04.22.08
New York Comic Con 2008 Wrap Up: The Spirit
Quite possibly the most self satisfide panel of the day was the one for Lionsgate films adaptation of the Will Eisner classic comic; The Spirit. Directed by frank miller starring Eva Mendez, Scarlette Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. Throwing away the original comics bright colored 1950’s asthetic Miller paints everything black making his film almost indistinguishable from Robert Rodriguezs’ adaptation of his very own comic Sin City. Miller seemed to just copy and paste that films ideas and threw it into his own as he takes his first stab at the directing chair. While I am not completely blown away by the teaser or the look of the film I am keeping an open mind. Which I admit is rather difficult when he sits at the panel and this little group of people pat themselves on the back for an hour. I’ve never seen anyone as satisfide with himself as Miller, who should probably take a more humbled approach seeing as this is his first film and its a craft that could take years to master. Yet he spoke of it as if everyone around him is telling him its the best film ever made.
Then we saw the teaser, and the Sin City rip off was 100% confirmed. It’s Sin City but now its called The Spirit. Someone needs to tell Frank that he should get his own ideas and that just because Rodriguez was kind enough to give him a directors credit doesn’t make him a director. Perhaps from this point on they should just shut up, release the film, let the audience decide if its any good. This panel was smug and self serving and just left me with a terrible taste for Miller and those involved with the picture.
