Posts Tagged ‘Mark Marble’

In between review episodes, Mark and Chad use their time to discuss the recent news out of the 2014 San Diego Comic Convention! Arrow, The Flash, Batman Vs Superman, Ant-Man, Avengers 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Legos, Revival, Godzilla and a WHOLE lot more! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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If Hollywood wants a blueprint of how to reboot a franchise, they need look no further than Fox’s last two “Planet of the Apes” pictures.  Despite presenting a different way for the Apes to rise to dominance, the new series pays respect to the themes, legacy and heart of the original five films.

Much like its predecessor “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” Dawn is driven by the performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar.  Caesar is such a noble and honorable character that not only is it  almost impossible not to root for him, but you truly want to see more of his story.  As an Ape messiah who was raised by loving humans, he truly is a child of two worlds.

While natural expectations (and marketing) would lead you to believe this was simply going to be another case of the bad human/good ape morality play, the plot itself is a great deal more gray than black and white.  Director Matt Reeves powerfully delivers home the belief that there always is good and evil on both sides of every conflict.

Caesar’s human counterpart is Malcolm, played by Jason Clarke.  He becomes an ally and unexpected friend to the Ape leader, proving that there are still good people left despite the aftermath of devastating war and disease.  The closeness between the two echoes back to the loving and respectful relationship between Caesar and James Franco’s Will in “Rise,” especially in one touching scene towards the end.

While the ending points to a future that we knew was probably unavoidable, the final acceptance of this fact is still a bitter pill for Man, Ape (and movie-goers) to swallow.

With great writing, direction and acting, this classic sci-fi series has been reborn and the next chapter is definitely something I’m looking forward to.

Mark J. Marble

Rebirth was the opening bell, but Sinestro Corps War was the knockout event that spawned a frenzied focus onto Green Lantern. Listen in as Mark and Chad are joined by LanternCast co-founder Jim Ford and longtime listener Corwin Crowl to discuss this timelessly epic Green Lantern event! Sinestro, Anti-Monitor, Cyborg Superman, Superboy-Prime, Parallax and the revelation of the Emotional Spectrum! All of this and more awaits you in one of the LanternCast’s most requested episodes! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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Sinestro got his own series and surprise, surprise, it’s FANTASTIC. So what makes it so good? Listen in as the guys talk about the first three issues of the new series! All of this and the MOST LISTENER FEEDBACK EMAIL we’ve ever received! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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No Green Lantern talk this time around kiddos! But never fear, Mark and Chad are discussing something equally epic! GAME OF THRONES SEASON FOUR! What happened? What’d we think about what happened? What do we hope will happen? All caught up on the hit HBO series? Then listen in! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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Living abomination constructs, Black light lanterns, sudden familial closeness, Oblivion junior, non-coincidental New Gods references and much, MUCH more! All of this and LISTENER FEEDBACK! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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The expression “Seen one, Seen them all” could have practically been invented to describe Michael Bay’s “Transformers” franchise.  Each film gives you pretty much the same thing: state of the art special effects, explosions, poor screenwriting and mostly uninteresting human characters.

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” takes this formula to the extreme, including in running time as the movie clocks in at nearly 3 hours long.   While Mark Wahlberg is definitely an upgrade from Shia “My Career is Imploding” Labeouf, he isn’t entirely believable as a struggling inventor/ repairman who is barely keeping his head above water.  Still, he’s the only interesting human in the film (at least until Stanley Tucci begins to get more and more screen time).  Tucci is clearly above this material.  He steals the show in the second half of this overly long “epic.”

The plot this time around revolves around a government conspiracy to eliminate ALL Transformers (Autobots & Decepticons) while learning enough about their DNA and power source to create their own homegrown Transformers (which is where Tucci’s character comes into play).  Throw in an alien bounty hunter (Lockdown) for good measure, and you pretty much have it.

The much-hyped Dinobots only appear in the movie’s final hour and they don’t really get to do very much, though they are visually impressive.

How you feel about this film will greatly depend on how much you enjoyed the previous three.  While I’ve never loved any of them, I did think “Dark of the Moon” was the best of the original trilogy.  “Transformers: Age of Extinction” feels like a big step down in the wrong direction though.

Green Lantern and the Legion of Superheroes! That’s right, Chad and Mark talk about FUTURE SHOCK from the 1990’s Kyle Rayner run of GL! Ganthet and his affinity for dank alleys! Rayner’s and their affinity for inebriated homelessness and self inadequacy! Fantastic art and short, sweet, self contained story lines! All this and LISTENER FEEDBACK! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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Super Nintendo games, Sovereign Seven talk, classic comic advertisements, sales figures, famous illustration artists and…ummm…oh yeah, we talk PARALLAX VIEW! All of this and LISTENER FEEDBACK! Bonus Material provided by listener Daoud Faquiryan! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

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While not particularly new, I had never seen the Larfleeze Action League figure in person up until a few months ago when I stumbled upon several in the toy aisles of my local Big Lots.

The set features the grand master of greed himself, Larfleeze, clutching his all-precious orange power battery.   He is accompanied by his sometimes partner-in-crime, Glomulus.

The Action League was a very fun series of figures, with both good choices and good sculpts aplenty.  It is unfortunate that this line has come to an end, but it certainly went out on a high note with this two-pack.

I found the Larfleeze set (and the Hal figure w/cannon construct) selling for $5.00 at Big Lots.  I’m not sure if many of these figures remain in stock, but I definitely recommend picking it up if you’re lucky enough to find one.   The two-pack is also coming down in price on Ebay, where several auctions begin at $7.00 and there are some nice lots of assorted Action League figures also available that include Larfleeze.

Now, if I could only find the Atrocitus/John Stewart set that has thus so far slipped through my fingers!

– Mark J Marble