The Spirit Teaser Debuts Online

[Sazime]

From MTv, the folks that bring you everything other than music videos, has also brought you this: a teaser (http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1585694&vid=225572) from Frank Miller's "The Spirit", which I will now call "Sin City 2".

http://johnnygigawatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/spirit.jpg


It recently debuted at NYCC and there's plenty of other interview goodness to behold as well.

[Sandman]

If you told me I was looking at a trailer for Sin City 2 I'd believe you.

[OSX]

If you told me I was looking at a trailer for Sin City 2 I'd believe you.

Which is more appropriate than people are saying as he kinda wrote and drew Sin City, and it was aped exactly for the movie.

The two complaints I hear is that it looks so similar to Sin City and that it does not follow the Eisner esthetic. But the thing is, Frank Miller never follows the original esthetic, instead he makes it Millerized, which happens to look like Sin City, which to me makes it a moot point.

But then I'm easy to please....

[Tyler Durden84]

I don't know if it is good or bad to look that much like Sin City.

[Tel Prydain]

It 'looks' like Sin City, but it doesn't feel like Sin City.
I'd rather see Sin City 2.

[Deepsleeper]

I'd rather see an actual Spirit movie.

[SuicideKing]

I'd rather Sin City 2 to be honest, but I'll take The Spirit.

[Everlost_MI]

I know nothing about The Spirit but yeah...if Miller is going to do it in Sin City style then just make Sin City 2. Please.

[Sazime]

I know nothing about The Spirit but yeah...if Miller is going to do it in Sin City style then just make Sin City 2. Please.
Rodriguez is working on Sin City 2 already, don't worry. :)

[cppcrusader]

Wow. I don't think they could have screwed the pooch any worse on this movie.

[GrinR]

Looks terrible. Wire work, CGI, Untouchables soundtrack, blah.

[Ravenlock]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I thought the visual style was practically the sole redeeming quality about the film version of Sin City. Frank Miller's original dialogue was very often simply awful on screen to the point of feeling like parody rather than genre work (while it read much better in the panels of the graphic novels), and some of the direct panel recreations from book-to-film, like a sword slashing directly at the camera, looked cheesy and totally out of place with the rest of the movie. I should say they did a fantastic job casting Sin City - almost all the actors were spot-on for their characters - but as a movie it just didn't work for me.

I'm not familiar with Eisner's Spirit so I have no idea how this trailer does for capturing the right feel, but in my opinion getting another movie that combines Frank Miller's visual style with somebody else's source material might make for a much better film than Sin City was. Sin City's a great piece of work, but I think it played much better on the page than on the screen.

[Khash]

That looks so bad I'm having trouble believing it's real.

[KamaItachi]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I thought the visual style was practically the sole redeeming quality about the film version of Sin City. Frank Miller's original dialogue was very often simply awful on screen to the point of feeling like parody rather than genre work (while it read much better in the panels of the graphic novels), and some of the direct panel recreations from book-to-film, like a sword slashing directly at the camera, looked cheesy and totally out of place with the rest of the movie. I should say they did a fantastic job casting Sin City - almost all the actors were spot-on for their characters - but as a movie it just didn't work for me.

I'm with you on the dialogs, at first I thought they were going for a very stylized, OTT noir feel, but they weren't. They were playing it straight, and Michael Madsen can't act for shit.

[JimmyDanger]

Love The Spirit.

I also love Frank Miller and have been following his work since I picked up Daredevil as a kid.

Own vol .1 & 12 - 24 of the Eisner Spirit Library.

Loved the Darwyn Cooke (and now Mark Evanier) Spirit.

Loved the Kitchen Sink New Adventures series.

- I am very open to many interpretations of The Spirit.

Except for this one.

It looks like The Shadow, or The Spider - not The Spirit.

I'm sure it'll be good for what it is (Miller - ised Spirit) .

But Frank - this is one of the few genre expanding, genuine sequential icons - a book that not only pushed the envelope in storytelling techniques, but encompassed a wide range of "themes".

I hope Eisner's estate is getting paid well for this.

(btw - I saw the above "teaser" image about 6 months ago)

[Khash]

(btw - I saw the above "teaser" image about 6 months ago)
The teaser is a trailer, not the image. Helps to read the actual post.

[JimmyDanger]

The teaser is a trailer, not the image. Helps to read the actual post.

I gathered that champ!

Thanks for the condescension!

[Quinefer]

This could seems more in tone with The Question than The Spirit.

[Sazime]

I hope Eisner's estate is getting paid well for this.
I've never understood why someone's kids should be able to continue to exploit a work after the artist's death. If you're gonna put money into making someone new with the property, sure, make money from it. But to me, copyright dies with the owner.
This could seems more in tone with The Question than The Spirit.
You know, I think I agree with ya on that one.

[Wilkz07]

any other trailer links? that one says its 'restricted to viewing outside the US'

[roboninja]

any other trailer links? that one says its 'restricted to viewing outside the US'

I echo this. Anyone?

[johnymitsu]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/205514.html?playlist=featured
Above link should be viewable by all.

[roboninja]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/205514.html?playlist=featured
Above link should be viewable by all.

Thanks to you, sir.

I thought it looked interesting, but you obviously do not get much to go on with a teaser. Color me intrigued.

[Khash]

I gathered that champ!

Thanks for the condescension!
I honestly didn't mean to sound condescending. I was just pointing it out. My apologies.

[Maskatron]

So yeah, its a teaser. Not really much to pick apart here except the art direction, which is a real head scratcher. Frank Miller has a large and varied body of work, but he chose to mimic the look of Sin City (because he thinks film audiences will relate to that more?). It's weird and puzzling, and I'm saying that as a long time Frank Miller fan.

[Sazime]

So yeah, its a teaser. Not really much to pick apart here except the art direction, which is a real head scratcher. Frank Miller has a large and varied body of work, but he chose to mimic the look of Sin City (because he thinks film audiences will relate to that more?). It's weird and puzzling, and I'm saying that as a long time Frank Miller fan.
But, his body of work is comic books. This is the first film he's directed. It'll be interested to see how that affects his style.

[cppcrusader]

But, his body of work is comic books. This is the first film he's directed. It'll be interested to see how that affects his style.

His first film he's directed solo that is. He and Rodriguez were co-directors on Sin City.

[Sazime]

His first film he's directed solo that is. He and Rodriguez were co-directors on Sin City.
Rodriguez gave him a co-directing credit because of the paneling in the book. Miller was on set, but he never directed a shot. Now, I agree with Rodriguez that he should get a directing credit because of the impact his art had on filming, but the Academy refused to allow it to get nominated for any awards because of that co-directing credit, which Miller did no new work to earn.

[JimmyDanger]

I honestly didn't mean to sound condescending. I was just pointing it out. My apologies.

You're cool bruz.

Personally I hate those people who jump into a thread without reading the OP - and felt terrible someone would think I would be capable of such a thing.

That said - I couldn't watch the trailer - and thought I'd vent some of the bewilderment and frustration that the direction this movie is taking, that is building up inside of me.

[agentgray]

I've read almost all of Eisner's Spirit work and I love Darwyn Cooke's take (he stays close to the spirit—heh—of The Spirit).

This is not The Spirit. This is Frank Miller disrespecting Eisner.

UPDATE: anyone else hear the Untouchables theme ever think of Frank Nitti? I didn't get any Esiner vibe from that trailer at all. Well, one less movie for my radar.