Tag Archives: movies

No-frills crime films

Posted on November 21, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

At the risk of making Gotham Calling look like a Letterboxd account, this week I’m turning back to movies, spotlighting half-a-dozen stripped down crime thrillers that, in the grand tradition of classics like The French Connection, make the most out … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged movies, noir | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (18 November 2024)

Posted on November 18, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

I’m a huge sucker for subgenres, niche branches of cultural production that are quite specific in their parameters but nevertheless spur a fair share of outputs, with variations that are mostly of interest to devoted experts/fans, usually capturing a momentary … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Adam Kubert, Anthony Tollin, Arthur Suydam, Bob Budiansky, Bob McLeod, Captain Britain, covers, Dick Giordano, Doom Patrol, Dracula, Erik Larsen, Fantastic Four, Gaspar Saladino, Ghost Rider, horror, Joe Sinnott, Legion of Super-Heroes, Metal Men, Mike Sekowsky, movies, Nikos Koutsis, Ron Frenz, Savage Dragon, Spectre, Steve Lightle, Stuart Immonen, Thor, Todd Doney, Tom Mandrake, Tom Taggart, Wolverine | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (28 October 2024)

Posted on October 28, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

First, some housekeeping: I’m still struggling to conciliate the blog with other commitments, but instead of going on yet another hiatus, I’m shifting into a biweekly rhythm, so the longer Thursday posts will now appear only every other week (the … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Artie Simek, Bill Everett, Christopher Rule, covers, D. Bruce Berry, Dick Ayers, Dr. Mabuse, George Klein, horror, Jack Kirby, Journey into Mystery, Kamandi, movies, politics, Stan Goldberg, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish | Leave a comment

Even more Batman movies without Batman – cult movies edition

Posted on October 24, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

I get a huge kick exploring various connections within pop culture, including the thematic and stylistic links between Batman comics and cinema. To be fair, many of the comics are quite open about their influences, to the point that one … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Cold War, espionage, horror, movies, noir | Leave a comment

80’s-style action comics

Posted on October 3, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Predator: Concrete Jungle #2 With its foul-mouthed, sweaty badass men (and women), anti-government attitude, and casualty-heavy set pieces, the 1980s’ wave of outrageous action movies had a specific vibe that has become affectionately known in some circles as ‘absurd macho … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Alien, Chris Chanelor, Chris Warner, Denis Beauvais, Diana Schutz, Evan Dorkin, John Arcudi, Mark A. Nelson, Mark Verheiden, movies, politics, Predator, Randy Stradley, Ron Randall, Sam Kieth, science fiction, Terminator | Leave a comment

Third Gotham Calling Manifesto

Posted on September 19, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Detective Comics #483 I started this blog a decade ago in the spirit of entertainment – for others as much as for myself. I spent much of my life reading and thinking about Batman comics, so I wanted to share … Continue reading →

Posted in MANIFESTO | Tagged Brendan McCarthy, David Lopez, Erica Henderson, espionage, movies, politics, science fiction, western, Will Pfeifer | Leave a comment

Even more Batman movies without Batman – mainstream action edition!

Posted on September 12, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Every once in a while, I like to spotlight films that, although they don’t feature the Dark Knight himself, share enough of Batman comics’ quirky vibe to be of interest for fans of that sort of stuff. This time, my … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Chuck Dixon, movies, politics | 1 Comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (1 July 2024)

Posted on July 1, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Today’s reminder that comics can be awesome is a tribute to licensed properties. While the reliance on importing IPs across media can carry the stench of creative bankrupcy, some films and shows seem perfectly suited for an expansion into comic … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged 2001 A Space Odyssey, Aliens, Army of Darkness, Carmine Infantino, covers, Danny Crespi, David Finch, Evil Dead, Frank Giacoia, Frank Miller, Greg Smallwood, Indiana Jones, Jack Kirby, Jae Lee, James Bond, John Higgins, June Chung, Kerry Gammill, Michael Allred, movies, Phill Norwood, Predator, Robocop, Star Wars, Terminator, Terry Austin, Triona Farrell, Xena | Leave a comment

More thoughts on 21st-century spy shows: Cold War edition

Posted on May 23, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

When I wrote about the TV series Slow Horses, last month, I mentioned how one of the departures from the source novels was that the show didn’t take advantage of the potential of sleeper agents to act as metaphors for … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged A Spy Among Friends, Agent Carter, Alfred Pennyworth, Cold War, Deutschland 83, espionage, Glória, John le Carré, Kathryn Immonen, movies, Pennyworth, politics, Rich Ellis, Spy/Master, The Americans, The Game, The Sleepers, The Sympathizer, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Spotlight on Lucky Luke, 1958-1967 – part 2

Posted on May 9, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

As mentioned last week, I’ve been rereading the first decade of René Goscinny’s run on the Belgian series Lucky Luke, illustrated by Morris, and trying to figure out what made those comics work (and why they resonated so much with … Continue reading →

Posted in WILD WEST | Tagged Charlier, Lucky Luke, Morris, movies, politics, René Goscinny, Uderzo, western | Leave a comment