Sparks

  Disgraced superhero Ian Sparks must reclaim his reputation after blacking out during a confrontation with a serial killer. Hitting rock bottom, and losing the love of his life, Sparks must confront a plot involving his origins and the villain who humiliated him.
  The superhero movie as a genre is a train that keeps on chugging along, with people in increasing number flocking to see the latest Marvel Studios film or whatever halfhearted effort DC and Warner Brothers have dumped into theaters. For a genre that was considered a joke 20 years ago, the tables sure have turned for costumed heroes, and I, for one, couldn't be happier about it.
  Sparks is not your standard superhero movie, it tells a story of redemption and love through a noir lens. This movie is also not afraid to look a little silly at times, something the big Hollywood movies tend to stay away from as much as possible. The costumes worn by Sparks and his love Lady Heavenly are unmistakably the kind seen in comic books, which is something I found refreshing.
  While the cast isn't quite all star, it does include a number of notable names, including veteran character actors like Clancy Brown and Clint Howard. William Katt, who also produced the film, shows up to play a part.
  This film is far from perfect, at times it looks a little cheap, including a somewhat unconvincing cgi scene of a car crashing into a train. There are moments where some of the acting feels a tiny bit rough, and some of the dialogue feels slightly hammy, but this is a superhero noir film, so I guess that is something that is unavoidable. With all of that said, I enjoyed my time with Sparks, the movie has heart, and it tells a different kind of story then the ones you'll see at your local multiplex. I enjoyed it enough that it made me want to read the graphic novel that the film is based upon, and in terms of recommendation, isn't that praise enough?  

Good Dick

  A woman who is living as a shut-in enters into an unlikely romance with a video store clerk who tries to draw her out of her shell.
  Marianna Palka, who wrote, directed and stars in the movie, sells her character's dysfunction well, the viewer gets to feel that this is a woman with deep seated issues, which makes the film all the more compelling as we begin to root for the clerk who is trying his best to win her heart. Jason Ritter plays the part of the clerk, an affable every-man who begins on something of a creepy note, as we see him stalking the reclusive woman. It's not a huge issue for the movie, but I wondered if there wasn't a better way for the clerk to insert himself into the woman's life, as some of the opening scenes are slightly off-putting.
  While the movie doesn't give us much backstory about its characters at first, we do learn more as the movie progresses. The clerk is homeless, and used to be a drug addict, and then there of course comes the revelation about the woman towards the end of the movie, which I will not spoil here.
  The two leads aren't the only characters in the movie, but all the secondary characters don't get much backstory. We get to spend a little time with the other clerks at the video store, but the focus of the movie is really on the two main characters and their bizarre romance. The woman has a penchant for soft-core porn, which the two eventually watch together, but not as a prelude to sex.
  There are a lot of comedic moments, including a scene where the woman comes up behind the clerk and beings to simulate some rough doggy style, which I found surprisingly funny and surprising as it comes out of nowhere.
  As a fan of indie movies, and films generally about troubled and unusual characters I have to say I enjoyed my time with Good Dick. (Insert "That's what she said" line here.) It's a sweet story about an emotionally troubled woman who is eventually redeemed by the power of love, and it is funny at times and touching at others. Recommended.