The Indie Spirit:

taking on and taking out

Disney, Marvel

and

the Marvel Cinematic Universe

in

the twilit and allegorical

indie moving narrative art

of

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

 

by Gary W. Wright

 

        Significantly, after bringing memorable and momentous new life to DAREDEVIL, a blind but all seeing super satirical character with no fear he wrote and drew for Marvel Comics from 1979-83,  famed and indomitably indie super satirical narrative artist Frolickin’ Frank Miller implied that he was no stranger to danger or to the dread allegorical Zone Wars when he left Marvel and headed off on a brave and bold new path with DC where he teamed up with DAREDEVIL inker Clownin’ Klaus Janson and colorist Lively Lynn Varley to implicitly hope that the battered, bloodied, bruised, but unbowed Francis Coppola and George Lucas jr. would return to the Temple Theatre with great, popular, and super successful new films that would appease and liberate the anguished spirits of Renee Chen, Myca Le, and Vic Morrow; exorcise George Folsey jr., Kathleen Kennedy, John Landis, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg, and the TZ disaster; end the Zone Wars; bring life, light, health, and harmony back to audiences, film art, film artists, and the Temple Theatre; and kick off a bold and innovative new era of CGI enhanced film art like the old, tall, heavyset, handsome, grey haired, clean shaven, educated, intelligent, tech savvy, traumatized, haunted, obsessive, relentless, vengeful, solitary, wealthy, and Marlon Brando resembling but implicitly Coppola and Scarecrow linked Bruce Wayne aka “Batman” and the young, tall, heavyset, cute, thick black haired, round bespectacled, clean shaven, muscular, super strong, and implicitly Lucas and Great Oz linked Kal-El aka “Clark Kent” aka “Superman” returned to Gotham City from retirement to team up with the young, short, slim, cute, brunette, and implicitly Sofia Carmina [SCC] Coppola linked Carrie Kelley aka “Robin” to liberate the city from the insidious and duplicitous clutches of the implicitly Landis linked Joker and the implicitly Marshall linked Harvey Dent aka “Two-Face” in the twilit, allegorical, and Ozian themed super satirical narrative artwork Batman: the dark knight returns [1986], an implicit allegorical intent affirmed by the narrative artwork’s allusions to the STAR WARS Classic Trilogy, and a narrative artwork that influenced and was alluded to throughout the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy [2005-12].  An implicit allegorical intent that implied in part that Miller sympathized with the outcast plight of Lucas following his outraged, furious, and scornful rejection by audiences due to his decision to work with Kennedy, Marshall, and Spielberg after the helicopter crash that killed actor/writer/director Morrow and illegally hired and employed child extras Chen and Le around 2:20 am in the early morning of July 23, 1982 on the Folsey jr. produced Landis set of the twilit, allegorical, slightly computer generated imagery [CGI] enhanced, Kennedy associate produced, Marshall produced, and Landis and Spielberg executive produced Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller docufeature film TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE [1983]. 

However, while implicitly sympathetic to the plight of Lucas, Miller was implicitly not impressed when Columbia-TriStar, Sony, Marvel Comics/Studios, and Sam Raimi implicitly linked him to the young, tall, and violent thug-played by Michael Papajohn-who was believed to have killed the old, medium heighted, heavyset, grey haired, and genial Uncle Benjamin “Ben” Parker-played by Cliff Robertson-at the beginning of the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed indie super satirical docufeature film SPIDER-MAN [2002], a film released on April 30, 2002 in the fortieth anniversary month and year of the first Marvel Comics appearance of the implicitly Wacky Wallace “Wally” Wood linked character created by Sweet Steve Ditko, Jolly Jack “King” Kirby, and Smilin’ Stan “the Man” Lee in the pulse pounding pages of AMAZING FANTASY #15, an implicit link of Miller to the thug implicitly due to his decision to leave Marvel for DC, and perhaps also due to Miller leaving DC for his own twilit, allegorical, ultraviolent, and indomitably indie narrative art series SIN CITY [1991-2000].

Miller was also implicitly not impressed with the way his Marvel Comics creation, the young, beautiful, but deadly assassin Elektra, was portrayed by Marvel Comics, New Regency, and Twentieth Century Fox when she showed up in the form of the young, tall, slim, beautiful, brunette, intelligent, deadly, and fearless assassin Elektra Natchios-implicitly linked to Kathryn Bigelow and Dorothy, and played by Jennifer Garner-to bewitch and team up with the young, tall, slim, handsome, red haired, clean cut and shaven, muscular, strong, fit, ironically all seeing and implicitly Richard Kelly and Scarecrow linked blind lawyer Matthew “Matt” Murdock aka “Daredevil, the man with no fear”-played by Scott Terra as a lad and by Ben Affleck as a laddish young man, respectively-and team up with him to take on and take out the young, short, slim, shaven and bullseye tattoo headed, deadly and straight aimed and implicitly David Lynch and Nikko linked Bullseye-played by Colin Farrell-and his employer, the middle aged, tall, heavyset, shaven headed, big, muscular, intimidating, expensive suit luvin’, and implicitly Lucas and Wicked Witch of the West linked criminal Wilson Fisk aka “the Kingpin”-played by Michael C. Duncan-at the healing, harmonious, and eucatastrophic end of the daylit, allegorical, computer generated imagery [CGI] enhanced, and Ozian themed Miraculous Mark S. Johnson indie super satirical docufeature film DAREDEVIL [2003], a film released on February 9, 2003 that was inspired by a character initially implicitly linked to John F. Kennedy jr. that was created by Beamin’ Bill Everett, Jolly Jack “King” Kirby and Smilin’ Stan “the Man” Lee for Marvel Comics and by the allegorical Victor Fleming feature film THE WIZARD OF OZ [1939].  An implicit lack of luv that implicitly continued two years later when Marvel Comics, New Regency, and Twentieth Century Fox teamed up to continue the adventures of the young, tall, slim, beautiful, brunette, intelligent, deadly, fearless, and implicitly Bigelow and Dorothy linked assassin Elektra Natchios-played again by Garner-in the Marvel Cinematic Universe [MCU] with the equally blind and all seeing and implicitly James Cameron linked Kimagure martial arts master Stick-played by Terence Stamp-in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Raucous Rob Bowman indie super satirical docufeature film ELEKTRA [2005], a film released on January 8, 2005 that affirmed its implicit allegorical intent in part with allusions to THE WIZARD OF OZ. 

For despite implying his support for the MCU by accepting a small cameo as a biker murdered by Bullseye in DAREDEVIL, Miller implicitly responded to DAREDEVIL and ELEKTRA when he donned the actor/writer/co-director hats and teamed up with the equally indomitably indie and cowboy hat luvin’ co-director/director of photography [DOP]/editor/co-composer Rollickin’ Robert Rodriguez-by then implicitly appearing in the pages of super satirical narrative artwork himself due to being implicitly roasted and toasted by the also indomitably indie and Towerin’ Todd McFarlane in the bitter, macabre, vengeful, violent, and cowboy hat wearin’ indie undead superhero form of Gunslinger Spawn starting in issue #119 [August 2002] of McFarlane’s ongoing twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, and implicitly Lucas roasting and toasting indie super satirical narrative art series SPAWN published by Image Comics-and also with Dimension Films to do more than just have actors in superhero, superheroine, and supervillian costumes run around in a CGI enhanced docufeature film by using a green screen draped soundstage and CGI to actually transform every frame of film into a panel of indie super satirical moving narrative art with a little help from the visual effects Wizards of CGI and from Querulous Quentin Tarantino in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, mostly black and white, and non-linear indie moving narrative artwork FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY [2005], released on March 28, 2005 and inspired by Miller’s twilit, allegorical, and equally black and white indie narrative art series SIN CITY.

 

“No reason at all to play it quiet.

No reason to play it any way but my way.”

 

        Indeed, Miller and Rodriguez immediately and implicitly affirmed in the film that on one level they were responding to and not fond of DAREDEVIL.  For FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY began with a short prologue that saw a young, tall, slim, brunette, handsome, suave and implicitly Johnson and Scarecrow linked lady killer-played by Josh Hartnett-use a silencer equipped gun to shoot a young, short, slim, beautiful, green eyed and either implicitly Hollywood, Kirsten Dunst, or Sarah Polley and Wicked Witch of the East linked blonde-wearing a red dress that evoked the red ninja suit of the equally green eyed Natchios in ELEKTRA, and played by Marley Shelton-through the heart with one silenced shot after kissing her as the pair stood high in the sky on a skyscraper balcony while a light rain fell on them, a deadly prologue that evoked a similar and more luving scene that saw Murdock and Natchios enjoy their first and only kiss standing high in the air on another skyscraper balcony as a light rain fell on them that allowed Murdock to see Natchios without seeing her using his bat-like echo location radar “sight” in DAREDEVIL.  Thus, the deadly prologue implied that Miller and Rodriguez believed that Johnson had killed DAREDEVIL by not trying to transform the indie super satirical docufeature film into a work of indie super satirical moving narrative art as they were doing in SIN CITY. 

This implicit interest in DAREDEVIL was reaffirmed when the camera point of view [POV] drifted away from the deadly duo and through a CGI cityscape and then pulled up into the air above the city before the shape of the city coalesced into the words FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, for the CGI realized cityscape of Basin City aka Sin City evoked the CGI realized and opening title filled vista of New York that kicked off DAREDEVIL that initially gave hope that an indie moving narrative artwork was on its way before disappearing and being replaced by a CGI enhanced New York, a new hope that did not disappear here for it was the signal that Miller and Rodriguez were transforming SIN CITY into an indie moving narrative artwork.  And so, with that implicit Johnson and DAREDEVIL addressing point affirmed, FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY branched off into a twilit trio of stories. 

 

“You’re a real credit to the Force,

you are.”

 

Curiously, the first story revolved around the last day on the Force of the old, short, heavyset, bald, big eared, handsome but tired, angina sufferin’, but still idealistic and dedicated, suit luvin’, and implicitly Lucas and Great Oz linked Basin City Police [BCP] Detective John Hartigan-his Gen X-scarred forehead reminding us that Gen X had savaged Lucas after his decision to work with Kennedy, Marshall, and Spielberg after the TZ disaster on July 23, 1982, and played by Bruce Willis-doing his best to protect the young, short, slim, brunette, pretty and implicitly Natalie Portman and Dorothy linked girl Nancy Callahan-played by Makenzie Vega-and prevent her from becoming the Forceful fourth victim of the young, medium heighted, slim, brunette, handsome, insidious, and implicitly Terry Gilliam and Nikko linked serial pedophile/murderer Ethan Roark jr.-played by Nick Stahl-whose implicit link to Gilliam was affirmed by allusions to such brilliant, madcap, twilit and allegorical Gilliam animaction films as TIME BANDITS [1981] and 12 MONKEYS [1995], a fitting evocation of the latter in which Willis played the implicitly Lucas linked future time traveller James “Jim” Cole, and that also reminded us that Liam Neeson played the implicitly Gilliam linked rebel indie Jedi Knight Qui Gon Jinn in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron and Steven Spielberg roasting Lucas indie animaction film STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE [1999].  Alas for Det. Hartigan, he was prevented from succeeding in his last mission by being shot dead by his middle aged, tall, heavyset, brunette, bespectacled, handsome, and implicitly Rick McCallum linked BCP Det. partner Bob-reminding us that McCallum produced the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy that starred Portman as Padme Amidala, and played by Michael Madsen.  Thus, Miller and Rodriguez implied that they felt, like most audiences of that time, that Lucas had failed to succeed with McCallum, Portman and the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy.

 

“Worth dying for.

Worth killing for.

Worth going to hell for.”

 

        The second story began ten years later and saw the old, tall, heavyset, handsome but thickly lined and battle scarred, big, tough, indie, indomitable, booze, cigarette, white t-shirt, and women luvin’, implicitly Clint Eastwood and Cowardly Lion linked and ironically named Marv-played by Mickey Rourke-waking up to find a young, short, slim, beautiful, bewitching, and implicitly Glinda linked goldilocked woman named Goldie-played by Jaime King, who also played Goldie’s equally beautiful and bewitching but blonde twin sister Wendy-lying dead in his red heart shaped bed.  Leaping out of bed, Marv tracked down and, with the unexpected vengeful help of Goldie’s equally young, short, slim, beautiful and bewitching but blonde twin sister Wendy-also played by King-took on and took out her killer, the young, short, slim, brunette, bespectacled, clean cut and shaven, creepy, wiry, unusually strong and agile, cannibalistic, and Tobey Maguire resembling and implicitly linked serial killer Kevin Roark-played by Elijah Wood-who evoked Maguire’s young, short, slim, geeky, blue and red radioactive CGI super spider powered, and implicitly David Cronenberg linked teen Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-in SPIDER-MAN and Columbia-TriStar, Sony, Marvel and Raimi’s daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed indie super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN 2 [2004].  Significantly, Marv also killed Kevin’s protector and older brother the old, tall, slim, lined, and implicitly Avi Arad and Wicked Witch of the West linked Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark-played by Rutger Hauer-who was as bald as Kingpin in DAREDEVIL, and was played by an actor who played the implicitly ex-Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney linked Wayne Enterprises CEO Mr. William Earle in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, and implicitly Cameron roastin’ and toastin’ Christopher Nolan super satirical docufeature film BATMAN BEGINS [2005]. 

Along the brutal and bloody way, Marv sent a Judas priest played by Miller straight to hell with a bullet blasting benediction after, ironically, listening to the priest’s crooked confession in a church confessional, a death that was perhaps Miller’s way of atoning for his cameo in DAREDEVIL.  Curiously, however, given that despite killing Kevin and Cardinal Roark, Marv was still framed for the murder of Goldie and sent to the electric chair, in the end, Miller and Rodriguez implied their fear that Eastwood and his indie docufeature films and artbusters were doomed to be defeated by beastly and CGI enhanced blockbusters like DAREDEVIL, SPIDER-MAN, and SPIDER-MAN 2, an implicit allegorical intent that was affirmed by the violence of this story, which evoked the violence in the films of Eastwood. 

 

“The big fat kill.”

 

Last but not least, the third story saw the middle aged and heighted, slim, handsome, black haired and eyed, black leather jacket luvin’, and implicitly Raimi and Tin Man linked Dwight McCarthy-played by Clive Owen-take on and take out the corrupt, long black haired, and implicitly Tim Burton linked undercover BCP Detective Lieutenant “Iron” Jack Rafferty aka “Jackie Boy”-played by Benicio Del Toro-and his gang, and the middle aged, tall, heavyset, shaven headed, handsome, big, strong, and intimidating gang leader Manute-played by Duncan, who openly linked the film to DAREDEVIL via Kingpin to implicitly affirm that Miller and Rodriguez were responding to that film on one level in FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY-and his gang with the help of the bold, brash, buxom and bitchin’ ladies of the night of Old Town led by his favourite whore, gorgeous Gail-played by Rosario Dawson-and with the indie aid of the mysterious, short, silent, sweet, pretty, deadly, Elektra evoking, and implicitly Sofia Carmina [SCC] Coppola linked ninjette assassin Miho-played by Devon Aoki.  Thus, Miller and Rodriguez implied their fondness for SCC, their implicit hope that Raimi would not destroy his indie film art career by making beastly CGI enhanced blockbusters like SPIDER-MAN, and their implicit belief that Burton had destroyed himself with his films, an implication affirmed by the story’s allusions to the twilit and allegorical Burton animaction film PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE [1985], the twilit and allegorical Burton indie animaction film BEETLEJUICE [1988], the twilit, allegorical, Ozian themed, and implicitly Lucas toasting and Jean-Luc Godard roasting Burton super satirical animaction film BATMAN [1989], the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, and implicitly Lucas toasting and Sir Peter Jackson roasting Burton animaction artbuster BATMAN RETURNS [1992], and the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Burton animaction artbuster !MARS ATTACKS! [1996]. 

 

“Here it comes.”

 

        Surprisingly, then the film came full triangular circle with Det. Hartigan waking up to find that doctors had saved his life and that he was now under the control of the father of Roark jr., the old, tall, slim, receding haired, handsome, insidious, cigar luvin’, and implicitly Smilin’ Stan “the Man” Lee linked Senator Ethan Roark sr.-played by Powers Boothe.  Finally freed after eight years imprisonment filled with brutal beatings by the bald and ambiguously linked BCP Commissioner Liebowitz-played by Jude Ciccolella-Hartigan tracked down Callahan, now a young, short, slim, brunette, beautiful, curvaceous, and sexy but sweet and innocent and still implicitly Portman and Dorothy linked exotic dancer with the hottest buns in town-played by Jessica Alba-at Kadie’s Club, thus continuing an affection for seamy clubs filled with beautiful, bitchin’, buxom babes with the hottest buns in town already seen and heard in the twilit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced, Tarantino written/co-starred/co-executive produced and implicitly Kathryn Bigelow and William S. Burroughs roasting Rodriguez indie docufeature film FROM DUSK TO DAWN [1996]. 

After an emotional reunion at the club that attracted the attention of Marv, already seen admiring Callahan at Kadie’s in his story and just as surprisingly and curiously still alive as Hartigan as it was still two years before Marv’s full throttle and vengeful killing spree that led to his execution, Callahan and Hartigan left the club to hunt down and kill Roark jr., now transformed into the sickly and luridly Yellow Creep, driving away in a sequence that evoked the allegorical and implicitly Ralph Bakshi roastin’ and Walt Disney toastin’ Lucas indie docufeature film AMERICAN GRAFFITI [1973].  Significantly, shortly after the brutal and righteously furious murder of the Yellow Creep and allowing Callahan to drive off to safety, Hartigan killed himself so as to prevent Sen. Roark from tracking him down and torturing him to get the name and location of Callahan out of him, implying not only that Miller and Rodriguez felt that Lucas had not only failed to succeed with the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy, but had also killed what little was left of his tarnished reputation with that second trilogy.  Then the film wrapped up with an epilogue that saw the suave and handsome killer from the prologue returning to kill a duplicitous Old Town girl named Becky-played by Alexis Bledel-implicitly reaffirming that Miller and Rodriguez thought that Johnson had killed indie super satirical moving narrative artwork with DAREDEVIL-and that Sin City was an unforgiving place, indeed, and one that liked to also allude to THE WIZARD OF OZ.

        Luckily for Miller and Rodriguez, however, while Sin City may have been unforgiving, audiences proved to be more welcoming of the dynamic duo, for FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY was a success.  However, Steven Soderbergh also implied that he agreed that beastly super satirical animaction blockbusters like DAREDEVIL and SPIDER-MAN would not be stopped by indomitably indie film artists like Rodriguez and Sir Scott as implied in Marv’s tale or equally indomitably indie narrative artists like Miller, for the cigarette and dress shirt luvin’ and implicitly Lynch linked American NEW REPUBLIC writer Captain Jacob “Jake” Geismer-played by George Clooney-and the crippled and implicitly Miller linked pawn broker Levi-played by Dominic Comperatore-were unable to prevent the implicitly Lee and SPIDER-MAN 2 co-executive producer Kevin Feige linked U.S. Congressman Breimer and U.S. Colonel Muller-played by Jack Thompson and Beau Bridges, respectively-from killing the implicitly Robert Crumb linked ex-SS secretary Emil Brandt-played by Christian Oliver-in order to ensure that the blockbuster bomb luvin’ and implicitly Ditko linked ex-SS German rocket scientist Franz Bettman-played by David Willis-was smuggled out of the real life dangerous, treacherous, violent, deadly and Casablanca evoking sin city of post-World War II Berlin to the United States to help build Cold War transcontinental missiles for the Americans in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film THE GOOD GERMAN [2006], a film released on November 12, 2006 that was inspired by the twilit and allegorical Joseph Kanon indie docufiction novel The Good German [2001]; that affirmed its implicit allegorical intent with allusions to FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, SPIDER-MAN 2, the allegorical and implicitly Stanley Kubrick addressing Lynch indie moving painting ERASERHEAD [1977], the allegorical and implicitly Cronenberg and Sir Ridley Scott addressing Lynch indie moving painting THE ELEPHANT MAN [1980], the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie moving painting DUNE [1984], the twilit, allegorical and implicitly Burton addressing Lynch indie moving painting BLUE VELVET [1986], the twilit, allegorical, and implicitly Spielberg roasting Lynch indie moving painting TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME [1992], the daylit, allegorical and implicitly John Landis and Vic Morrow addressing Lynch indie moving painting THE STRAIGHT STORY [1999], and the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie moving painting MULHOLLAND DRIVE [2001]; and that reaffirmed its implicit allegorical intent with the appearance of Maguire as Capt. Geismer’s illicit loot obsessed and implicitly Tarantino linked U.S. Army driver Corporal Patrick Tully.

The success of Miller continued the following year when Exactin’ Zack Snyder donned the co-writer/director hats, teamed up with co-executive producer Miller and had the fearless and implicitly Lucas linked Spartan King Leonidas-played by Eli Snyder as a boy, Tyler Neitzel as a teen, and Gerard Butler as an adult, respectively-and his equally fearless three hundred Spartan warriors die fighting the epic onslaught of the blockbuster and CGI enhanced armies of the implicitly Cameron linked Persian God-King Xerxes-played by Rodrigo Santoro-implying that Snyder agreed with Miller that Lucas had killed himself implicitly trying to defeat Cameron with the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie moving narrative artwork 300 [2006], which arrived in the Temple Theatre on December 9, 2006 and was inspired by the twilit and allegorical Miller and Laughin’ Lynn Varley indie narrative artwork 300 [1998].  Making it fitting that 300 was created the same way as FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, with the cast and crew in a green screen draped soundstage that allowed the digital visual effects wizards to create the world of ancient Sparta and Persia with CGI. 

And so an irrepressible Miller indie narrative art spirit filled theatres, and another experience transforming indie film art into indie moving narrative art filled Miller, inspiring him to go solo and implicitly affirm his own commitment to the indie spirit by creating his own spirited indie moving narrative art.  For he soon donned the actor/writer/director hats and returned to the Temple Theatre with King and now also with Bill Pope-DOP of the second and third installments of the Raimi Spidey Trilogy-and Lionsgate and OddLot Entertainment to again use CGI to transform every frame of a film into a work of indie super satirical narrative art and to also pay tribute to a good friend and mentor with the exuberant, affectionate, and mostly black and white daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed indie super satirical moving narrative artwork THE SPIRIT [2008], released on December 25, 2008 and inspired by the equally exuberant and spirited character created by Miller’s inspiring mentor and friend, the equally indomitable and innovative indie narrative artist Wily Will Eisner, a spirited character who was now fused with the visual style created for FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, and also inspired by the twilit and allegorical Michael Schultz telefilm THE SPIRIT [July 31, 1987].

 

“That’s the Spirit.”

 

        Significantly, no sooner did the film begin after the Lionsgate and OddLot intros and three opening titles, than an urgent phone call to the resurrected from the dead, young, medium heighted, slim, black haired and blue eyed, clean cut and shaven, handsome, smart, shrewd, knowing, muscular, strong, exuberant, athletic, indestructible, irrepressible, cat and women luvin’, luved by children, black fedora hat, black mask, black trench coat, black dress shirt, red tie, black gloves, black pants, black socks, and black running shoe wearin’, Batman evoking, and implicitly Walt Disney Company CEO Blockbuster Robert “Bob” Iger and Scarecrow linked Dennis “Denny” Colt aka “the Spirit”-played by Johnny Simmons as a teen and Gabriel Macht as an adult, respectively-roused him from his cat filled and Doctor Strange evoking Sanctum Sanctorum at the Wildwood Cemetery and sent him off with his watchful, protective, and implicitly Toto linked cat familiar Arthur on a determined dash across the beautifully rendered rooftops of Central City as the opening titles flashed across the screen, immediately affirming that Miller had mastered the art of using CGI to create indie moving narrative art in general and the art of recreating the panels of the narrative art of Eisner in particular from creating FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY and 300.  Just as significantly, the Spirit’s determined rooftop dash soon led him down to the streets where he caught a ride with the surprised Officer Liebowitz-played by Miller-through the city to the fittingly named Iger Street and a lonely marsh located behind a hole in a chain link fence.

        Here the first of a film long series of fittingly spirited fisticuffs broke out with the middle aged, tall, slim, shaven headed and clean shaven, exuberantly insidious, multiple costumed, death defyin’ potion creating, and implicitly Tarantino and Wicked Witch of the West linked Octopus-his name evoking Alfred Molina’s implicitly Lynch linked Doctor Octopus in SPIDER-MAN 2 to implicitly affirm that Miller was still brooding over that film, and played by Samuel L. Jackson-spirited fisticuffs pointedly avoided by the young, short, slim, beautiful, curvaceous, sizzlin’, cat eye bespectacled, equally multiple costumed, and implicitly Nikko linked Silken Floss-also implicitly linked to Sally Menke, longtime editor of Tarantino, and played by Scarlett Johansson-the most beautiful woman ever and the partner in crime of the Octopus, who soon showed up in a Ditko’s Speedy Delivery truck that evoked legendary Marvel narrative artist/writer Sweet Steve Ditko, openly linking Floss and the Octopus to Marvel as well as implicitly to Tarantino.  Tragicomically, Floss and the Octopus were joined by their tragicomic gang of exuberantly witless and implicitly Harvey Weinstein linked clones with names like Huevos and Pathos-all as lookalike and even more exuberantly witless as the films of the MCU, and all gamely and memorably played by Louis Lombardi.

        At this point began the Spirit’s frantic film long battle to defeat the Octopus, Floss and the Harveys and to prevent the Octopus from becoming the ruler of the world by drinking deep from the blood of Heracles [?], while also struggling to deal with the unexpected return of the adult version of his teen sweetie, the young, short, slim, beautiful, brunette, sexy, bewitchin’, fortune and glory lustin’, and implicitly Alba, Dorothy, and Wicked Witch of the East linked Sand Saref-played by Seychelle Gabriel as a teen and by Eva Mendes as an adult, respectively-who suffered from an “Electra” complex due to the death of her police officer father [played by David Wiegand], returning pensive meditations on ELEKTRA to the film art of Miller, and whose lust for fortune and glory reminded us that ex-Disney girl Alba had played the young, short, slim, beautiful, blonde, courageous, and implicitly SCC and Great Oz linked Susan Storm aka “the Invisible Girl” in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Marvel, Twentieth Century Fox, and Tenacious Tim Story indie super satirical animaction films FANTASTIC 4 [2005] and FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER [2007]. 

Meanwhile, the Spirit also struggled to fend off the eager embrace of the beautiful, equally bewitchin’, keenin’, lonely, luvin’, watchful, patiently impatient, and implicitly Glinda linked Lorelei, the Angel of Death-played by King-the lonely lust of his young, short, slim, beautiful, blonde, intelligent, educated, luvin’, and implicitly Willow Bay and Tin Woman linked sweetheart Doctor Ellen Dolan-played by Sarah Paulson-the cranky complaints of her father, the old, medium heighted, heavyset, grey haired, clean shaven, crusty, tough, and implicitly Great Oz linked Central City Police Commissioner Eustace Dolan-played by Dan Lauria-and the cutting ripostes of the young, medium heighted, slim, beautiful, brunette, sexy, statuesque, sword luvin’, Elektra evokin’, and implicitly Cowardly Lioness linked Plaster of Paris-played by Paz Vega.  Eventually, the Spirit scythed down the Octopus on the relentless streets of Central City with the same implacable, indomitable and righteous fury and irrepressible indie spirit that scythed down the most dark, diseased, and doomed denizens of the sinful streets of Basin City, implying the new hope of Miller that Iger would lead Disney to a defeat of Tarantino, an implicit allegorical intent affirmed by the film’s allusions to the Raimi Spidey Trilogy, THE WIZARD OF OZ, the daylit and twilit, allegorical, and Ozian themed indie docufeature film PULP FICTION [1994], the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, gleefully non-linear, and naturally lit indie docufeature film KILL BILL [2003-4], the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, conventionally linear, Ozian themed, and naturally lit indie docufeature film DEATH PROOF [2007], and the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, Ozian themed, and Lucas executive produced Spielberg indie docufeature film RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [1981]. 

Ironically, the year after the release of indomitably indie THE SPIRIT, Disney CEO Iger, who had overseen Disney’s purchase of Pixar in 2006, led Disney’s negotiations to buy Marvel Comics/Studios in 2009, and in time would also oversee Disney’s purchases of Lucasfilm/ILM in 2012 and 21st Century Fox in 2019, memorable purchases that caused the Mouse House to grow multiple company arms like an Octopus, and now join Miller’s nemesis Marvel.  Equally ironically and tragicomically, Jackson and Johansson, whose scenes together were hilarious, would soon abandon the indie spirit and also join Marvel by appearing as the middle, tall, heavyset, shaven headed, one-eyed, gruff, intimidating but Good and implicitly Spike Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury and the sleek, sexy, smart, red haired and implicitly SCC linked ex-Russian assassin and SHIELD Agent Natasha Romanoff aka “Black Widow”, respectively, in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed Jon Favreau indie super satirical animaction film IRON MAN 2 [2010], in the first of many appearances together as the two characters in the MCU, thus falling into the slimy and suctioning grip of the multi-armed and insatiable Disney Octopus.

Curiously, soon after creating his own indie super satirical moving narrative artwork masterpiece that treated the source material with luvin’ albeit mischievous affection and turned every frame of THE SPIRIT into an Eisner panel while also gently but exuberantly roasting the super satirical narrative art which gave him his start and pursuing his own implicit allegorical intent with impish exuberance and indomitably indie Spirit, Miller donned the co-executive producer hat and collaborated with co-writer/co-producer Snyder on the twilit, allegorical, and CGI enhanced Noble Noam Murro indie moving narrative artwork 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE [2014], presciently inspired by the Miller indie narrative artwork Xerxes [2018], released on March 4, 2014.  Perhaps inspiring Miller to don the actor/writer/co-director/co-executive producer hats and team up again with co-director/co-producer/DOP/editor/co-composer Rodriguez and also again with Alba, Boothe, Ciccolella, Dawson, King, Rourke, Willis, and Eva Green-who played the fearless, beautiful, commanding, brilliant, and implicitly Bigelow linked Persian naval commander Artemisia in 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE-Bob and Harvey Weinstein-executive producers of SIN CITY-and Aldamisa Entertainment, Dimension Films, Miramax, and Troublemaker Studios to implicitly address Iger and Disney’s new union with Marvel on one level in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, mostly black and white, and non-linear indie moving narrative artwork FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR [2014], released on August 19, 2014 and inspired again by Miller’s equally black and white twilit and allegorical indie narrative artwork series SIN CITY and by FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY.

 

“But hell,

why should [Disney and Marvel]

have all the fun?”

 

        Indeed, after the Dimension Films, Aldamisa Entertainment, Troublemaker Studios, and Miramax intros, the film immediately kicked off with a prologue that saw the old, tall, heavyset, handsome but thickly lined and battle scarred, big, tough, indomitably indie, booze, cigarette, white t-shirt, and women luvin’, and implicitly Eastwood and Cowardly Lion linked Marv-played again by Rourke-implicitly having not yet set off on the full throttle and vengeful killing spree that led to his execution, returning to survive a car accident.  Regaining conscious, Marv remembered that he had started that Saturday night at Kadie’s Club, downing some booze with a despondent Miller wearing his familiar fedora and admiring the young, short, slim, brunette, beautiful, curvaceous, sexy, and still sweet and innocent but angry, brooding, bitter, and despondent over the suicide of Lt. Hartigan, and implicitly Portman and Dorothy linked Nancy Callahan-who still danced with the hottest buns in town, and was played again by Alba-before taking on and taking out some spoiled frat boy punks who dared to mock him after he caught them setting drunks on fire, immediately returning us to the brutal and uncompromising but honourable and indie justice meting streets of Basin City aka Sin City. 

 

“This boy’s good.”

 

After Basin City slowly morphed into the blood red SIN CITY title, the film segued into the sight and sound of the young, medium heighted, slim, brunette, handsome, brash, cocky, confident, dark tied and suited, and implicitly Jason Reitman and Scarecrow linked Johnny-played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt-standing on high on a hilltop gazing down on Sin City, evoking the sight and sound of the Spirit standing high on a tenement rooftop gazing silently down on his beloved Central City at the beginning and end of THE SPIRIT.  Then the kid cruised confidently into Sin City and straight to Kadie’s Club, where Marv still admired Nancy, who was now angry, bitter, and now literally haunted eight years after his suicide by the ghost of the old, short, heavyset, bald, big eared, handsome but forehead Gen X-scarred, suit luvin’, and implicitly Lucas and Glinda linked BCP Det. John Hartigan-played again by Willis-who evoked the shimmering blue Force ghosts of dead Jedi Knights and of Jedi Masters in the STAR WARS Classic and Tragic Trilogies to affirm the implicit link of Det. Hartigan to Lucas.  With his lucky and full colour charm sweetie, the young, medium heighted, slim, redhaired, beautiful and curvaceous but sweet and innocent waitress Marcie-implicitly linked to Diablo Cody, the favourite screenwriter of Reitman, and played by Julia Garner-beside him, he soon cooly and convincingly beat the old, tall, slim, receding haired, handsome, insidious, cigar luvin’, and implicitly Lee and Wicked Witch of the West linked Sen. Roark-played again by Boothe-in a high stakes game of poker in the back room of the club, evoking an equally high stakes game won by Saref in THE SPIRIT. 

Alas for Johnny, his brash and confident victory led to Sen. Roark getting some thugs to break two fingers of his right hand in the back of a limo before taking his winnings and tossing him out onto the street and shooting him in the right thigh in a segment that affirmed its implicit interest in Cody with allusions to the daylit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Cody indie docufeature film PARADISE [2013].

 

“Never let the monster out.”

 

        Curiously, the story then shifted back to Kadie’s and the story of the middle aged and heighted, slim, handsome, black haired and eyed, black leather jacket luvin’, and implicitly Raimi and Tin Man linked Dwight McCarthy-now played by Josh Brolin-rendezvousing at Kadie’s with the middle aged and heighted, slim, black haired, green eyed, red lipsticked, beautiful, statuesque, sexy, bewitching, duplicitous, manipulative, fortune and glory lustin’, and implicitly Angelina Jolie and Wicked Witch of the West linked femme fatale Ava Lord-played by Green-wearing a vibrant dark blue dress like that worn by the young, medium heighted, slim, beautiful, short dark brown haired and dark brown eyed, shy, sensitive, art luvin’, and implicitly Bigelow and Dorothy linked Ajla Ekmecic-played by Zana Marjanovic-in the twilit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed indie docufeature film IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY (2011) to affirm the implicit link of Evil Ajla to Angie.  Alas for Dwight, the Wicked Ava soon had him hurrying out to the huge and Disney castle evoking Lord place to find out why she was so unhappy. 

After being beaten badly by the younger but equally tall, heavyset, shaven headed, handsome, big, strong, and intimidating, and implicitly Nikko linked Manute, bodyguard/chauffeur for Lord-now played by Dennis Haysbert-McCarthy went back to Kadie’s, teamed up with Marv and returned to the Lord’s castle to get into even more trouble, including killing her middle aged and heighted, slim, handsome, brunette, and implicitly Walt Disney Company CEO Iger and Great Oz linked husband Damien Lord-played by Martin Csokas-in implicit revenge for Iger leading Disney’s purchase of Marvel in 2009.  Alas again for McCarthy, he was framed for the murder of Damien by the Wicked Ava. 

“No, Ava,

you’re not a goddess,

you’re a witch!”

 

This infuriating frame caused McCarthy to team up again with his favourite whore, gorgeous Gail-played again by Dawson-and the mysterious, short, sweet, silent, pretty, deadly, Elektra evoking, and implicitly SCC linked ninjette assassin Miho-now played by Jamie Chung-and, after she manipulated and destroyed the life of the middle aged, short, slim, bald, bespectacled, weak willed, and implicitly Soderbergh linked BCP Lt. Mort-played by Christopher Meloni-returning again to kill the Wicked Lord with a gunshot in the heart as with the blonde in the prologue at the beginning of FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, reminding us that Jolie had appeared that same year as the second sinful installment as the beautiful, bewitching, initially winged, always double horned and magic luvin’, eponymous, and implicitly Bigelow and Glinda linked Maleficent in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Disney and Robert Stromberg indie animaction film MALEFICENT (2014) to reaffirm the implicit link of Angie to Ava and to imply that this appearance in a Disney film had led to Jolie’s implicit link to Lord.  The triumph of Miho, McCarthy, and Gail also implied again that Miller and Rodriguez were fond of SCC and her indie docufeature film art, and their implicitly reaffirmed hope that Raimi would break free from Columbia, Disney and Marvel and return to indomitable indie film art, an ironic implication given that Brolin teamed up with Dis and Marv for the first time that year as the purple, bald, towering, intimidating, muscular, strong, vainglorious, power mad, universal balance and harmony obsessed, and all CGI mad Titan Thanos in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed James Gunn indie super satirical animaction film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY [2014].

 

“Look who decided to show up.”

 

        At which point the story returned to Johnny, who, after getting a perhaps Cronenberg linked black market doctor named Kroenig-played by Christopher Lloyd-to dig the bullet out of his right thigh and set his broken right fingers, soon found out that Roark had killed and dismembered Marcie.  And so Johnny struck back by defeating Roark in another high stakes game of poker in the back room of Kadie’s, only to be killed by a shot through the head from Roark.  Thus, Miller and Rodriguez implied that they thought that Cody and Reitman and their then brash and confident, creative, innovative, but small, intimate, daylit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed indie docufeature film art would be destroyed by the bigger indie docufeature artbusters created by Disney and Marvel. 

 

“Lt. Hartigan,

you just gave me a great idea.”

 

However, given that the film ended with Marv and Callahan teaming up with the ghost of Det. Hartigan-a ghost that also reminded us that Lucas had sold the drought stricken moisture farm and the used speeder lot of Lucasfilm/ILM to Disney and retired in 2012, reaffirming the implicit link of Det. Hartigan to Lucas-to hunt down and kill Sen. Roark with the help of a memorable and Hartigan ghost haunted Dark Side mirrorworld reflection so that the brutal and uncompromising indie spirit of Sin City once again prevailed, Miller and Rodriguez again implied their dislike of the MCU and their renewed hope that Eastwood and his indie moving painting film art would ultimately triumph over that of Dis and Marv, in the end, an ironic denouement, indeed, given that Alba had by this time been linked to Lee, Marvel and the MCU forever via her role as Susan Storm aka “the Invisible Girl” in FANTASTIC 4 and FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, implicitly explaining why Callahan was treated so roughly in this film, at one point even slicing her beautiful face up in disgust for being a stripper, in a film that also affirmed its implicit allegorical intent with allusions to THE WIZARD OF OZ. 

An irony increased when Rodriguez was also implicitly linked to the young, handsome and Scarab enhanced Mexican-American law school graduate Jaime Reyes aka “Blue Beetle”-also implicitly linked to the Scarecrow, and played by Xolo Mariduena-who battled and triumphed over the red haired, fortune and glory lustin’, and implicitly Kathleen Kennedy and Wicked Witch of the West linked Kord Industries CEO Victoria Kord-played by Susan Sarandon-at the healing, harmonizing and eucatastrophic end of the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, and Ozian themed Warner Brothers and Angelic Angel M. Soto super satirical animaction film BLUE BEETLE [2023], a film released on August 16, 2023 that was yet another super satirical film that made no attempt to be a truly moving work of narrative art like the dynamic Sin City Duo or THE SPIRIT. 

Curiously, later that year, Miller returned to the pages of indie super satirical narrative art when he was implicitly roasted and toasted by McFarlane in the form of the mysterious, nasty, black cowboy hat wearin’, and indomitably indie cyborg assassin Carl in issue #26 [November 2023] of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Rodriguez roasting and toasting indie super satirical narrative art series GUNSLINGER published by Image Comics.  Perfect inspiration for another memorable trip back to the grim and uncompromising but luvin’ and justice metin’ streets of Sin City where Miller and Rodriguez would reaffirm that when it came to transforming indie narrative art into equally indie moving narrative artwork, break could no one the exuberant and indomitable commitment of Miller and Rodriguez to…the Indie Spirit.

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

Eisner, Will.  Comics And Sequential Art: principles & practice of the world’s most popular art form.  Tamarac, FL:

Poorhouse Press, 2004.

 

-----.  Eisner/Miller.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse, 2005.  

 

Wolk, Douglas.  Reading Comics.  Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2007.

 

Miller, Frank.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 1-the hard goodbye.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2021.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 2- a dame to kill for.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2021.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 3-the big fat kill.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2022.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 4-that yellow bastard.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2005.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 5-family values.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2022.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 6-booze, broads, & bullets.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2022.

 

-----.  Frank Miller’s Sin City: volume 7-hell and back.  Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2010.

 

Miller, Frank, et al.  Batman: the dark knight returns-30th anniversary edition.  Sacramento, CA: DC Comics, 2016.