Miller Polishing Sequels

Frank Miller is polishing scripts and storyboards for the sequels to both 300 and Sin City. Mainstreamers are still declaring The Spirit "the end of his film career" and I still insist in going on record in staunch disagreement. Further, I love to flame, so please allow me for one brief moment, to allay all true fanboys' fears:

Most of the people who are decrying The Spirit a career-ending embarrassment, etc., are 20-something douchebags who are largely unaware of Miller's work outside of 300 and Sin City -- further, they had never even heard of the Spirit until now and certainly aren't familiar with the original material, nor Eisner's work in general. This is a generation which routinely makes movies like Borat, Jackass, and anything with Adam Sandler #1 at the box office; to say they are culturally bereft is like saying Lindsay Lohan needs help.

Maybe I'm a little too defensive here, but I literally grew up on Frank Miller's work and it was a breath of fresh air in a closed room. I agree that the quality of his work has suffered in the last decade, but let's face facts: The man's told the stories he wanted to tell -- all he's doing now is making the money he deserved to be paid the first go-round. I can't fault him that.

But the flip side of this coin is those who keep repeating - far more often, far more vehemently -- how all of his work is sexist, hyper-violent, "man-centric," heavy-handed, and void of any redeeming depth or social value. These people are morons; they should read Elektra: Assassin. They won't get it, but they should read it -- the very fact that they will not understand it should hopefully be enough to shut them up. At the very least, their exposure to the best of his work at the height of his career will be enough to invalidate their baseless dismissal of his canon.

So The Spirit flopped? So what? Frank Miller's earliest sequential work wasn't all that impressive, either -- no one's is. Should he choose to stick with it -- should he get the opportunity to -- he will improve; because he has to: You have to break some eggs to make an omelet, practice makes perfect, et. al.

The sequel to Sin City is slated to start shooting in April. Casting has not started.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008