4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Zack Snyder Edition

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 57th birthday to Zack Snyder! Zack Snyder has been a favorite (and occasionally a not-so-favorite) of many of the people who have written for this site. Speaking for myself, I loved Sucker Punch and disliked Man of Steel. (Arleigh, for the record, liked both.) But Snyder is a filmmaker about whom no one seems to be neutral. That’s definitely something of which to take some pride. I was not a fan of the whole idea behind the Oscar Fan Favorite nonsense last year, there was something satisfying about both of those awards being won by films directed by a man who Hollywood has often tried to dismiss.

In honor of Zack Snyder’s birthday, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Films

300 (2003, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Larry Fong)

Sucker Punch (2011, dir by Zack Snyder: DP: Larry Fong)

Man of Steel (2013, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Amir Mokri)

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Fabian Wagner)

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films: 2020 — 2022

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

This October, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different with my contribution to 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films. I’m going to be taking a little chronological tour of the history of horror cinema, moving from decade to decade.

Today, we conclude by taking a look at 2020, 2021, and 2022!

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films: 2020 — 2022

A Quiet Place Part II (2020, dir by John Krasinski, DP: Polly Morgan)

The Invisible Man (2020, dir by Leigh Wannell;, DP: Stefan Duscio)

Army of the Dead (2021, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Zack Snyder)

Halloween Kills (2021, dir by David Gordon Green, DP: Michael Simmonds)

The Black Phone (2022, dir by Scott Derrickson. DP: Brett Jutkiewicz)

Smile (2022, dir by Parker Finn, DP: Charlie Sarroff)

Nope (2022, dir by Jordan Peele, DP: Hoyte van Hoytema)

X (2022, dir by Ti West, DP: Eliot Rockett)

6 Shots From 6 Horror Films: 2002 — 2004

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, we take a look at 2002, 2003, and 2004!

6 Shots From 6 Horror Films: 2002 — 2004

28 Days Later (2002, dir by Danny Boyle, DP: Anthony Dod Mantle)

The Ring (2002, dir by Gore Verbinski, DP: Bojan Bazelli)

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002, dir by Don Coscarelli, DP: Adam Janeiro)

House of 1,000 Corpses (2003, dir by Rob Zombie, DP: Alex Poppas, Tom Richmond)

Underworld (2003, dir by Len Wiseman, DP: Tony Pierce-Roberts)

Dawn of the Dead (2004, dir by Zack Snyder, DP; Matthew F. Leonetti)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Zack Snyder Edition

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As I already mentioned, today is Zack Snyder’s birthday! It’s taken a while but critics are finally starting to appreciate Zack Snyder. All it took was seeing the Joss Whedon version of Justice League for some viewers to realize that, whether you always agree with his directorial choices or not, Zack Snyder is one of the most consistently interesting filmmakers working today.

Personally, so as not to be a hypocrite about this, I will admit that I’ve been pretty critical of Snyder’s DC films. I make no apologies for that. I’ll continue to make jokes about the excessive destruction of Metropolis and the “Why did you say Martha?” scene. That said, Watchmen was a well-done film that continues to be influential. People are finally starting to admit that Sucker Punch was pretty damn good. Dawn of the Dead is one of the few horror remakes that pay homage to its source material while also establishing a worthwhile identity of its own. And, even if I haven’t worked up the courage to sit through all four hours of it, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has inspired an enthusiasm that I rarely see amongst film fans. “Release the Snyder Cut!” was one of the few twitter campaigns to actually get results. Even the Snyder films that I dislike are unlike any other film. Snyder has a unique artistic vision and that’s what we need more of.

So, in honor of the man’s birthday, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Zack Snyder Films

Dawn of the Dead (2004, dir by Zack Snyder, DP; Matthew F. Leonetti)

Watchmen (2009, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Larry Fong)

Sucker Punch (2011, dir by Zack Snyder, DP; Larry Fong)

Army of the Dead (2021, dir by Zack Snyder, DP: Zack Snyder)

Happy Birthday, Zack Snyder!

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is Zack Snyder’s 56th birthday! Happy birthday, Mr. Snyder!

Down here in Texas, today is also primary day. Voters will be selecting the candidates who will run in the November general election. I already know who I am voting for and, more importantly, I know who I hope doesn’t win his primary because there’s no way I want to spend 8 months watching his commercials every time I turn on TV or try to watch a YouTube video. Seriously, the dude is freaking annoying….

Anyway, with all that in mind, this advice from 2011’s Sucker Punch seems appropriate for today, both as an election day message and a reminder of the uniquely weird vision of Zack Snyder!

Here’s The Trailer for Zack Snyder’s Justice League!

Posted on August 23, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Another trailer that premiered this weekend was the trailer for Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League.

Since hardly anyone wants to be associated with Joss Whedon anymore, I assume that this will be the new, official version of Justice League. I never saw the original release version so I can’t really tell you if this trailer looks like an improvement or not. (Seriously, I was so annoyed with Batman v Superman that I pretty much just looked at Justice League and said, “No way.” Not even the presence of Gal Gadot could change my mind)

That said, a lot of people online are really excited about the Snyder cut so here’s the trailer:

Scenes That I Love: The Samurai Fight From Sucker Punch (Happy Birthday, Zack Snyder!)

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is Zack Snyder’s birthday!

To say that Zack Snyder is a controversial filmmaker would be an understatement. People seem to either love his ultrastylish films or they hate them. Myself, I was not a fan of Man of Steel and I’m still laughing about the “Why did you say Martha!?” scene from Batman v Superman. At the same time, I also think that Zack Snyder is responsible for one of the greatest (and most underrated) films of the past ten years, 2011’s Sucker Punch. Though the film may be under appreciated today, Sucker Punch is one of those films that’s destined to eventually be rediscovered and appreciated by a new generation of film students.

In fact, you can start appreciating it now by reading my review from 2011. This was one of the first big reviews that I ever wrote for this site and, along with my Black Swan review, it’s one of the reviews that really set the tone for the future of the Shattered Lens.

And, after you’ve read the review, check out this scene that I love. From Sucker Punch, it’s Babydoll’s battle with the giant samurai. Like almost all great action movie scenes, it’s both ludicrous and brilliant at the same time.

Courtesy of Zack Snyder’s Twitter Account, here’s some Aquaman Footage!

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Working on my birthday 🎉 pic.twitter.com/tLidlUrcyn

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) March 2, 2017

Apparently, this is the first footage that we’ve seen of Aquaman and … uhmmmm …. yeah. This doesn’t look incredibly silly at all.

Hey, Zack, would it be too much trouble to get a Sucker Punch sequel?

2016 In Review: Lisa Picks The 16 Worst Films of 2016!

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, here’s the time that I know we’ve all been waiting for! It’s time for me to reveal my picks for the 16 worst films of 2016!

(Why 2016? Because Lisa doesn’t do odd numbers!)

Now, I should make clear that these are my picks. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the other writers here at Through The Shattered Lens. In fact, I know that a few of them most definitely do not!

What type of year was 2016? It was a pretty bad one. There weren’t many memorable films released but there was a lot of mediocrity and disappointment. Do you know why 2016 was so bad? I think it’s because, if you add up 2 plus 1 plus 6, you end up with 9, an odd number. For that same reason, 2017 is going to be much better. If you add up 2 plus 1 plus 7, you end up with 10, which is an even number that can be cleanly divided.

So fear not! 2017 is going to be a great year!

For now, however, here are my picks for the 16 worst films of 2016!

16. The Girl on the Train (dir by Tate Taylor)

15. The Fifth Wave (dir by J Blakeson)

14. Alice Through the Looking Glass (dir by James Bobin)

13. Jane Got A Gun (dir by Gavin O’Connor)

12. Mother’s Day (dir by Garry Marshall)

11. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (dir by Burr Steers)

10. The Sea of Trees (dir by Gus Van Sant)

9. Money Monster (dir by Jodie Foster)

8. Me Before You (dir by Thea Sharrock)

7. Independence Day: Resurgence (dir by Roland Emmerich)

6. Zoolander 2 (dir by Ben Stiller)

5. The Purge: Election Year (dir by James DeMonaco)

4. Paradox (dir by Michael Hurst)

3. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (dir by Zack Snyder)

2. Yoga Hosers (dir by Kevin Smith)

And finally, the worst film of 2016 … drum roll please ….

HARDCORE HENRY! (dir by Ilya Naishuller)

Seriously, Hardcore Henry is one of the few films that I have ever had to walk out on. I literally got physically ill while watching the film, largely due to the nonstop shaky cam. Seriously — when your film’s selling point is a technique that literally induces nausea, you’re going to have some problems. Now, before anyone leaves any angry comments, I did make it a point to go back and watch the rest of Hardcore Henry before making out this list. Not only does Hardcore Henry feature a nausea-inducing gimmick but it’s also a rather uninspired and dull action film.