SWAMP THING via DC Digital TV from James Wan (5/31/19) 2 2

[Bosco685]

Now THAT looks like one heck of a serious Swamp Thing.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Bosco685

[Illustrious]

Looks pretty comic accurate, I can live with that.

[Bosco685]

They should release the trailer today.

 

[Bosco685]

 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Bosco685

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

 

[Sauce Dog]

While I do appreciate how it is made very clear the tone of the show will be horror, I didn't much care for that trailer (mainly the lighting and editing). Regardless, I remain excited (that is if DC Universe gets its act together and becomes available for anyone outside the states) 

[Bosco685]

Huh. I found it to be surprisely on-point to match the tone of the comic books. So very excited to see this show.

[Callaway29]

hated the trailer, but holding my judgement on the project until I see finished work...

[Bosco685]

[Bosco685]

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For the most part, the new show's Swamp Thing is all practical effects — in fact, Swamp Thing star Derek Mears calls it the "Cadillac of suits."

 

"It will have CG elements mixed into the show, but any time that we can we used practical effects,which also excited me about the show in general," Mears tells ComicBook.com. "They wanted to do old school practical and the suit that the Fractured Effects guys have created is just ... I've worn a lot of different makeups throughout my career, and this thing is just the Cadillac of suits. Like the way you can emote through it is so sensitive, and it's so beautiful. I'm very lucky because I get to wear art."

 

Mears went on to reveal that suit is quite massive, not only because the character calls for it, but because the actor isn't a small-statured actor by any means — he tells us he measures in around 6 feet 5 inches tall. From the shoulders up, everything you'll see is made up of nine separate pieces of applied prosthetics, allowing Mears for a full range of motion and movement; then the main piece of the suit covers both the legs and the majority of the torso on top of a pair of separate gloves.

 

"Being that I'm going to be in the water so much, it's really quick drying," Mears reveals. "There are vents in it. It has all the bells and whistles that you would want. I mean, it's still difficult to do because it is what it is, but it's the best that it could possibly be."

It sounds like they went all-out on this Swamp Thing costume to ensure expressions came through.

[▫️]

I just posted about comic movie fatigue setting in for me but I am so down for this. 

[Bosco685]

21 minutes ago, Oddball said:

I just posted about comic movie fatigue setting in for me but I am so down for this. 

What timing.

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Swamp Thing star Derek Mears explains what the fans can expect from the show. Mears tells ComicBook.com that you shouldn't expect to see a superhero show while tuning into Swamp Thing.

 

"The show in general, the one thing that I'm really happy about is the fact that not once have I heard the word superhero," Mears says. "I mean he is a superhero in a sense, but what they're looking for in the show is that dark horror edge, which made me very excited because that separates us from all the other superhero shows that are out there.

 

Mears says that Swamp Thing deals with the darker, more adult themes typically not found in superhero shows, tapping into personal humanity and the like.

 

"It's an origin story of acceptance and growth as the character Alec Holland is trying to figure out what he's become as this swamp creature," the actor continues. "And we all related to that with our own personal humanity. We have those days where we're like, 'What's the point? Who am I?'"

 

"And so, it delves into those more adult themes of what that is, and also, falling down the dark well of madness when we start getting existential and dealing with our own personal existential crises, as also we see them through the Alec Holland character."

 

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

WB has rolled out a Swamp Thing wall poster.

But in looking this over, am I see Alan Moore's Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #28 'THE BURIAL'?

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

First review.

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ComicBook.com has screened the first two episodes of the new series, which debuts next week on DC Universe, and so far, it is a bit slow, with some dull and obvious choices made by the filmmakers.

 

The actors all provide likable performances, even if they play to type so much that you can close your eyes and imagine Steven Weber in the role of Alec Holland. Crystal Reed is charming as Abby Arcane, the series’ true lead, and completely believable as a small-town girl who becomes an elite doctor, with a competent but folksy bedside manner and a genuine compassion for the people in her care. Her father, Swamp Thing arch-nemesis Anton Arcane, is teased but not seen in the pilot, setting up a likely big reveal later on.

 

The horror elements of the series take center stage — not really a surprise in a pilot from the director of Underworld and the producer of Saw and The Conjuring. Introduced with no explanation, those elements offer a tantalizing look ahead at Swamp Thing’s aesthetic — an important choice given the paucity of actual Swamp Thing in the Swamp Thing pilot. That said, the horror elements don’t play like The Conjuring or Saw; they feel more like a mystery with horror trappings, and that might make some fans feel like the episode plays even slower than it really does. It’s a deliberate choice, though: Alec Holland asks Abby Arcane during their first real conversation, “Do you like mysteries?”

 

By the second episode, the pace starts to pick up somewhat and the series starts to come into its own, but after two hours in the swamp, it has not yet shaken that feeling that everything here is something you've seen before: Wynonna Earp by way of Constantine with an Outbreak twist.

 

It isn’t that Swamp Thing is bad, but Swamp Thing is certainly nowhere near as ambitious as Titans or Doom Patrol. Is it unfair to judge it that way? It’s difficult to say, but it’s much safer to say that the audience will be doing the same.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5

This is based on just the first two episodes.

[Bosco685]

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Swamp Thing - “Pilot”
Starring: Andy Bean, Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, Derek Mears, Maria Sten, Will Patton, Henderson Wade and Jennifer Beals
Directed by Len Weisman
Written by Mark Verheiden and Gary Dauberman
Airing on DC Universe
Review by Justin Partridge

Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson’s muck-encrusted mockery of a man gets the gnarly TV horror treatment it deserves in the debut of DC Universe’s Swamp Thing. Premiering May 31 and backed by some serious horror heavy hitters like It: Chapter 1 writer Gary Dauberman and The Conjuring and Aquaman director James Wan, Swamp Thing gets back to the character’s roots as it were in hardcore horror.

 

While I am disappointed at how little we see the titular character overall, the pilot episode of Swamp Thing shows a lot of promise. Unmoored from the rest of the DC Universe’s superheroic output, Mark Verheiden, Gary Dauberman, and Len Weisman, along with a completely game cast and crew, deliver shocks and mucky fun as this pilot stands as a stark genre contrast to the rest of the streaming service’s fare. Gross (but in a very fun way), intriguing, and more than a little bloody, Swamp Thing looks to be a worthy tribute to one of DC’s most famous monsters.

‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10

 

[Bosco685]

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DC Universe’s third live-action series Swamp Thing debuts on Friday May 31, and fans who are eager to see a modern comic book television series embrace the horror genre full-stop are in luck. The pilot episode, directed by Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) and written by Mark Verheiden and Gary Dauberman, showcases a promising start for this brand new series that will certainly be a breath of fresh air for DC Comics fans.

 

Overall, the pilot for Swamp Thing succeeds in giving fans what they wanted: a comic book horror series filled with tremendous atmosphere, skillfully crafted sequences of swamp terror and solid performances from its ensemble. Sure, the chemistry and supposed blossoming romance between Dr. Arcane and Alec could’ve been improved for a better emotional connection, but the pilot remains a promising start for a new series and once again shows that DC Universe isn’t playing around with their original programming.

 

Final Score:  7.5/10

 

[Bosco685]

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To bring up Swamp Thing in conversation is sure to recall memories of the 1982 Wes Craven film,  the comedy tinted, pseudo-sequel  Return of  Swamp Thing, or the short-lived (yet episode packed) series that ran on the USA Network from 1990-1993. Many folks cite these works as their definitive recall of the character, while not all bad, can definitely be considered not fully loyal to the comic book canon. Originally created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson back in 1971, Swamp Thing has had many notable, even classic tales told since then. Alan Moore’s legendary run from the mid 1980’s has become required reading among fans.

 

Also keep in mind, this is an origin story. For those who are eager to see the big green guy onscreen, temper those expectations. You will get your wish in dramatic fashion. So in the meantime, enjoy the other bumps in the night provided over the course of the Swamp Thing pilot.

 

As I noted during my introduction, this is a modern reinterpretation of Swamp Thing geared to attract a new audience. As a fan myself, reading anything Swamp Thing related to cross my path over the last 30 years, it’s hard to dismiss the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”; Yet if you measure the show on its own merits there’s a lot to like. I’m very excited to see how the newest chapter in the Swamp Thing mythos unfolds. DC Universe has a potential winner here.

 

7.0/10.0 overall.