMMINGBIRD (and even a couple of new faces) to stop the latest threat to the Marvel Universe-the Atlanteans, Inhumans, clones and hundreds of other so-called 'superior' beings are living among the humans of the Marvel Universe, but not everyone is pleased about it. THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY has raised an army to combat the evolution of humanity - and the New Warriors are locked in his sights!
SIDEKICK #5 CVR A MANDRAKE & HIFI (MR)
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (A/CA) Tom Mandrake, HiFi
For weeks, super-villain Julia Moonglow has been feeding off the body and energy of Barry 'Flyboy' Chase while keeping him from remembering this. Now she's ready to let him remember, and reveals why she's been stalking him and the fate of her late twin sister. But that's just the warm-up for the big reveal, as Barry learns for the first time that the Red Cowl may be alive, a discovery that shatters him down to his very core.
 |
| Thor (Das Pastoras) |
THOR GOD OF THUNDER #18
(W) Jason Aaron (A) Das Pastoras (CA) Esad Ribic • A tale of Young Thor, in the age of the Vikings. Here be a dragon. 'Nuff said.
UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #1
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu It's the perfect jumping on point, as Tom Taylor is stranded at the beginning of all creation! Lost in the unwritten scenes of all the world's stories, Tom Taylor is headed back to reality - and all the gods and beasts and monsters ever imagined can't stop him. But there's a toll on the road that may be too high for him or anyone to pay…
UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #2 (MR)
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu. In the ruins of a post-literary world, Richie and Lizzie go in search of their lost friend Tom Taylor. But to find him, they'll have to venture into the most dangerous place on Earth: London.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
¡Un mes lleno de cómics fantásticos! Me encantó Bojeffries Saga, había estado esperando leer esto por años y debo decir que sí estuvo a la altura de mis expectativas y que de hecho las superó. Estoy bastante satisfecho con los primeros números de All New Invaders y New Warriors (parte, como habrán adivinado, de All New Marvel Now). Como ya no compro The Walking Dead me sentí muy aliviado de recibir mi dosis de zombis en Empire of the Dead de George A. Romero. Deadly Class #1 de Image fue un primer capítulo bastante interesante y con un muy buen arte. Miracleman continúa sorprendiéndome no sólo porque es una de las mejores etapas de Alan Moore sino también por la óptima calidad de la edición de Marvel. Y este mes hay un empate para el mejor número único (impreso en el 2014): Unwritten Apocalypse #1 y Thor God of Thunder #18 (¡Das Pastoras es lo máximo!). Números realmente extraordinarios. Y ahora, sin más preámbulos, aquí están los cómics de febrero.
ALL NEW INVADERS #1
Comentario: El imperio KREE intenta conquistar el universo usando un arma que les garantizará un ejército de dioses nórdicos. Ahora, los héroes del pasado (CAPTAIN AMERICA, NAMOR, la Antorcha Humana original y WINTER SOLDIER) deben reunirse y luchar para salvar al mundo.
ALL NEW X-FACTOR #2
Comentario: ¿Podrá POLARIS confiar en las buenas intenciones de su medio hermano QUICKSILVER y en GAMBIT, el notorio ladrón?
BOJEFFRIES SAGA GN (MR)
Comentario: JOBREMUS BOJEFFRIES es como cualquier otro padre, intentando mantener la paz en una casa atiborrada de dos chicos, dos tíos, un bebé y un abuelo. Sin contar con que uno de ellos es un hombre lobo, el otro es un vampiro, el abuelo está en las últimas fases de la materia orgánica, y el bebé tiene suficiente energía termonuclear como para darle electricidad a toda Inglaterra y Gales. Está bien, no son una familia ordinaria.
DEADLY CLASS #1 (MR)
Comentario: Es 1987. Marcus odia el colegio. Tiene malas notas. No tiene plata. Los deportistas fastidian a sus amigos. No puede concentrarse en clase gracias a la preciosa chica que se sienta en primera fila. Pero los deportistas son los hijos del asesino principal de Stalin, los profesores son miembros de una antigua liga de asesinos, la clase que está a punto de desaprobar es ‘Desmembramiento’, y la chica es parte del sindicato del crimen de Japón. Bienvenidos a la secundaria más brutal de la Tierra, donde las principales familias del crimen del mundo envían a la próxima generación de asesinos para que sean entrenados. Aquí el asesinato es un arte, y la matanza una ciencia.
GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #1 (OF 5)
Comentario: Bienvenidos a New York años después de que la plaga de los muertos vivientes ha empezado. Pero aunque Manhattan ha sido puesta en cuarentena, eso no significa que la gente se haya salvado.
 |
| my drawing / mi dibujo |
KICK-ASS 3 #6 (OF 8) (MR)
Comentario: ¡El origen secreto de HIT-GIRL! Entrenamiento, sangre y por supuesto un montón de abrazos y buenos deseos de parte de BIG DADDY. ¿Qué exactamente hace una niña para ganarse el título de asesina?
MIRACLEMAN #2
Moran siempre supo que estaba destinado a algo más… ahora, una extraña serie de eventos lo llevan a reclamar su destino.
NEW WARRIORS #1
Comentario: Los aventureros SPEEDBALL y JUSTICE reúnen a un grupo de jóvenes héroes, incluyendo a NOVA, SUN GIRL y HUMMINGBIRD (y un par de caras nuevas) para detener la más reciente amenaza… el Alto Evolucionario ha formado un ejército para combatir la evolución de la humanidad.
SIDEKICK #5 CVR A MANDRAKE & HIFI (MR)
Comentario: Durante semanas, una villana se ha estado alimentando del cuerpo y la energía de Barry Chase (FLYBOY) y borrando sus recuerdos. Ahora está lista para devolverle su memoria y revelar por qué lo ha estado acosando. Pero la mayor revelación será descubrir que RED COWL sigue vivo.
THOR GOD OF THUNDER #18
Comentario: Un relato de un joven Thor, en la era de los vikingos.
UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #1
Comentario: Tom Taylor está perdido en el principio de la creación. Perdido en las escenas no escritas de todas las historias del mundo, hasta que se dirige a la realidad. Y ni todas las bestias ni monstruos imaginados lo podrán detener.
UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #2 (MR)
Comentario: En las ruinas de un mundo post-literario, ellos darán inicio a la búsqueda de Tom Taylor. Pero para encontrarlo tendrán que aventurarse en el lugar más peligroso de la Tierra: Londres.
It has become a bit of a tradition to ‘recap’ the films I’ve seen each year. So, in 2008 I had the opportunity to see (or see again): Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), I would have never imagined that it was possible to make a musical based on Jack the Ripper, but Tim Burton not only did it but he also knocked it out of the park. 30 Days of Night (2007), based on the comic book by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, was simply the best vampire movie I’ve seen in a long time; vampires have become so irrelevant in other productions but here they are, once again, the harbingers of horror that invade a town in Alaska in which there is no sunlight for a month.
I have an especial fondness for horror movies. Or stories with suspense and / or extraordinary events. I went to see The Happening (2008) afraid that it could be disappointing. People have criticized the final explanation behind the big threat, but it still has a scientific base just as good as any other explanation in sci-fi movies. Some scientists even defend the concept of Gaea, as a living planet; and there are writers that have built upon this theory. The original title was going to be either The Green Planet or The Green Effect, but regardless of that there was an undeniable ecologic approach. Even if the explanations offered in the movie are unconvincing, there is always the line someone says at the beginning “it is an act of nature that we may never fully understand”. Not everything in life can be explained, and it is nice to see a movie that accepts that. About the acting, I don't have complaints. Like other Shyamalan's movies, everything in it has a reason to be there. And yes, I approve the ending.
I love horror films but if I had to choose one particular subgenre it would the one that started with George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968). Filmed in black and white, it tells the story of a group of survivors that take refuge in a country house and struggle desperately against hordes and hordes of living dead, just as scary as it was four decades ago, “Night of the Living Dead” remains a true classic. Romero has directed many zombie related films, but arguably the best one in the present decade would be Diary of the Dead (2007), a sharp analysis of our times: excess of information that ultimately confuses people, deceiving mass media, multiple interpretations of reality (is every opinion valid?, well, it would look like it on the Internet). With lots of suspense and gory deaths, it truly deserves all the praise it can get.
Of course, no listing would be complete without the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock: Psycho (1960) not only includes one of the most famous and memorable scenes in the history of cinema (the murder in the shower) but it also proves that a psychological thriller can be more terrifying than a traditional horror film. A true classic, Psycho makes it into my top 100 list, an honor that is only bestowed upon the best. Wind Chill (2007) is a remarkable horror film: two college students share the same car but they get trapped in a snowstorm, forced to remain in the car they soon start witnessing supernatural manifestations and once they realize their lives are at risk, they must decide how to survive; director Gregory Jacobs takes advantage of the settings and, with only two characters, captures completely the viewer’s attention.
When psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan wrote about being “between two deaths”, he probably never imagined that someone would make of the theory a most fascinating film: Den Osynlige (2002), directed by Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist, tells the story of a boy that is brutally attacked, as a consequence, he turns into a ghost that is not really a ghost, he is in-between worlds but he’s also summarizing the symbolic death and the real death. Fracture (2007) describes a perfect crime, but perhaps the greatest appeal here is Anthony Hopkin’s character, a wealthy sociopath, a genius, a man so full of hatred that simply mesmerizes the viewer.
No Country for Old Men (2007) comes from the minds of the Coen brothers, I haven’t read the novel that inspired the movie, but it seems to me like there were some plot holes and frankly I don’t know who to blame: the directors, the screenwriters or the novelist. Anyway, great acting and stunning visuals make this a worthy production. Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park (2007) shares some traits with Elephant, here the long sequences serve to get inside the mind of the protagonist, a boy that is very secluded into a world of his own, much like any teenager his age. A skating park becomes the scenario in which the protagonist tries to find his place in the world, but as he’s trying to define himself, he will face a life-changing moment when an older guy persuades him to accompany him. With a very subtle homoerotic subtext, Gus Van Sant once again proves that art and experimentation are filmic requirements.
Woody Allen is one of my most respected and admired directors: Scoop (2006), is a bitter-sweet film in which an afterlife manifestation accuses Lord Lyman of committing murder. As a consequence, Sid and Sondra (interpreted by Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson) will start investigating the noble man. There is also homicides in Cassandra’s Dream (2007), a film that shares some elements with “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and even “Match Point”. They say everyone (and everything) has a price and when two brothers (Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor) are offered a chance to receive an enormous amount of money, they think that’s the solution to all their problems… except that they must first kill a man.
Todd Field’s Little Children (2006) deals with that which is beneath the peaceful façade of American suburbs. Characters that are driven by their particular perversions must deal with life as it is. Highly recommendable. Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men (2006) gives us a future in which humans are no longer able to procreate, in world devoid of hope, life has lost all meaning; Cuarón manages to convey such desperation and raw emotion in this film that one feels immersed in the story since the first minute.
Cabeza de perro (2006) is the story of a boy that must come to terms with his neurological conditions, young actor Juan José Ballesta makes a most memorable performance, bringing tenderness and teenage awkwardness together. Dioses (2008) directed by Peruvian filmmaker Josué Méndez is a very interesting approach to social marginalization which finds in private beaches an ideal setting; especially enthralling is the incestuous relationship between Sergio Gjurinovic’s character and his sister. Paris Je t’aime (2006) is a compilation of short films directed by some of the best contemporary filmmakers: Isabel Coixet, Gus Van Sant, Walter Salles, Alexander Payne, Alfonso Cuarón, Wes Craven, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, etc.
Rian Johnson’s Brick (2005) gathers two very talented actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lukas Haas. A crime has been committed and a high-school student decides to investigate what happened, like cinema noir adapted to teenage dynamics, this film displays some of the most original ideas I’ve seen in a long time. It definitely deserves a spot on my top 100 films. Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (2007) is an extraordinary story that sums up ambition, the oil business and religious zealousness, not only Daniel Day Lewis gives a great performance but also Paul Dano (an actor who has worked in astonishing independent films such as Michael Cuesta’s L.I.E.). Art School Confidential (2006) deals with the value of art in today’s society, as it criticizes with humor what is deemed as art according to experts and galleries. David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises (2007) delves into the Russian mob and a particular crime. Raw violence and intense moments give special momentum to the film. Run Lola Run (1998), or Lola Rennt (original title), is a fast-paced adventure that presents several alternatives as the protagonist decides what course of action is the most appropriate.
The Night Listener (2006) focuses on a homosexual writer who becomes very interested in the manuscript of a teenage boy, they start talking on the phone frequently but as the man tries to get closer to the boy, his friends warn him to stay away. Running with Scissors (2006), based on the book by Augusten Burroughs, tells the life of a boy as he grows up, the rupture of his family after her mother declares she is a lesbian, and the peculiar machinations of a crazy shrink; heart-wrenching, powerful and controversial, Ryan Murphy’s film depicts the protagonist, a gay teenager, in a most unique and innovative manner. This film also makes it into my top 100. Sommersturm (2004), revolves around a gay teenager and his best friend, a heterosexual boy; when they travel to participate in a sports competition, their relationship starts to fall apart; and things get even worse when they find out one of the teams they’re competing against is formed entirely by gay boys.
I’ve been a fan of Christopher Nolan since Memento, and The Dark Knight (2008) was probably the best comic book related film I’ve seen. I don’t think it’s easy to translate well established characters such as Batman onto the big screen, but Nolan creates the definitive Dark Knight film. Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy 2: the Golden Army (2008) is much better than the first one, is so full of fantasy and epic moments that viewers will be in awe once they see it. Sky High (2005) is actually an “all-ages” movie, hardly the kind of production I pay attention to, but since young actor Michael Angarano has starred in impressive independent productions (Dear Wendy, Snow Angels, Bondage, etc.) I decided to give it a go, and I really enjoyed it, it’s fun and charming. Iron Man (2008) was quite a surprise, faithful to the character’s personality, the movie takes a Marvel hero into new heights (and Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect Tony Stark). The Incredible Hulk (2008) was a good sequel (my favorite scene is the one that has Stan Lee reaching for a bottle in the fridge, pure gold).
Other good films: “Joyeux Noel” and “Flags of our Fathers”, two different but valid ways to understand war. “Idiocracy” a delightful comedy about idiots outnumbering smart people. “Hollywoodland”, “Dreamland” and “Kidulthood”, intense dramas. “The Matthew Shepard Story” (based on real life events); “The Wind that Shakes the Barley” takes a chapter of the revolution in Ireland. “The illusionist” magic and illusionism mixed together.
And more horror (and suspense) movies: The grudge 2, Wrong turn 2: dead end, Hostel 2, Vacancy, El orfanato, Believers, Deathwatch, Saw, Texas chainsaw massacre, The Texas chainsaw massacre: the beginning, Friday the 13th 7: the new blood, Slither, Return to the house in haunted hill, The reaping, 1408, Anatomie, Saw III, Going to pieces: the rise and fall of the slasher film.
Other movies: All the king’s men, Half light, November, Stories of lost souls, Aeon flux, The watcher, The slingshot, Dahmer, The number 23, Jumper, Eragon, Havoc 2: normal adolescent behavior, Steel city, American dreamz, Copying Beethoven, Breaking and entering, 10th and wolf, The dog problem, Edmond, Street kings, A scanner darkly, Stay alive, Dead calm, Eating out, Little fish, Barely legal, Woody Allen: a life in film, The house sitter, We own the night, The black dahlia, Delirious, Rendition road, Body of lies, Superbad, The day the Earth stood still, Elementarteilchen, La bande du drugstore, Sonnen alleen, Den brysommen mannen, A cause de un garcon, Lake Tahoe, Perro come perro, Saint Gaine. And the ones I found disappointing: La zona, Quantum of solace, X- Files 2: I want to believe.
_____________________________________________________________________
Ya es una tradición comentar las películas que he visto cada año. Ahora me concentraré en todo lo que vi (o volví a ver) en el 2008: Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), nunca hubiera imaginado que se podía hacer un musical sobre Jack el Destripador, pero Tim Burton lo hizo realmente bien. 30 Days of Night (2007), basado en el cómic de Steve Niles y Ben Templesmith, fue simplemente la mejor película sobre vampiros que he visto en mucho tiempo, una vez más, estos seres vuelven a ser los emisarios del horror al invadir un pueblo en Alaska en donde no hay luz solar durante un mes.
Lo sobrenatural, el suspenso y las películas de terror me apasionan. Cuando fui a ver The Happening (2008) no sabía qué esperar. El título original del film de Shyamalan iba a ser "El Planeta Verde" o "El Efecto Verde", demostrando una clara línea ecológica. Y aunque el desenlace de la película decepcione a muchos yo considero que es válido; tal como dice alguien en los primeros minutos "es un acto de la naturaleza que quizá nunca entendamos". Y es que no todo en la vida puede ser explicado. ¿Ya mencioné que soy un fan del terror?, bueno, si tuviese que elegir un subgénero en particular sería el que empezó con Night of the Living Dead (1968) de George A. Romero. Filmada en blanco y negro, narra las peripecias de un grupo de sobrevivientes que se refugian en una casa. Después de cuatro décadas, los muertos vivientes siguen más vigentes que nunca. Esto queda demostrado en Diary of the Dead (2007), un agudo análisis de nuestra época: exceso de información que en última instancia confunde a la gente, medios de comunicación deshonestos, múltiples interpretaciones de la realidad, etc. Si agregamos el suspenso y las muertes sangrientas, estamos frente a una película que no podemos dejar de lado.
Desde luego, ningún listado estaría completo sin el maestro del suspenso, Alfred Hitchcock: Psycho (1960) no sólo incluye una de las más famosas e inolvidables escenas de la historia del cine (el asesinato en la ducha) sino también demuestra que un thriller psicológico puede ser más aterrador que el terror tradicional. Un verdadero clásico que está en mi lista de las mejores 100 películas. Wind Chill (2007) es una impresionante película de terror: dos estudiantes universitarios comparten el mismo carro pero quedan atrapados en una tormenta de nieve, obligados a permanecer en el vehículo pronto empiezan a observar manifestaciones sobrenaturales... descubriendo así que sus vidas están en peligro. Gregory Jacobs, el director, aprovecha al máximo los espacios cubiertos de hielo, y con sólo dos personajes captura por completo la atención del espectador.
Cuando el psicoanalista Jacques Lacan escribió sobre el "entre dos muertes", probablemente nunca imaginó que alguien convertiría la teoría en una película: Den Osynlige (2002), dirigida por Joel Bergvall y Simon Sandquist, se centra en un chico brutalmente golpeado que yace entre el mundo de los vivos y los muertos, en consecuencia, deambula como un fantasma, pero no es un fantasma tradicional porque sigue estando atrapado entre la muerte real y la simbólica. Fracture (2007) describe el crimen perfecto, pero tal vez lo más atrayente sea el personaje interpretado por Anthony Hopkin, un adinerado sociópata, un genio, un sujeto tan lleno de odio que hipnotiza al espectador.
No Country for Old Men (2007), es de los hermanos Coen. No he leído la novela que es la base de la cinta, pero me parece que argumentalmente hay varios puntos flojos, no sé a quién culpar, a los directores, a los guionistas o al novelista. De todos modos, con un trabajo visual impecable y actuaciones de primera, vale la pena verla. Paranoid Park (2007) de Gus Van Sant comparte influencias con Elephant, aquí las secuencias largas sirven para entrar en la mente del protagonista, un muchacho aislado que vive en su propio mundo. La práctica del skate le sirve, como a cualquier adolescente, para definirse a sí mismo; no obstante, enfrentará un momento crucial en su vida cuando un hombre lo invita a pasar el rato con él. Con un muy sutil subtexto homoerótico, Gus Van Sant comprueba que el arte y la experimentación son requisitos indispensables.
Woody Allen es uno de los cineastas que más admiro y respeto. Scoop (2006) es una agridulce historia en la que una manifestación espectral acusa a Lord Lyman de varios asesinatos. En consecuencia, Sid y Sondra (interpretados por Woody Allen y Scarlett Johansson) empezarán a investigar al noble. También hay homicidios en Cassandra’s Dream (2007), producción que comparte elementos con “Crimes and Misdemeanors” e incluso “Match Point”. Se dice que todos tenemos un precio, y cuando dos hermanos (Colin Farrell y Ewan McGregor) tienen la oportunidad de recibir una enorme suma de dinero, creen que han encontrado la solución a sus problemas... aunque a cambio deban asesinar a un hombre.
Little Children (2006) de Todd Field explora aquello que subyace a la pacífica fachada del suburbio americano. Los personajes están impulsados por sus perversiones particulares. Children of Men (2006) de Alfonso Cuarón es la visión de un futuro en donde no hay nacimientos. Incapaces de procrear, la esperanza ha abandonado a la humanidad. Cuarón logra transmitir una desesperación y una emoción cruda que hacen que nos sumerjamos en la historia desde la primera escena.
Cabeza de perro (2006), es la historia de un chaval con una extraña condición neurológica, el joven actor Juan José Ballesta hace un trabajo formidable, mezclando ternura y torpeza adolescentes. Dioses (2008), del cineasta peruano Josué Méndez es un interesante enfoque sobre la marginalización, que tiene como escenario principal las playas privadas (playas como las de Asia, en donde estoy los fines de semana en verano); vale resaltar la relación incestuosa entre el personaje interpretado por Sergio Gjurinovic y su hermana. Paris Je t’aime (2006) es una selección de cortometrajes dirigidos por algunos de los mejores cineastas contemporáneos: Gus Van Sant, Isabel Coixet, Walter Salles, Alexander Payne, Alfonso Cuarón, Wes Craven, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, etc.
Brick (2005) de Rian Johnson reúne a dos talentosos actores: Joseph Gordon-Levitt y Lukas Haas. Un crimen ha sido cometido cerca de un colegio, y un estudiante de secundaria decide investigar lo ocurrido; el cine negro se adapta a las temáticas juveniles en este film que desarrolla algunas de las ideas más originales que he visto últimamente. Merece, sin duda, estar en mi lista de las 100 mejores películas. There Will Be Blood (2007) de Paul Thomas Anderson es una magistral historia que sintetiza la ambición, el negocio del petróleo y el fanatismo religioso; no sólo Daniel Day Lewis deslumbra con su actuación sino también Paul Dano (actor que ha incursionado en el cine independiente, por ejemplo en L.I.E. de Michael Cuesta). Art School Confidential (2006) critica con mucho humor el mundo del arte actual, ¿qué es arte?, ¿y por qué solamente los expertos y las galerías imparten las reglas? Eastern Promises (2007) de David Cronenberg recrea los actos de la mafia rusa; violencia cruda y momentos intensos refuerzan la película. Run Lola Run (1998) es una veloz aventura con múltiples desenlaces, cada decisión de la protagonista crea alternativas diferentes.
The Night Listener (2006) se enfoca en un escritor homosexual que al leer el manuscrito de un chico de 14 años empieza a comunicarse con él telefónicamente. Sin embargo, todos sus amigos le advierten del peligro que puede haber en una relación de esta naturaleza. Running with Scissors (2006), basada en el libro de Augusten Burroughs, repasa la vida de un chico, la ruptura del hogar cuando su madre se declara lesbiana y las maquinaciones de un psiquiatra lunático; el film de Ryan Murphy nos muestra al protagonista, un adolescente gay, de la forma más inolvidable y original. Va para el top 100. Sommersturm (2004) se centra en un adolescente gay y su mejor amigo, un chico heterosexual; cuando viajan para competir en un torneo de remo, su amistad se deteriora, y las cosas parecen empeorar cuando descubren que el equipo rival está conformado únicamente por jóvenes gay.
He sido fan de Christopher Nolan desde Memento, y considero que The Dark Knight (2008) es probablemente la mejor producción basada en un personaje establecido (como Batman). Hellboy 2: the Golden Army (2008) de Guillermo del Toro es mucho mejor que la primera, cargada de fantasía y momentos épicos Hellboy 2 lo tiene todo para impresionar al espectador. Sky High (2005) es en realidad una película para "todas las edades", es decir, no es algo a lo que usualmente prestaría atención, pero como el joven actor Michael Angarano había actuado en notables cintas independientes (Dear Wendy, Snow Angels, Bondage, etc.) decidí verla de todos modos, y realmente la disfruté, fue encantadora y divertida. Iron Man (2008) fue toda una sopresa, fiel a la personalidad de Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. elevó el nivel de las producciones de Marvel. The Incredible Hulk (2008) fue una buena secuela (mi escena favorita es la de Stan Lee, oro puro).
Otros films de interés: “Joyeux Noel” y “Flags of our Fathers”, dos diferentes pero válidos enfoques sobre la guerra. “Idiocracy” una deliciosa comedia sobre un mundo poblado por idiotas y en donde los inteligentes están casi en extinción. “Hollywoodland”, “Dreamland” y “Kidulthood”, dramas intensos. “The Matthew Shepard Story” (basada en hechos reales); “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”, un capítulo de la revolución en Irlanda. “The illusionist”, magia e ilusión.
Y, obviamente, más terror (y suspenso): The grudge 2, Wrong turn 2: dead end, Hostel 2, Vacancy, El orfanato, Believers, Deathwatch, Saw, Texas chainsaw massacre, The Texas chainsaw massacre: the beginning, Friday the 13th 7: the new blood, Slither, Return to the house in haunted hill, The reaping, 1408, Anatomie, Saw III, Going to pieces: the rise and fall of the slasher film.
Otras películas: All the king’s men, Half light, November, Stories of lost souls, Aeon flux, The watcher, The slingshot, Dahmer, The number 23, Jumper, Eragon, Havoc 2: normal adolescent behavior, Steel city, American dreamz, Copying Beethoven, Breaking and entering, 10th and wolf, The dog problem, Edmond, Street kings, A scanner darkly, Stay alive, Dead calm, Eating out, Little fish, Barely legal, Woody Allen: a life in film, The house sitter, We own the night, The black dahlia, Delirious, Rendition road, Body of lies, Superbad, The day the Earth stood still, Elementarteilchen, La bande du drugstore, Sonnen alleen, Den brysommen mannen, A cause de un garcon, Lake Tahoe, Perro come perro, Saint Gaine. Y las que me parecieron decepcionantes: La zona, Quantum of solace, X- Files 2: I want to believe.
