Passengers (2016): Come for Pratt and Lawrence, stay for the stalking & murder

When misery stalks company... in space!

She's dead Jim.

"Passengers" (2016) is the most adorable movie about a man stalking, and then murdering, his victim that I've ever seen. 

Chris Pratt (Starlord man!) and Jennifer Lawrence ("I volunteer as tribute!) shared some certainly electric chemistry!

But yeah, he totally murdered her... dead. It just took a while.

I'm sure you're confused. 

I felt a wee bit deceived myself there for a bit. I mean, the trailer made things seem a lot more action-y and sci-fi-y. It turned out to be more "Fatal Attraction and less "Lost in Space" with some romance.

Still though, the premise (as simple as it was) is a real hook. Also, utterly chilling. 

If you were trapped on a deserted island, but you had the power to bring one person... would you?

Yeah, that's the entire premise. 

Pratt is back in space, sans two green murder-bot aliens, a talking tree (also alien) and a enhanced, also talking raccoon. 

Nope, not in the movie

This time he's Jim Preston, one of 5,000 other passengers/colonists travelling on the Starship Avalon through space to a new planet 120 years away from Earth. Sounds dandy until Preston's cryo-pod malfunctions and he wakes up 90 or so years too soon, all alone.

Preston does his best Tom Hanks in "Castaway" impersonation for a year or so, with Arthur (Michael Sheen) doing a solid Wilson. Only serving whiskey and "sage" barman advice.

He's like a whiskey-serving Wilson.

Without going any deeper into Spoiler Territory, the film does have stalking and murder as pretty core elements, set against the sci-fi, future-ship-in-space backdrop. One could argue that there are extenuating circumstances, but still... "stalking" and "M-U-R-D-E-R".


All things considered though, I did enjoy "Passengers". Pratt and Lawrence (Aurora Lane) are beautiful on screen together, no surprise there. 

This film did what I think science fiction does at its best: I made me think. Perhaps when you go to see it, it will give you something to think about too.

When you watch it (and I certainly encourage you to do so) ask yourself, what would you do if your were Jim Preston or Aurora Lane?

Feel free to post your answer in the comments

So... about my second graphic novel, "Bridgeland:Vol.2"

You know that weird feeling? Sure there are tons of feelings, and so many of them can be weird. Specifically, I'm talking about that weird feeling that comes after spending an intense period of activity. You've spend so much time and so intensely doing this thing but now you're looking about for what's next... thing is, you're finished! Job's done and with nothing left to do you're feeling slightly discombobulated. 




What? You have absolutely NO idea what I'm going on about? OK, fine... forget I said anything!

Bridgeland: Vol.2 written by Marc Gibson with art by Kevon Hall

The big news is that my second graphic novel, "Bridgeland: Volume Two" has been officially accepted for distribution worldwide! 







YUP! Awesome! 

Worldwide you say? 

Sire Veloci of Raptor

Indeed my good sir, indeed.

















Bridgeland: Volume Two is the follow-up to 2014's Bridgeland: Volume One, and is the conclusion to the whole saga.

Eric Jerome Dickey enjoyed it, says so on the cover!

What is Bridgeland about you ask?

It's set in Barbados (home of Rihanna AND a bunch of other 'famous' people too!) and it's a fictional exploration of how far would people be willing to go for those they consider family. The entire story starts with two poor, teen brothers breaking into a rich family's home and quickly going wrong in the most tragic of ways.

Bridgeland tagline: How far would you go for family?

If you haven't read Bridgeland: Volume One, I'm sorry but I can't get into details because, well... spoilers.

If you have read the first graphic novel, well Bridgeland: Volume Two picks up right where the first book ended. When you read it, tell me if the ending blows your mind... even a little!

Both volumes of Bridgeland will be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia in 2 to 6 weeks at all the major book retailers; Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Book Depository, Chattel House Books. So feel free to pre-order it right now from your retailer of choice.

If physical, paperback books aren't your fancy, both volumes of Bridgeland will also be available in EPUB format too, for the digital readers. I also submitted Bridgeland: Volume One to Comixology. Once that's accepted, I can follow with Vol.2.

The digital editions of Bridgeland will be device agnostic.

The entire journey of publishing two graphic novels has been an eye-opening, learning experience. Vol.2 in itself has been novel. I've had the pleasure of working with a phenomenal person and artist Kevon 'VonArts' Hall.

Bridgeland: Vol.2 illustrator Kevon Hall is something of a Rihanna fan.

He's been totally invested from when he came on board a little over a year ago, and his diligence and dedication ran from start to finish. I can't sing his praises enough. You should check out his work on FB and Instagram. I look forward to working with him again.

What's next for me? Well, I've got a novel in a different genre, as well as what could be my next graphic novel (also a genre change) outlined. I'm aiming to publish 1 novel and two graphic novels in 2017. Let's see how that works out.

For now, check out a few pages from Bridgeland: Volume Two below.

From the 2016 graphic novel, Bridgeland: Vol. 2

From the 2016 graphic novel, Bridgeland: Vol. 2

From the 2016 graphic novel, Bridgeland: Vol. 2

From the 2016 graphic novel, Bridgeland: Vol. 2

From the 2016 graphic novel, Bridgeland: Vol. 2

You can continue to read this blog. I'm also on FB and Twitter (@MarcGWrites)... more or less.

The Magnificent Seven (2016): What I liked

Denzel continues to Equalize & Chris Pratt talks... A LOT!

The Magnificent Seven (2016) is "The Guardians of the Galaxy" as a western. It's an easy comparison since both movies are about an ragtag band of "heroes" working together to stop the villain. And they both prominently feature Chris Pratt. At least this time Pratt isn't challenging the bad guy to a dance-off with the fate of everything in the balance. Thank goodness!

I enjoyed this movie a whole lot and was completely engaged throughout. What I REALLY liked about this film were the characters. Those Seven Samurai, erm, gunslingers defined the flick.

My hat’s off to Vincent D’Onofrio. I know what you’re thinking, “What about Denzel? What about Chris Pratt?”

Seriously, stahp it!

Exactly, what about them? Stop sharpening your pitchfork a minute.

Drink anyone?

Chris Pratt is the new hotness. Guardian of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, the guy’s blazing. But I’d argue that Pratt’s Josh Faraday in this film can only be distinguished from Peter Quill by the staggering amount of alcohol guzzled by Faraday. Also, the face mask. There is that.

He’s the same roguishly, yet oddly principled, light-fingered, fast-talker.

I'm looking at you Training Day.

Denzel is, well... Denzel. He's made a such a successful career from playing the good guy, it's hard to image him as anything else. Ironic that Washington won his Oscar for playing an unrepentant crooked cop in his first collaboration with Antoine Fuqua.

In The Magnificent Seven he's again the good guy (Sam Chisolm) who isn't afraid to talk first, but is capable of dispensing head-spinningly rapid violence that earns him at least a grudging respect (and no little fear) that his race wouldn't in a Western setting. Denzel's character might be on the side of the angels but he's driven, tormented even, by darker impulses. By the end of the movie his decision to undertake a quest from a widow who says, "I seek righteousness. But I'll take revenge." makes a lot more sense.

Denzel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) Third Chris were given the roles you’d expect. And they portrayed them just as well as expected.

A blind man beats you and you really let yourself go.

But D’Onofrio took his grizzled, loner, Indian-scalping mountain-man character (Jack Horne) some place different. Some place that, for me, allowed his performance to genuinely standout in a remake fronted by Washington and Pratt.

D’Onofrio brings the unexpected with the subtlety and nuance that continues to surprise and delight me.

The only one in her town with the balls.

In this male-dominated action/Western, it might be easy to overlook the female lead, Emma Cullen, as portrayed by Hayley Bennett. Bennett’s character is interesting because she is unforgettably feminine without being a useless damsel-in-distress. She’s like a lotus flower sculpted of sterner materials. Capable, without being a Mary Sue.

All in all, The Magnificent Seven (2016) is an entertaining spot of recycling that adds a dab of modern gloss to some of the better Western tropes, and largely succeeds on the backs of its eclectic band of characters, while honoring the spirit of Akira Kurosawa’s original. The Magnificent Seven (2016) is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Shooter, The Equalizer, Olympus has Fallen) and stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'onofrio, and Hayley Bennett.