Superman: Red Son (2020)

[thecolorsblend]

I never got around to watching this, and after reading your review I don't think I'll bother. Thanks for saving me some time and money.

It's a shame to see how consistently poor the DCAU offerings have been over the past eight years. The only animated DC film I've really liked during that period was The Brave & the Bold Scooby-Doo movie, which was great. The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen films were ok too, but all the others have disappointed.

What bugs me is how fiction is refusing to recognize different social norms of the past.

Lois is married to Lex in Red Son. But in the animated movie, she's referred to as Lois Lane Luthor, Mrs. Luthor, etc., and she always corrects whoever calls her that. But the story takes place in the Fifties and Sixties, when that was almost 100% the norm.

Same thing happened with Catwoman in Gotham By Gaslight. She was a sassy, modern third wave feminist (somehow) in the 19th century.

Apart from an overall lackluster product, the pandering is a serious turnoff. It's enough to make me think that the animated TDKR rly was lightning in a bottle.

[Silver Nemesis]

What bugs me is how fiction is refusing to recognize different social norms of the past.

Lois is married to Lex in Red Son. But in the animated movie, she's referred to as Lois Lane Luthor, Mrs. Luthor, etc., and she always corrects whoever calls her that. But the story takes place in the Fifties and Sixties, when that was almost 100% the norm.

Same thing happened with Catwoman in Gotham By Gaslight. She was a sassy, modern third wave feminist (somehow) in the 19th century.

This is a major problem for me with most modern historical novels, TV shows and films. British television has become particularly bad in this regard. It doesn't matter how authentic the sets and costumes are – if the characters are talking and acting like people from the 2020s, or expressing political and social attitudes that didn't exist at the time they're set, then it instantly shatters the illusion of historicity and reminds you that you're watching a product of the 21st century. This was one of the points I touched upon in my site review of the Gotham by Gaslight film back in 2018.

One of the broader issues I have with this film is its lack of authentic Victorian attitudes. The whole thing feels a tad too modern. The 1989 book attempted to capture the historical mentality by giving us a gentlemanly Bruce Wayne who was easily shocked by Jacob Packer's lascivious remarks concerning women, and whose only concession to public mischief was attending a boxing match in a waterfront warehouse. By contrast, the Bruce Wayne in this movie has no qualms about cavorting naked with Selina Kyle on the floor of a hansom cab in the presence of two police officers. This behaviour is something the Modern Age Bruce might indulge to preserve his secret identity, but it feels inappropriate for his more reserved Victorian counterpart.

https://www.batman-online.com/features/2018/2/9/review-batman-gotham-by-gaslight-2018

There's a whole generation of writers out there who never read historical literature and so have no idea how to capture the attitudes and voices of an earlier century, or even an earlier decade. In some cases they intentionally try not to for the sake of making historical characters more "relatable" to modern readers and audiences; an attitude that panders to the notion that modern readers and audiences are too ignorant to emotionally empathise with people who don't think, talk and behave exactly as they do. Then there's the problem of the radical political ideologies which now dominate the entertainment industry, and which transform almost every creative endeavour into an agenda-driven work of political activism. I've said before that I think Hollywood is in the worst creative state it's ever been, and I think that's also true of modern western television and commercial publishing.

This is why these days I mostly read old books and watch old films and TV shows.

Apart from an overall lackluster product, the pandering is a serious turnoff. It's enough to make me think that the animated TDKR rly was lightning in a bottle.

It's clear now that the TDKR films marked the end of an era for the DCAU original movies. Since then, the quality has plummeted (with one or two exceptions, such as The Brave & the Bold film).

[The Dark Knight]

There's a whole generation of writers out there who never read historical literature and so have no idea how to capture the attitudes and voices of an earlier century, or even an earlier decade. In some cases they intentionally try not to for the sake of making historical characters more "relatable" to modern readers and audiences; an attitude that panders to the notion that modern readers and audiences are too ignorant to emotionally empathise with people who don't think, talk and behave exactly as they do. Then there's the problem of the radical political ideologies which now dominate the entertainment industry, and which transform almost every creative endeavour into an agenda-driven work of political activism. I've said before that I think Hollywood is in the worst creative state it's ever been, and I think that's also true of modern western television and commercial publishing.

This is why these days I mostly read old books and watch old films and TV shows.

My thoughts exactly.

I like comics, but my real passion is the written word. I've read a ton of books the past couple of years and enjoyed them all. I research everything I read before making a purchase, ensuring the themes and protagonists are to my liking. As a rule, I generally stick to the 1880s. The 50s and 60s are the most modern I'll get, apart from the occasional American Psycho. The past is my sanctuary and I really love the idea these old works have effectively always been there, even when I've been oblivious to them. Patiently waiting in silence all these years, perfectly preserved. Well before The Titanic sank or any World War.

The mark of any good book or movie is if you feel like making one yourself. You have to feel that spark, and I don't think it's being felt as often now, as your posts above explain. Movies have always been part entertainment, part brainwashing. But now the brainwashing part is the dominant element. The book or movie has become incidental. The bar for something to be enjoyable has been set really low now: how much left wing politics will feature, because it will feature in some way, and if it's tolerable.

I talk about the potential trap of nostalgia for ongoing franchise media, and I wholeheartedly believe in that statement. But the works of yesteryear are a beautiful retreat, completely free of modern taint. Contemporary interference seeks to ban or alter what has been written, or at the very least provide critical analysis to the content in an attempt to be morally superior. But owning the original book and having it on my shelf bypasses such garbage. Looking at the situation that way, the complete work of a particular author from the 1880s is a perfect time bubble that cannot be tarnished. The Beatles discography is what it is. This material is an old friend that will never let you down. The same can't be said of other once loved properties that are resurrected to be ruined.

[Silver Nemesis]

My thoughts exactly.

I like comics, but my real passion is the written word. I've read a ton of books the past couple of years and enjoyed them all. I research everything I read before making a purchase, ensuring the themes and protagonists are to my liking. As a rule, I generally stick to the 1880s. The 50s and 60s are the most modern I'll get, apart from the occasional American Psycho. The past is my sanctuary and I really love the idea these old works have effectively always been there, even when I've been oblivious to them. Patiently waiting in silence all these years, perfectly preserved. Well before The Titanic sank or any World War.

The mark of any good book or movie is if you feel like making one yourself. You have to feel that spark, and I don't think it's being felt as often now, as your posts above explain. Movies have always been part entertainment, part brainwashing. But now the brainwashing part is the dominant element. The book or movie has become incidental. The bar for something to be enjoyable has been set really low now: how much left wing politics will feature, because it will feature in some way, and if it's tolerable.

I talk about the potential trap of nostalgia for ongoing franchise media, and I wholeheartedly believe in that statement. But the works of yesteryear are a beautiful retreat, completely free of modern taint. Contemporary interference seeks to ban or alter what has been written, or at the very least provide critical analysis to the content in an attempt to be morally superior. But owning the original book and having it on my shelf bypasses such garbage. Looking at the situation that way, the complete work of a particular author from the 1880s is a perfect time bubble that cannot be tarnished. The Beatles discography is what it is. This material is an old friend that will never let you down. The same can't be said of other once loved properties that are resurrected to be ruined.

Well said. I love comics, but even the best of them can't compare to a truly great novel. Literature allows an individual to express their unique worldview and share their innermost thoughts. It allows the author to leave a part of his or herself for future generations to engage with. Writing is personal in a way that most other narrative art forms aren't. To create a film, comic or TV show usually requires a group effort, with input from multiple parties. But writing a novel, short story or poem is a purely personal process that reflects the passion and creativity of a singular mind.

Admittedly a lot of modern commercial literature is trash, but thankfully there are countless older books out there just waiting to be discovered. I generally try to vary my reading habits so that I consume a balanced mixture of modern and classic literature, as well as translations of foreign language novels and the occasional nonfiction book. Literacy really is a wonderful gift.