A Fan Essay: Meddling Studio, Mediocrity, Delusional Fans, State of the DCEU and how SUICIDE SQUAD Pushed Me Over the Edge

Editor Preface: This is a fan essay written per the request of DailySuperHero.com after a conversation on Twitter earlier today. DC fan John Korczyk can't take it anymore when it comes to his beloved DC super heroes and here's what he wants to say to Warner Bros., studio executives, fellow fans and anyone else who loves DC characters. There will be some swearing ahead...

I recently had a Twitter exchange with the folks over at DailySuperHero.com about how I was “fired up” about the missed opportunity that is SUICIDE SQUAD. It seems behind the scenes meddling allegedly done by Warner Bros. (WB) and rushing its production ahead would make for a better movie than “Skwad” actually turned out to be. This is not the first time WB has created self-inflicted wounds, they have had decades of difficulty in turning out quality super hero movies. I was then asked if I would write an essay for their site, to which I am obliging. DailySuperHero.com also asked me to “keep it clean and around 1,000 words.” To that I say, “Fuck it, they ain’t gonna WB me!” 

Who the Hell am I to Say? 

Born in the late '60s, my love of super heroes and comic books bloomed in the '70s. Looking back, it was a pretty darn good time for quality comic books. Each week my mother would give me $1 to ride my bike down to 7-Eleven to go comic book shopping. Often I was faced with a tough choice; do I get three books for my $1, or go for the “Giant Sized $1 Issue." Back then I didn’t really consciously discriminate between Marvel or DC, but as I look back at my collection, still in pristine condition at my mother’s house, I see that I leaned toward DC. Green Lantern has always been my favorite, still is, and I can say that I have every GL issue since the early '70s. 

My love for super heroes was then fed by re-runs of the '60s Batman, the classic Super Friends cartoons, and, of course, the 8-inch Mego Super Hero action figure line. I had them all. The hours I would play with those figures was never ending, creating stories and scenarios for them, my imagination running wild. I played with them so much my mother became an expert on mending tattered costumes and re-stringing their arms and legs back in place. Only those who played with them as much as I did will know what I’m talking about. 

I saw Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN at a drive-in with my brother and his girlfriend. I thought that before Linda Carter, Cathy Lee Crosby was actually good as Wonder Woman. I loved Bill Bixby and the Hulk, and was smart enough to know that the live-action television versions of Spider-Man and Captain America were cheesy. 

Quite frankly, as a 50-year-old man, I can say I’ve pretty much seen the complete development of the super hero in modern cinema. So does that make me an expert? Nope. I’m just a longtime fanboy. A fanboy who is frustrated with WB's handling of such a beloved property; the heroes of the DC Universe. 

Suicide Squad 

As a lifelong fanboy I guess it was inevitable my daughter would blossom into quite the fangirl. At first she was hooked on The Flash, but Harley Quinn inevitably became her favorite. She has quite a comic book collection of her own and her bedroom, steeped in black, red, and white, is a complete tribute to the Clown Prince of Crime’s love interest. She turned 14 this past June, and when I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, her reply was, “I don’t want to have any kind of party until August 5. I want to see the first showing of SUICIDE SQUAD with a bunch of my friends.” 

She had been counting down the days to the release since the movie’s announcement. As it turned out, I bought a bunch of tickets for the 10 p.m. showing, in IMAX 3D, on Thursday night, August 4. 

She, and her fellow 14-year-old fangirl friends, loved it. “5-out-of-5 stars” she would say. Me and my nephew, who accompanied them to the movie, but were forced to sit nowhere near them, didn’t quite feel the same. 

I feel it was, well, okay. Just okay. I give it "2.5-out-of-5 stars," maybe three. The real problem was I felt let down. I really thought that DEADPOOL and SUICIDE SQUAD were going to be the best comic book movies of the year. 

DEADPOOL? Yes. SUICIDE SQUAD? Not so much. 

After the movie, when my daughter asked me how I liked it, I replied,” It was pretty good, Harley Quinn was great.” I couldn’t break her heart. For the record, I really did like all of the performances by the actors and I hope I get to see Deadshot, Harley, Killer Croc and Boomerang in future films. I also really liked the first 45-minutes or so, very much. 

The movie simply didn’t deliver what the trailers had promised. The trailers were flashy and witty. The movie was a bit flat. The trailers were exciting. The movie lacked any truly memorable jaw-dropping scene. Jared Leto and his method acting promised an intriguing and menacing Joker. The movie didn’t capture that, at least not the movie we saw. 

Then I started reading about how many scenes involving the Joker were left on the cutting room floor. Killer Croc’s development washed down the sewer and Batman reduced to nearly a cardboard cutout. Where were all the scenes I saw in the trailers? I read about rushed development, test screenings, reshoots and editing nightmares, all on behalf of Warner Bros. 

Is this true? I only know what I read, and I know not everything I read is true, but the proof seems to be in “the puddin’.” 

The part that drove me off the edge and “fired me up”, was the thought that WB might release an extended version, like they have with BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, that will include all this unused footage, and that version could be much better. Are they fucking kidding me? Just put out the “good version” first and stop jerking me around. Is this a tactic to get my money? They had it anyway. It used to be that the deleted scenes included on a DVD were garbage, now the deleted scenes make the movie better. 

SUICIDE SQUAD could have been the quirky, witty, surprise hit of the year. It should have been. It is a missed opportunity because WB is panicked and lacks trust in its filmmakers. As Umberto Gonzalez, or El Mayimbe as some of us know him, says that the real enemy is not the critics, but WB. [Paraphrased.]

Would Have Gotten Away With it, if Not For Those Meddling… Studios? 

A funny thing I left out earlier was that after the movie, when I didn’t proclaim SUICIDE SQUAD as the greatest movie ever made, my daughter was quick to reply, “Well, it was a lot better than GREEN LANTERN!” She had me there. GREEN LANTERN is another great example of a missed opportunity, and another example of the “extended director’s version” being a better movie, albeit not by much. God, I thought GL was going to be the DC movie version of Star Wars. But what is going on here? Why are these “director’s versions” better? I think the fault of that points directly at whoever the Hell is running WB. 

Let’s go back to 1989 and Tim Burton’s BATMAN. This is the movie that really started it all as far as hype, anticipation and mega-millions being spent on production and promotion. This is also where the meddling , interference and distrust of its directors began on behalf of WB. Developmental Hell, indecision by WB executives, re-writes and reshoots. Tim Burton has referred to the period of making BATMAN as “the worst of his life.” I hope SUICIDE SQUAD director David Ayer doesn’t feel the same. For a more thorough understanding of the circumstances surrounding BATMAN and the follow-up movies, I highly suggest reading Glen Weldon’s “The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture.” Better yet, listen to it on audiobook as I did; the book, as well as the author, are quite entertaining and informative. 

Whereas the studio was nervous and intervening with BATMAN, since Burton was unproven at the time, they gave him more freedom and control with BATMAN RETURNS. It’s no coincidence that BATMAN RETURNS is often the favorite of Burton's Batman films. Let the director do his thing. 

Then WB got nervous over their property, basically ousting Burton in favor of a puppet-like Joel Schumacher. Schumacher would shoot on schedule, come in under budget, create Bat-nipples, and kill the franchise. Good job. Warner Bros. is not alone in this, look what Sony did with Sam Rami his SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY. 

I am admittedly uninformed, and haven’t heard reports of WB and Christopher Nolan clashing during production of the DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY, perhaps that’s why those films have been both critical and box office successes. The DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY is the benchmark by which all super hero movies should be judged. On the other hand, with all due respect to Mr. Nolan, his movies were not very stylized. They were easily digested by critics, casual movie goers and fanboys alike; they had mainstream appeal. My mother really likes BATMAN BEGINS. 

Has WB ever seen a Zack Snyder film? Have they seen SUCKER PUNCH, WATCHMEN, or 300? They can’t hire Snyder and expect something other than a 'Zack Snyder film.' He is an auteur, like Burton. Five minutes into a movie you can tell Snyder is at the helm. If you are going to hire a director with such a distinct aesthetic, you have to let him do his thing. Ride or die with the director of your choosing. When studio heads start worrying about test audiences and try to change a movie after it has basically been shot, the result is often confusing, poorly edited and not the movie they should be putting out. As DailySuperHero.com said to me  they should either make the director-driven movies they claim they want to make, or do it the Marvel way; studio/producer driven. [Paraphrased.] That is very true; they can’t have it both ways. The studio interference will eventually drive away young, talented, visionary directors and leave us with Joel Schumachers. 

I understand with today’s blockbuster movies time is money and deadlines need to be met. But what the fuck is going on in the editing process? GREEN LANTERN is an editing nightmare. Seriously, there are parts of that movie where daytime turns into night in an instant. Critical backstory left on the cutting room floor. Most movie goers may not be able to technically identify editing issues, but they certainly know that something is wrong and left scratching their heads. 

So how do Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris and Hector Hammond know each other? Head scratcher. 

The same goes for BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. The “super-duper extended director’s cut” made some of these head scratching moments clear in making the movie flow and more enjoyable. Ahh, that’s what was going on in the desert. Ah-ha, Superman tried to save people at the Capital Building. 

Instead, the editing process seems to be done by committee. Long gone is the thought of some guy sitting in a dark room by himself, chain smoking cigarettes, editing the movie alone. Long gone are the clear concise visions of the director and the editor. 

The Critics are Wrong! It’s a Conspiracy! 

I can’t believe people actually started a petition to shut down RottenTomatoes.com. As of this writing, SUICIDE SQUAD has a 26-percent Rotten critic score and a 73-percent Flixter user score, very comparable to BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. Yet DC faithful refuse to accept these critiques. My daughter is a prime example, five-stars for SUICIDE SQUAD. Five stars? I read fans proclaim SUICIDE SQUAD as the best comic book movie ever! Are they kidding me? 

These fans want these movies to be great and convince themselves that they are. In actuality, what they are doing is allowing themselves to accept mediocrity. 

Now I really liked BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, I really did, but most criticisms of the movie are pretty accurate. Fanboys and fangirls, however, hold these characters so dearly any criticisms of these movies is akin to calling their mother a slut, even if she is sleeping with half the PTA. When, and if, an extended uncut version of SUICIDE SQUAD is released, these fans will realize the shortcomings of the theatrical release. 

The advance purchase of tickets helps feed the devil. SUICIDE SQUAD broke the August all-time pre-ticket sales. It will do $135 million (domestically) its opening weekend. How much of that was purchased in July? We buy these tickets with the hope the movie will be good. People tell themselves, "I spent my $20 on a ticket already and now a critic is going to tell me the movie sucks? Fuck him! It’s great!" That’s why these movies don’t have any legs and the second week drop-off is staggering. Hell, SUICIDE SQUAD had a second day drop-off of a reported 41-percent. 

We fans allow studios to put out mediocre movies and we defend and support them blindly; it’s not fair. They are not respecting us. They know we’ll plunk down our money to be part of the event. There was a Twitter movement, #SupportDCFilms that encored fans to see BATMAN V. SUPERMAN multiple times just to prove critics were wrong. How about WB starting #SupportDCFans and put out better movies? Again, and I need to reiterate, I actually like these movies, but they can, and should, be so much better. On a rainy Sunday I would much rather watch SUICIDE SQUAD over AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, but I cannot accept mediocrity, and this whole trend of the DVD being better is driving me Bat-Shit crazy! 

I am also skeptical on some of these critics, too. Blasting a tent-pole movie is a good way to get clicks on your website. Any douchebag with a laptop can be a critic. I can’t help but think of the ENTOURAGE episode where the gang sends porn stars to a movie reviewer in exchange for a favorable review. I try to be very selective in the reviewers I read. 

The Future of the DC Cinematic Universe 

What’s done is done. Now Warner Bros. seems poised to ride or die with DC Comics CCO Geoff Johns (as the reportedly new co-head of WB's newest studio offshoot DC Films). Oh boy. Although I liked Johns’ run on the Green Lantern comic, let’s not overlook the fact that DC Comics has recently changed from 'The New 52' to 'Rebirth,' and then where. 

I wish director Patty Jenkins all the luck in the world with WONDER WOMAN, and so far the trailers look great. Ha, the trailers. WONDER WOMAN will be the start of the Geoff Johns imprint, so let’s see. The pressure on the WONDER WOMAN movie is huge. After that is JUSTICE LEAGUE. Snyder getting another shot. Frankly, if it turn out similar to BATMAN V. SUPERMAN and SUICIDE SQUAD, that may be the death nail of the DCEU. Something tells me critics may shy away from blasting a female driven movie like WONDER WOMAN, though. 

Whereas these movies are turning a slight profit, they may not be worth the hassle to make. AQUAMAN? Boy am I worried for that one. What was the last good underwater movie any of us have seen? So not only does it have to be good, but groundbreaking as well. All you have to do is Google the trailer for EMPIRE OF THE DEEP to see just how bad this could turn out. 

I have higher hopes for THE FLASH, but that seems so far away now. All I have to do is keep exercising, eating right and live to 2020 for the redemption of the Green Lantern in GREEN LANTERN CORPS. 

Let’s go DC fan nation... demand better! I am on your side.

An essay by John Korczyk for DailySuperHero.com. You can follow John on Twitter here.

Related Posts:

SUICIDE SQUAD Backlash: Pressure to Perform Positively is on WONDER WOMAN and JUSTICE LEAGUE More Than Ever

SUICIDE SQUAD Rumored Deleted Scenes Sound Like a Better Movie That Should've Been Released Instead

More Dirt About Warner Bros. and Their Meddling With SUICIDE SQUAD

SUICIDE SQUAD: Jared Leto Doesn't Sound Happy That Many JOKER Scenes Were Cut Out