Truth in Journalism – Venom Film Does the Character Justice
Posted By Leo Reyna on August 5, 2013
Image source: Geek Tyrant
For all the Venom fans disappointed with his rushed appearance in Spider-Man 3, Truth in Journalism is for you.
Written and directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End), Truth In Journalism stars True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten as Eddie Brock, Spider-Man’s former journalistic rival and foe. From the production crew documenting Eddie after his publicized Bugle firing, to the post-credit scene featuring another famed Marvel Comics villain. the Venom fan film is heavily inspired by the French mockumentary Man Bites Dog. The 80s soundtrack is a little overbearing in reminding you what time period this is (1988, when Venom made his comic debut), but the slow burning exploration of Eddie’s twisted morality is where Truth in Journalism shines. Viewers get a better look at the monster hiding inside of Eddie (figuratively and literally) in Lynch’s short film, then they got in Sam Raimi’s two-hour camp-a-thon.
In promoting Truth in Journalism, producer Adi Shankar (The Grey, Dredd) was interviewed by Collider about the short’s development and his past success of Dirty Laundry, the viral Punisher fan film. When asked about his Marvel films sharing the same universe, Shankar had this to say.
The idea of a shared universe is a really cool one but it’s a double edged sword. Dredd, Deadpool, Venom, Ghost Rider, Morbious, Grendel, Spawn, Punisher, and Wolverine exist in another world … at least they do emotionally and thematically. . . .
Sticking all these characters in a shared universe becomes challenging because now you have to make a good DAREDEVIL movie and worry about how it fits in the context of the other movies in that universe. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the most iconic comic books are one-shot off continuity books like Dark Knight Returns or event books like FLASHPOINT PARADOX where the story isn’t beholden to the rules and parallel stories of the rest of the universe! Make a good movie first and worry about the source character and the universe later.
What Shankar says is true, as Truth in Journalism doesn’t just clash with his movies, but diverges greatly from the formulated structure Marvel Studios has developed in their flicks since 2008′s Iron Man. Even with Sony holding the Spider-Man movie rights and expressing interest in a solo Venom film, there’s not much expectation it will differentiate with what Hollywood currently produces in tone and style.
Regardless of how safe Hollywood plays superhero movies these days, Truth in Journalism is a testament that there will always be filmmakers looking to chart new territory in the already explored comic book genre.
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Interesting.