Author Archive: Eric San Juan

Preacher is coming to AMC, and I’m ecstatic

September 10, 2015 0 Comments

Preacher, the darkly irreverent and hilariously blasphemous comic series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, is coming to AMC next year. I couldn’t be happier. AMC is on a ridiculous roll in recent years. They used to be focused on classic movies, then slowly started introducing original programming. In 2007, Mad Men debuted, and it marked the dawn of a new era. The channel would never be the same after that. (I wrote a book about Mad Men. You should check it out.) For me, the big breakout show was Breaking Bad, a show that grabbed me good and never let go. I’ve watched it four or five times over at this point. The Walking Dead didn’t start out so great, but even that has…
Read more

Comics & Graphic Novels, Geek Stuff, Television

, , , ,

X-Men: Days of Future Past is super great

June 6, 2015 0 Comments

This is. The last one, and my marathon is over. Happily, we’re ending with a good ‘en: X-Men: Days of Future Past What do you get when you mix a nonsensical script, high school level acting, dodgy made-for-TV special effects, and a ridiculously sluggish, sleep-inducing pace? Not Days of Future Past, which is neck and neck with X2 as the best of the seven-film X saga. I mean, what DOESN’T this thing get right? It opens with a bang, showcasing a grim dystopian future and wickedly creative use of mutie powers, plus gruesome mutie death. Logan is quickly sent back in time and the plot is instantly surging along. Unlike flicks like X-Men, Origins and The Wolverine, Days of Future Past knows where it’s going…
Read more

Films, Geek Stuff

, , , , , ,

The Wolverine: The one that doesn’t suck (as much)

June 5, 2015 0 Comments

Another day, another X-movie. By now you should know the drill, so let’s go: The Wolverine (unrated extended edition) Poor wittle Wulberine’s heart is broken because he stabbed his crush to death, then a Quirky Asian Girl shows up and brings him to Japan, where he fights ninjas and sleeps with gorgeous women. This second Wolverine movie is a huge upgrade from the first insomuch as it’s not a colossal pile of excrement. In fact, there is a lot to like here. Exploring the thread’s of Jean’s death was a good choice. Gettin into Logan’s adventures in Japan was a great choice. The tone is somber and moody and pretty much on point. Great acting by Jackman. Ninjas! Suppressing his powers was a total plot…
Read more

Films, Geek Stuff

, , , , , ,

X-Men: The Last Stand is way better than you think

June 4, 2015 2 Comments

I’m re-watching all the X movies in chronological order, but all you need to know is that I am going to talk about this movie: X-Men: The Last Stand Sometimes when you revisit a bunch of stuff you haven’t seen in a while in a “re-examination” kind of way, your eyes are opened to things you hadn’t seen before and your opinion changes. Other times, your existing views end up being reinforced with even greater strength. When it comes to X-Men: The Last Stand, it’s the latter — and that seems to put me in the minority The movie is often trashed, but I feel like it’s trashed for the wrong reasons. Ardent fans hate it because it didn’t do Dark Phoenix right, because of…
Read more

Films, Geek Stuff

, , , , , , ,

X2: X-Men United is as good as you remember

June 3, 2015 2 Comments

I probably made some post somewhere saying that I’m watching all the X-Men movies in chronological order and will comment and stuff and whatever and stuff. True story! Though don’t expect in-depth reviews or commentary, because that’s not what I’m doing here. Also, these assume you know the movies well, so I don’t bother with a summary or synopsis or whatever, and here is more: X2: X-Men United This is more like it! X2 is everything the first movie is not. It’s smarter, it’s more finely honed, it’s more exciting, it has more emotion, it has a better narrative, better use of powers, better setpieces, and so on. Maddeningly, X2’s strength is highly reliant on the first movie, so you kind of HAVE to take…
Read more

Films, Geek Stuff

, , , , , ,