Comic book film adaptations have become the modern standard for fantasy escapism on the big screen and command devotion from millions. Like the westerns and musicals that once dominated, superhero movies represent a peak in genre popularity with lasting appeal. Having earned tens of billions of dollars, these adaptations are now studio tentpoles for a … Read more

Dobermann (1997) Director: Jan Kounen Screenwriters: Frederique Dumas, Eric Neve Starring: Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Tcheky Karyo, Antoine Basler The late 1980s and 1990s saw cinema push boundaries in both explicit content and stylistic violence, driven by home video, premium television, and a loosening of industry self-censorship. Directors like Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino and … Read more

Dobermann (1997) Director: Jan Kounen Screenwriters: Frederique Dumas, Eric Neve Starring: Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Tcheky Karyo, Antoine Basler The late 1980s and 1990s ushered in a new era of extremes in on-screen sex and violence, driven by home video, premium cable channels, and a loosening of industry self-censorship. Filmmakers such as Brian De Palma, … Read more

The Takedown (2022) Director: Louis Leterrier Screenwriters: Stéphanie Kazandijan Starring: Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte, Izïa Higelin, Dimitri Storoge, Stéphane Pezerat Buddy-cop films can be hugely entertaining when they strike the right balance between character chemistry, plot momentum, and tonal consistency. When they miss that balance, they quickly become forgettable. Louis Leterrier’s The Takedown, a follow-up … Read more

The Takedown (2022) Director: Louis Leterrier Screenwriters: Stéphanie Kazandijan Starring: Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte, Izïa Higelin, Dimitri Storoge, Stéphane Pezerat Buddy-cop films can be tremendously entertaining when they get the tone, chemistry, and pacing right. They can also feel sluggish or formulaic when they rely too heavily on familiar beats without fresh energy or sharp … Read more

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Director: Sam Raimi Screenwriter: Michael Waldron Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Stuhlbarg Sam Raimi once snuck a joke into his Spider-Man movie about the name “Doctor Strange.” Eighteen years later he finally made that joke real, bringing his … Read more

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Director: Sam Raimi Screenwriter: Michael Waldron Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Stuhlbarg A throwaway joke in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 once had J. Jonah Jameson quip that the name “Doctor Strange” was already taken. Eighteen years later, Raimi … Read more

There was a time when superhero films did not dominate Hollywood’s box office or cultural conversation. They were neither the most profitable genre nor the automatic go-to topic in interviews with major filmmakers. Hollywood has chased trends before — Westerns in the 1950s and disaster movies in the 1970s — and had occasional successes with … Read more

Once upon a time, superhero movies did not dominate the Hollywood blockbuster landscape. They weren’t the most popular or profitable film genre, nor were they the automatic conversation starter for every press junket. Hollywood had chased trends before — Westerns in the 1950s, disaster epics in the 1970s — and there had been earlier comic-book … Read more

This article was originally published to SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. Doctor Strange (2016) Director: Scott Derrickson Screenwriters: Jon Spaihts, C Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins Marvel’s challenge in launching new heroes is that many comic-book … Read more