villain

Back From The Shadows: PSYCHO II As A Film Sequel

Let’s take a look at Psycho II as one of Hollywood’s most famous belated movie sequels.

HARLEY QUINN Season 1: An Endearing Character Study In A Crazy World
HARLEY QUINN Season 1: An Endearing Character Study In A Crazy World

Harley Quinn is both entertaining, insightful and inspiring, and opens doors to great possibilities for DC Comics animation.

BIRDS OF PREY: A Campy, Candy-Colored Frenzy
BIRDS OF PREY: A Campy, Candy-Colored Frenzy

Birds of Prey is a colorful ball of chaos. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? Far from it. But it’s an absolute blast, and that’s all it needs to be.

The Joker's Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now...)
The Joker’s Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now…)

The Clown Prince of Crime has become, thanks to audiences’ ever-evolving social conscience and critical eye, the newest champion of the 99%. We explore the Joker’s full role-reversal, as well as that of his arch nemesis.

The Joker's Smile, Part 2: A Century Of The Joker
The Joker’s Smile, Part 2: A Century Of The Joker

With the release of Todd Phillip’s newest film, the Joker has left behind his traditional role and evolved into a progressive symbol of protest. The various iterations of the Joker are explored as part of a changing social environment.

No Sympathy For The Shooter: Contrasting TARGETS (1968) & JOKER (2019) In An Era Of Mass Shootings
The Joker’s Smile, Part 1: The 20th Century’s Most Adaptable Character

In this three-part exploration of everyone’s favorite “agent of chaos,” we’ll explore how the Joker has become the newest champion of the 99%.

Reacting To Super-beings In BRIGHTBURN And MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
Reacting To Super-Beings In BRIGHTBURN & MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Cult-like reverence, government involvement, the possible destruction of humanity, and living in a constant state of panic are all what would happen if Superman showed up today.

Breaking Down JOKER's Influences
Breaking Down JOKER’s Influences

After the recent Joker trailer, we breakdown the many influences of the infamous character’s latest iteration.

Iconic Character Breakdown: The Joker
Iconic Character Breakdown: The Joker

The Joker is one of the most popular and most frequented DC villains to hit the screen – Kristy Strouse looks at his evolution over the years.

Venom: To The Garbage, With Love
VENOM: To The Garbage, With Love

Venom is a film with a myriad of problems, but they’re forgiven because of its affable undercutting of what you expect from superhero films.

The Quentin Tarantino Problem & ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
The Quentin Tarantino Problem & ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Quentin Tarantino has become synonymous with his ability to portray villains as cool, ostensibly relatable people that you want to cheer for; here’s why that is problematic.

BATMAN RETURNS: The Birth Of Villain Overload
BATMAN RETURNS: The Birth Of Villain Overload

Zac Hestand takes a look back at the comic movie classic Batman Returns and how its overload of villains spawned an industry standard.

Marvel's Big Bad: How Thanos Is A Dark Reflection Of Blockbuster Heroism
Marvel’s Big Bad: How Thanos Is A Dark Reflection Of Blockbuster Heroism

We examine the motives of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, and how they relate in a familiar way to the traditional superhero narrative.

The PADDINGTON Franchise Has A Villain Problem
The PADDINGTON Franchise Has A Villain Problem

While managing to meaningfully touch on universal themes of community, self-identity, believing in others and caring for those in need, the messages of the Paddington franchise would mean so much more if it would just let go of its villains.

Staff Inquiry: It's Good To Be Bad - Our Favorite Villains
Staff Inquiry: It’s Good To Be Bad – Our Favorite Villains

They are the scoundrels, the miscreants, the agents of chaos, and you can’t keep your eyes off them: these are our favorite villains!