Hooray For Hollywood --Lucy Whitman Sandmeyer

Joss Whedon. What a cool dude. Not only did he write and direct the highest grossing film of 2012 (The Avengers) but he also has made TV shows and movies that, while not wildly popular, have a pretty fanatic following, and rightfully so. He’s funny, he’s dark, he’s dry, he’s dramatic, and everyone once and a while he throws in a musical number. I mean, right? The Avengers is an action/adventure movie meant for a huge audience. It had a huge budget so the special effects are great, the actors are super famous and it’s awesome. Serenity, the movie conclusion to his one season series Firefly, is something a little closer to his heart with fewer major battles and, ironically, no aliens (they live in space) but is equally awesome. With both movies, he was the writer and director, which does mean it was a bit more his than a lot of director’s movies, but he still shows off some distinct directorial style.

While the characters are in action, Joss makes it dramatic by showing them each fighting their separate battles in the chaos of the greater conflict but also make sure pan across everyone fighting next to each other at least once in each movie. He’s a master of the expansion shot that establishes setting and that detached feel with some humor. Essentially, he manages to make even his shots sarcastic. He creates a story succinctly but with enough complexity that it feels much more refreshing than a three and a half long endeavor with amazing helicopter shots of New Zealand. Sorry, Peter Jackson, no matter how EPIC your movies are, Whedon’s movies are just more fun. But I love me some Aragorn/Legolas bromance, don’t get me wrong. I just like Coulson a leetle bit more.