Once Upon a Superhero

Great movie, but not in wide release yet (as of June 2019). It was made on a shoestring budget by a minimal crew and still had a tight story, good dialogue, and solid acting. It beat a lot of B-movies that go direct to video by a mile. Our hero wakes up on the streets of Hollywood (specifically streets a couple of blocks from the home of the writer/director 😉) and discovers his powers are gone. He soon determines they will be returned to him in about 6 months, on December 21st 2012, which is also the day the Mayans had predicted to be the end of the world. He feels that the return of his powers will allow him to save the Earth from a massive solar flare that would otherwise end life on that day. Is he really a superhero or is it all a delusion? We find out at the end of the movie. Great film!

In a world over saturated with super-powered content, it takes a work of tremendous heart to truly stand apart from such a crowd. Enter Solar Flare, star of John M. Kline's ONCE UPON A SUPERHERO to get this specialty job done. OUAS is a thought provoking indie feature that utilizes multiple mediums of visual storytelling to get its solemn and rather shocking narrative across to an audience. The story of a man trapped among an unfamiliar landscape, doing his best to do not only what he believes is right, but doing so against the grain of social norm. It's a tale all too close to many of us in one way or another. Sure, he's a superhero trying to prove his origins & existence within a crowd of Hollywood's professional impersonators, but this only aids in the plight crashing down upon him. In the end, this is a story reflecting the notions of vice, perseverance, mental health and at times, even parallels to the modern immigrant oppression crisis. This is a movie both ahead of its time and right where it needs to be all in one beautifully shot package. With a great soundtrack, wonderfully rendered illustrated segments and a absolutely outstanding performance by lead Adam Marcinowski, Once Upon a Superhero is a movie you cannot forget post-viewing and one that needs to be seen by many audiences over.

The showing last night in Phoenix was a great experience. The movie ending left more questions than answers but the story was captivating from beginning to end. Not often can you walk away from watching a movie that is so hard to put into words and at the same time be so satisfied because the tragedy is overshadowed by the quality of the film. Watching Solar Flare be succumbed to the temptations of the streets while preserving his faith in the future was tortuousness. I wanted to yell at him and say "it's not real and it's not going to happen" while questioning myself "what the hell do you know?" Maybe he is a super hero...at least to some. Thank you for making me speechless with a smile on my face.

I saw this movie at a sold-out screening at the Vista in Hollywood. Perfect location! The trailer gave me a little insight for the ride I'd be on but I was not prepared for the amazing adventure I actually went on.

John Kline put together a movie like none you'll see in theaters. Basically take everything you know about Darren Aronofsky or Andrei Tarkovsky and give it another ten pumps of awesome juice. A pure trippy ride at times and very well executed. The animated sequences were where I was really sold and settled into my seat to enjoy the flick.

The lead actor Adam Marcinowski did a great job of becoming Solar Flare a drifter of the streets that we more often than not never get a chance to connect with because we think they're crazy or mentally disabled. It's a sad fact of human existence and Mr. Marcinowski made me empathize and think twice before I walk past another life that I may think is lost. His performance gives an honest grim reality of the flip side for what most of us take for granted.

The score in the film was amazing and really tied everything together.

The movie in the end had a great message and I enjoyed the dark, atmospheric ride that I went on to get there. I could see A24 distributing this film. Must see! Hopefully it'll be streaming soon. I'd probably suggest having a glass of wine or a cordial before or during this film! It's a ride of epic proportions!

I saw this movie last night in Edmonton Canada. I felt taken on a ride like no other. No complacency or hollywoodish gimmickery when addressing subjects that nine times out of ten are not well portrayed in cinema, ie: addiction, sexualité, mental health. Amazing work of art.