James Gunn and Peter Safran Are the New Co-CEOs of DC Studios
- Thread starter Usagi Pilgrim
- Start date
Yep. As long as he is a talented artist, it's all good.
One of the most celebrated directors ever has been a fugitive for decades for raping a 14 year old girl, which he admits to, yet fled and has received millions, and standing ovations Oscar awards since. He apparently makes good movies though so it's okay.
In my experience dealing with these abusers, the only people who think jokes about abusing children are funny are abusers.
Enjoy his work.
When I found out Stephen Collins had sexually abused children I threw away my copies of Tales of the Gold Monkey and Star Trek The Motion Picture. I just can not watch someone I know has abused children.
Okay, I said my peace. Been holding it in for a while, ever since they re-hired Gunn.
Okay, I said my peace. Been holding it in for a while, ever since they re-hired Gunn.
If you are okay with it, and believe that, it is your choice. Enjoy his work.
Absolutely poor taste. And it's no surprise if you knew about his roots in Troma. Gunn is a self-aware juvenile delinquent in a man's body and his jokes reflected that. When he was still a guy who had nothing to lose and didn't give a damn about being politically correct he said a lot of things for "shock value." That was also the culture at Troma, and he was "one of the guys." Still, that doesn't make it right.
I was surprised when Marvel had the balls to hire this guy in the first place for GotG. Gunn even turned down the job flatly because he didn't think he was a good fit for family-friendly mainstream material. Why he changed his mind is a whole different story. And, for what it is worth, in interviews he said the experience of making GotG really made him discover ways of expressing himself in a personal way without the trappings of transcendently offensive material. This was even before he got cancelled by Disney. He said that he is not the same person and he expressed gratitude for the experience because it matured him as a person. Given what I've known about him, I believe him.
Still, I wouldn't blame you if you felt otherwise. For many people jokes like that are so far gone they will never look past it. I can understand that. If that is where you're at there's nothing I say that would (or probably should) have you feel otherwise. What I do know is that, when I was in college, I made jokes that were at least as offensive with my friends so I feel like I do relate to Gunn's protracted juvenile behavior, and so I'm probably a lot more forgiving.
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Relatable - I got into the animation industries in the 90's during the "Spike and Mikes sick and twisted Festival" era - all people did was try and make or say the most offensive stuff to get their shorts seen or made...
I didn't fall into it so much as I was 19 and very aware my parents would watch anything I made... but the pressure was on to shock.
It was in that same era everyone was trying to out violence in the cinema (Tarantino knock offs) and out gross (The Cell... or any number of torture porn movies) - so I focused more on the cartoony over the top violence... which was great for me at the time cuz I had a lot of anger issues.
Now myself and my colleagues are in our 40's, that past juvenile work is embarrassing... and really most of it isn't funny/wasn't funny. But I would never hold them to what they did in that era... I mean we're talking about 20 years olds who just drank and smoked all days who are now fully formed adults with families.
I dunno where this weird thing came from these days that your persona today is entirely judged on who you were in your youth.
Especially people who have been held accountable, apologized and worked to change.
I'm certainly glad I wasn't... not so much for jokes and content, but for being an introverted, miserable, negative person who had a terrible work ethic. Cuz I shed that like 10 years ago, and I've worked with amazing people to get a lot of projects developed that tackle the very things that made me that person.
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I used to go to those festivals. There were classics I will never forget - from the relatively tasteful, "The Big Snit" to stuff like, "Lupo the Butcher". Bill Plympton became popular for things like, "Your Face" and "25 Ways to Quit Smoking" but he also did some pretty dark stuff like, "I Married a Strange Person."
Lupo the Butcher was my jam... and since the guy who made it, Dany Antonucci, owned a studio (AKA - I think), everyone was trying to be as over the top as possible in hopes of a hire.
But after the class before mine had their grad screening and all the parents/friends were disgusted by the films, the head of the Vancouver Film School animation dept came into our class and told us "For YOUR final films, we will not accept snot, blood, feces, swearing, or genitals!! It's not going to get you work!!!"
"Didn't Kev Smith go here and is now famous with an extreme cussing movie where a girl has sex with a corpse?"
"JUST DON'T!"
I did a flick about a dog throwing a cat in a toilet.
robstyle
Master Member
Yeah, jokes.
Either way DC is under leadership now by people that understand the audience, know the content and hopefully won't be bogged down by modern day pop culture. Make movies for those that are invested.
Wonder how far off that Tim Burton Keaton Batman 3 rumor is right now.
Either way DC is under leadership now by people that understand the audience, know the content and hopefully won't be bogged down by modern day pop culture. Make movies for those that are invested.
Wonder how far off that Tim Burton Keaton Batman 3 rumor is right now.
Times have changed... Batman 89 got me hardcore into Batman for long enough to realize THAT aint Batman!
Still my fave thing to do is put on those flicks and listen to the Kevin Smith Marc Bernardin commentaries.
GOLD
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Paul Andrew
Master Member
Those guys GET Batman.
There was once a dream I had that was The Batman, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.
O'Neil/Adams is the touchstone, maybe even set in the seventies. No armor, because he doesn't need it.
And I said that all too loud... it's taken away by the wind again.
O'Neil/Adams is the touchstone, maybe even set in the seventies. No armor, because he doesn't need it.
And I said that all too loud... it's taken away by the wind again.
robstyle
Master Member
Before the Suicide Squad came to be Gunn had an idea that the original Batman was aged and battered having handed over the reigns to a younger more physically capable, brutal Batman. As things got out of hand with good and evil with no line or boundaries between both sides the powers that be call up an end all Suicide Squad. Keatons aged Batman would team up with the Joker leading a suicide squad to end it, all of it. No more super heros and no more villains. That would lead to a reboot revamp of DC with a clean slate.
That is i believe how Keatons name was initially was brought back into the fold. But I may be wrong.
That is i believe how Keatons name was initially was brought back into the fold. But I may be wrong.
JPH
Sr Member
Well, you are in luck!
For instance, in the new Black Adam, in a country whose name sounds like "Wakanda" without the "Wa" they have access to a rare element.
Nothing at all like anything Marvel!
And they have a wizard guy who can make energy shields and see into the future.
Another guy who shrinks and grows.
They even have a cool plane that looks like it takes off from a school for gifted kids!
I am soo happy they chose divergent pathways from Marvel.
cboath
Master Member
Solely for the sake of argument. I wasn't there I have no idea what happened, but from everything said above they were things he said and did not act on. So, the guy should never ever be able to work again because of it? That's the flip side here?
I have seen what's written above. And yeah, i can't conceive of a time where that's something that should be said in any circumstance, not even as a joke really. But it's also not something to permanently ostracize someone from everything for life either.
People have spent time in jail for far worse, gotten out, and been productive members of society. Some in the entertainment world. I don't see people refusing to watch stuff these people are in or make, etc.
I wonder about this specific deal for other reasons. I wonder if GotG is so good because it wasn't 100% him and there was a studio saying what you can/can't do and that Suicide Squad is more unfettered Gunn. If he's GotG good left to himself, then this good be really good. If SS is what he is on his own, this may not be so good. We shall see.
Ah yeah, I know. I was just going along with the joke
.I've always loved DC and it always frustrated me that they have these older characters like Doctor Fate, Spectre, The Atom, Adam Strange, that they didn't do as much with.
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