Fixing Venom

Def Rec: Numerals In Movie Titles

“On my planet, I’m kind of a loser like you.”

This is Def Rec, a very unserious blog about entertainment experiences you will definitely recommend. Movie minutia and television tidbits get ranked, rated, reviewed, and skewed—and in the end, you’ll know which one to Def Rec.

I’m Jon McBrine. I’m an authority on entertainment and pop culture because I have access to the Internet.

When it comes to feature films, it’s best to do things by the numbers. Box office records, DVD sales, streaming views—all that data is nice, but the most effective use of numerals is in a movie’s title. Sure, there’s 13 Going on 30 (2004), 17 Again (2009), 18 Again! (1988), and the best to ever do it: Se7en (1995) - stylized with a 7 for a V - not to mention numerous sequels. But what doesn’t add up are the multiple motion pictures that don’t dial up the use of digits in their name.

Not everything can share the same genius as Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), but other projects—many of which are, of course, sequels and prequels—could have at least tried. I’ll break down the top three movies that I’ve improved by incorporating a number in their name, and then I’ll reveal which is the number one pick I recommend.

Number 1: Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

The Venom movie trilogy is a testament to Sony Pictures desperately wanting to make a cinematic universe without Spider-Man a viable thing. After years of rumors of a film adaptation of one of Spidey’s most fearsome foes, 2018 finally saw the release of Venom, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock. Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate, and Reed Scott round out the rest of the cast, and they all get to say they kind of, sort of starred in a Marvel movie, technically.

Since rights and licensing issues kept Spidey proper separate, this version of the Lethal Protector had to get creative. And when I say get creative, I mean go crazy. Core elements made it into the final product, such as the classic combo of an alien symbiotic entity attaching itself to Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock. Hardy’s artistic choices presented Eddie as a weirdly voiced, failed reporter. Instead of living in New York like he is in most of the classic comic books, he’s based in San Francisco. Loose as this interpretation is, the setting is actually based on the Marvel Comics Venom: Lethal Protector series from 1993 and the Planet of the Symbiotes storyline from 1995. Source material accuracy isn’t necessary, but it’s always appreciated, and it’s always confusing when some of the adaptation borrows from a deep comics cut but then goes rogue everywhere else.

The first entry in the CGI-filled, Spider-Man-adjacent adventure franchise is admittedly a fun flick. It teeters on “so bad it’s good,” but ultimately falls into a plot-hole-riddled, ridiculous romp. Since Peter Parker is absent, the filmmakers made some bold decisions about the iconic characters. For one of the wilder choices, you don’t have to look further than the title of the movie itself. Venom is an alien entity; that part stayed true to the comic, but his name happens to be Venom—an English word used to describe a toxic poison you’d find in some spiders. The rival symbiote creature that Venom and Eddie fight is coincidentally called Riot. It’s a small galaxy.

The violent-sounding names raged on in the 2021 sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. At the end of the first flick, Woody Harrelson portrays serial killer Cletus Kasady, who bonds with the crimson-colored Carnage symbiote. As far as titles go, this sophomore effort was fine, but it continues a long-standing trend of avoiding adding a number in the name. “Venom 2” is what most people would refer to it as, but Hollywood executives seem to feel that simply calling it “Part Two” is unimaginative and a tad corny. For the most part anyway, without incorporating the numeral denoting its place in the series, I believe it can only cause confusion.

This is where the third entry of the trilogy comes in: Venom: The Last Dance. Nice use of “last” to imply the finality of the franchise, but Sony missed a golden opportunity to switch to a more stylish sendoff. Replace the “E” in Venom with a “3” (V3nom), and you have an instant cinematic masterpiece. And hey, if they ever make a prequel, swap that “O” in Venom with a “0” (Ven0m), and you’re set.

Reason to Rec: I won’t pretend any of the Venom films are anything other than popcorn flicks that maybe play in the background while you’re working on some other project, or maybe you’d have Venom playing while you’re working out as motivation to not be a loser on this planet. Regardless, these movies at least have a cheesy fun factor to them. The nicest thing I can say about Venom is to actually borrow a line from a friend of mine: this film’s production employed a lot of people, so something positive did come from this movie.

Number 2: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

In 2019, director Todd Phillips introduced the world to a new take on the Clown Prince of Crime in a film starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the down-on-his-luck loner who would become everyone’s favorite Halloween costume: the Joker. A pseudo-prequel, this origin story showcases Arthur’s failed attempts at stand-up comedy and how society in general overlooks him, eventually leading to his psychotic break that results in grease paint and green hair dye.

Set as a period piece in Gotham years before Bruce Wayne decided to dress up in a bat-themed costume, Joker‘s message of how the downtrodden loser’s plight is ignored and dismissed serves as a timeless reminder to not be so quick to cast aside any undesirables. Arthur also goes on a talk show and shoots Robert De Niro in the face. Though heralded as a hero among the embittered, anti-social, so-called incels, Joker is a villain who does villain things, but his story reflects a larger picture. Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen, Zazie Beetz, and Shea Whigham contribute to the cast carrying out the film’s commentary on culture and how the mentally ill and impoverished are mistreated.

This anti-hero tale brought a certain level of gravitas to what could have easily been yet another silly comic book flick, and it received high praise from critics and audiences. Its quotes and imagery being repeatedly used in internet memes has immortalized it, and we all know the only real marker of how something impacts people is through the use of online tomfoolery. Personally, I think the movie is merely okay and that solo villain movies are pointless. Despite my thoughts on the movie, it was a huge hit in its early October release in the year right before COVID.

While Arthur Fleck’s place in the greater DC Comics cinematic canon was sort of just floating in its own space, fans were eager to see him return in 2024 when the sequel hit theaters. This time, Lady Gaga joined the ensemble to portray an odd version of Harley Quinn, presented in the film as Lee Quinzel. The movie followed the aftermath of Arthur’s riotous influence over Gotham and how he’d be tried for his crimes.

This wasn’t any ordinary part two. Joker: Folie à Deux played a joke on moviegoers everywhere by making the bizarre decision to have this story be a musical. Singing and dancing aside, the movie was riddled with strange storytelling choices—namely Arthur and a gaggle of prison guards doing, um, impolite things. The overall reaction to this sequel was that of confusion, resentment, and disappointment. Many viewers openly criticized it for perceiving it to be a message to the majority of male fans by depicting the Joker, the counter-culture folk hero of the day, as a, er, feckless loser who wasn’t all he was cracked up to be.

Whatever the case may be, the movie tanked. The solution that could have prevented such harsh responses: make a slight adjustment to the title that gave a clearer idea that it was the second one—call it Joker: Folie à Two. Then they’d have the last laugh.

Reason to Rec: The first Joker was an interesting version of the classic villain. The sequel? Well, it’s hard to genuinely recommend something that appears to dislike fans, but hey, it’s a spectacle if nothing else.

Number 3: The Odd Couple II (1998)

The final film I’ll modify for the better is a classic comedy sequel, but perhaps not in the order anyone would expect. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau starred in the original The Odd Couple movie in 1968, which was, of course, based on the Neil Simon play. The roles were then played by Tony Randall and Jack Klugman in the television adaptation that ran from 1970 to 1975. This version got a TV revival movie in 1993 called The Odd Couple: Together Again, reprising the primary cast members in their roles.

In 1998, the OGs returned with The Odd Couple II, continuing the ‘68 incarnation. Though this theatrical film was a direct sequel to the original movie, there is that made-for-TV special lingering in the ether. So, in order to prevent any potential confusion, I have come up with a new title for the 1998 movie, which could technically be considered the third film: The Odd Throuple.

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If you’re going to watch any of these sequels, the one I Def Rec is The Odd Couple II, because it is a fun comedy that you can watch with the whole family, especially the elderly ones. Just maybe don’t call the movie The Odd Throuple in front of your grandma. She’ll either not get it, or worse, she will get it—like, really get it, and understand throuples all too well. And those are some worms that can stay in the can.

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Books by Jon McBrine

The Eric Icarus Series

Unable to hide his flying abilities, a shy high school student’s plan to hide in plain sight as just another superhero backfires after an attack leaves him as the only hope to stop a diabolical villain.

Recruited by tech mogul Baron Maddox, Eric Boxworth becomes Eric Icarus, a maskless member of the Super Society, tech-based defenders of New St. Cloud City. Eric’s miraculous, natural flight power is disguised by a decoy anti-gravity backpack to avoid getting dissected in a lab. Eric and his bubbly, good-natured classmate Jaycee - the armored hero Powerhouse - must stop a madman from creating an empire built on stolen powers. Fans of young superheroes, found family tropes, and high-stakes action will love this YA sci-fi adventure series.

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