Blackmoor Vituperative

Cult Movie Night at Castle Blackmoor returns to the third Friday of the month. In September, we will celebrate D-list superheroes with Mystery Men and The Specials. In Mystery Men (1999), a group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillian threatens to destroy the city. Features fun performances by Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Janeane Garofalo, and Geoffrey Rush.

People who want to stay late will see The Specials (2000). The sixth or seventh best superhero team in the world pursue their rightful place in the harshly competitive world of toy tie-ins and fighting evil. Features Jordan Ladd, Rob Lowe, Thomas Haden Church, and Jamie Kennedy.

I think Mystery Men is a hoot, but the real gem here is The Specials. The character interplay is such great fun, and there are little touches that any fan of superhero comics will notice and appreciate.

Favorite comic of the past ten years: Thunderbolts. It was sometimes uneven, but they kept the title fresh and interesting for fifteen years, and that’s no mean feat. The cast changed from time to time, and a lot of characters came and went over the years, but for the most part the core team was consistent right up to the end. The development of those four characters was interesting and while not perfect, it was rarely disappointing. The comic also introduced me to some characters that I had never seen center stage before but which I really wound up liking, like Satanna and Moonstone. They wrapped up the series in December with a satisfying ending. Well done, Marvel.