Went to the midnight opening of Dark Knight, new Batman movie, I've always admited that I can't take a very critical stance on films I see in the theatres because I basically love the entire experience, but fuck, I can admit that Chicago really looks fucking awesome, if it can double as the fictional Gotham City then it can be my new favorite city. I remember looking at this intense panaroma photo of the skyline on wikipedia and that image was stuck in my mind for two and a half hours as I sat super close to a huge screen watching a dark and depressing tale unfold. Oh shit, I can be critical about one thing, Chris Nolan does not direct vehicles well, what I'm saying is that the action sequences involving anything but people had this weird Die Hard vibe, nothing new anyway, I do like the performances actors give him, and the insane approaching shot at the begining of this beautiful black skyscrapper really interests me still, the memory lingers.

To familiarize myself with the work of Heath Ledger I watched Brokeback Mountain last night, I had to figure out if it was a fluke he pulled off the Joker so well, and I guess I have to admit homeboy was a good actor, at least in the two movies I've seen him in.

I wanted to watch The Prestige, Chris Nolan's movie made between the Batmans, also starring Christian Bale and Michael Caine, but turns out I'd downloaded The Illusionist, I subsequently threw the DVD against the wall.

New Primal Scream record, Beautiful Future, confusing my sensibilities, so many guitars.

This city's first homicide of the year happened this morning, and I doubt the cops will do anything or solve it. They are inept and all in some kind of vacation mode. An officer hasn't lost his life in duty since like 1949, obvious do-nothing-department. A vigilante could clean this city up over two weeknights, I'm positive.

a manera de respuesta ante señalamientos recientes de que andamos muy machines y en franca urgencia de bocanadas de estrógeno, le hemos pedido a fernanda solórzano que, inspirada por el mejor espíritu lettermaniano, no nos dé 10, pero sí cinco buenas razones por las que las mujeres actuales y de onda deben dejarse de numeritos y rendirse ante  ese zeitgeist hecho película: the dark knight.

aceptó. va el top 5 de fernanda, drum roll…

1. christian bale. oficialmente, y sin lugar a dudas u objeciones, el hombre más guapo del cine contemporáneo; sobre todo cuando encarna a los patrick batemans y bruce waynes del mundo: fresa pero psicótico, millonario pero con vida interior. según la crítica especializada, o sea yo, el único actor a quien es legítimo considerársele como “crush”.

2. las grietas del guasón. ¿era necesario que muriera ledger para hacernos entender que nadie mayor a ocho años debe usar maquillaje en polvo (o base de maquillaje, punto)? sí, y se lo agradecemos.

3. ¡adiós rachel! ¿por qué maggie gyllenhaal prefiere la sonsez de harvey dent a la devoción que le profesa bruce? quizá eso sea algo que entiendan las mujeres con baja autoestima o una visión muy pedestre del amor; las demás, en cambio, agradeceremos siempre a los hermanos nolan, que son imparciales,  haber sido consecuentes con tan mala decisión.

4. no hay nada malo en hacerse bolas con tanto giro en el argumento. no es limitación femenina, sino un problema del guión.

5. “you complete me“. el eslogan de la codependencia acuñado en jerry maguire adquiere en esta película su verdadera dimensión. “tu complejo de superioridad moral te va a impedir matarme —le dice el guasón a batman— y me burlo tanto de ti que prefiero no abandonarte.” mejor que cualquier chick-flick, the dark knight desentraña los misterios de amor.

p.d. los otros tres ¿autores? de cinécdoque ya publicarán eventualmente más reviews de la cinta de nolan.

It's very easy in Hollywood for hype to get out of control. Expectations can build to the point that it becomes impossible for a movie to live up to its hype. But The Dark Knight lives up. It lives up in a big way.

While Batman Begins did a nice job of establishing Batman's origin, The Dark Knight benefits from being able to build on that solid foundation. No time is wasted on screen, action and dailogue all weave together to make a rich tapestry.

A big part of what makes the movie so exciting is suspense. The movie has a lot of surprises that keep your eyes glued to the screen. Whether it be Joker's antics or the tense moments like Harvey's scarring, you find yourself not losing focus on the film for fear of missing something. There is a lot going on in The Dark Knight, it's a layered movie that while abundant in detail has a very well developed and followable main plot.

Heath Ledger's performance is everything I thought it would be, everything it was publicized to be. What Ledger does with The Joker is arguably the most unique take an actor as every had on the character. Everything about the performance was right, not a false step to be found. His transformation was a complete one; when looking up on the screen you are not seeing Heath Ledger playing the Joker, you are actually seeing The Joker. I really could go on and on about Ledger's performance as there is just so much to it but in lieu of providing any spoilers I will instead encourage you to see The Dark Knight if for no other reason then solely for Ledger's performance.

As if Ledger's Oscar caliber performance wasn't enough, everyone else in the cast is at the top of their game. I can't single out any one in the entire cast that puts on a poor performance. All the returning actors slipped back into the roles very nicely. James Gordon, while an important character in Batman Begins, has an even bigger part in The Dark Knight. Like in Begins, Gary Oldman manages to nail everything that I envision James Gordon to be. Considering how involved Gordon is in the main plot of the film it is not a stretch to say that Gordon has made the leap from supporting to main character in the Nolan franchise. A special bit of praise goes to Maggie Gyllenhaal for stepping into the role Rachel Dawes and successfully keeping true to the character's traits from the first film. Aaron Eckhart does a stellar job of fleshing out the complex character that is Harvey Dent. His portrayal is unique but stays true to the spirit of character.

Final Verdict: Go see The Dark Knight as soon as possible.

And I really don't know where to begin. "The Dark Knight" is an explosive, heart-wrenching, dumbfounding , ingeniously concocted masterpiece that will forever stand the test of time as long as movies are made and the world keeps watching them. In no way has there been a hint of exaggeration in that sentence, whatsoever. It is that good.

Christopher Nolan (director) is a filmmaking sage and the masterpiece that is The Dark Knight clearly corroborates that. It is with a film like this that Batman fans everywhere can finally feel blessed for having such an admirable director who is the epitome of what many rising directors out there need to aspire to. He is a man who sincerely cares about the material he works with and treats it with the utmost respect and devotion that is a definite rarity in the Hollywood industry. Interpretation is an extremely vague term and is what led a franchise ignited by Tim Burton's much-revered Batman '89 epic into the most macabre of hellholes that was Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin. Nolan, on the other hand, has delved into the source material and core of the comics drawing inspiration from some of the greatest Batman stories ever told including "The Long Halloween", "The Man Who Laughs", "The Killing Joke", and retroactively, Batman #1, which coincidentally depicts the Joker televising his crime threats beforehand. While expanding on the mythos such as introducing new, yet essential characters and tweaking certain backstories, he does something that none of the previous directors have done - he stays true to the inner heart and soul of the characters and gets them right.

In "The Dark Knight", we do not see a pudgy, two-dimensional Commissioner Gordon who simply directs his bumbling cops to chase after Batman. We see a bold, yet unpretentious leader, played by Gary Oldman, who is torn between preserving the peace in a newly-restored Gotham City, and protecting the family he loves. We do not see an underused, underdeveloped Lando Calrissian reading off a letter from Batman before the fawning citizens of Gotham...or a Smuckers grape jelly Two-Face. We see Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), a fearless, ambitious District Attorney who is adamant about cleaning up the streets of Gotham, while desperately battling with his inner demons which gnaw away at his sense of sound reasoning and judgment. As for Two-Face, he looks amazingly gruesome with a partly CGI'ed face burn that brings the 10-megabyte computer files that are Iron Man and Hulk to utter shame. We also do not see Katie Holmes, but Maggie Gyllenhaal's honest and credible take on Rachel Dawes, the Assistant District Attorney who completes the love triangle, standing in between Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne. Morgan Freeman returns as Wayne Enterprises CEO, Lucius Fox, and Michael Caine as the avuncular butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Both indeed, play pivotal, directional roles to Bruce Wayne, who is once again reprised better than ever by Christian Bale.

These characters are so well-developed in "The Dark Knight" that whenever we see them in the most desperate and hopeless of situations, it most literally tears us apart. But most remarkable of all, is the maniacal, psychopathic clown, The Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger. I must say, the critics are entirely correct that he should be nominated for an Academy Award. Ledger's performance is flawless in that he has completely transformed himself, body and mind into the character of The Joker. He is The Joker in that he performs the most sadistic and humanly disturbing of acts, yet leaves the audience in a laughing riot that is sure to make some question whether or not insanity, perhaps, lies dormant within the deepest niches of all of our psyches. Ledger's Joker is the wake-up call and he surely hits the spot. Hard. An interrogation scene between Batman and the Joker is classic, as we finally witness the extremities of these two characters and the expressions that make them iconic: Controlled rage and masochistic laughter. This is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable moments in the film.

A city at rest. Lights shut off, except for one building. A towering skyscraper, illuminated by a radiant sapphire, atop which stands a lone, dark figure peering down into the abysmal streets below. Batman launches off the rooftop edge, gliding through the glorious cityscape of Hong Kong. A scene that can be accomplished by none other cinematographer, Wally Pfister. "The Dark Knight" is like nothing we have ever seen before. In "Batman Begins", we marvelled at a helicopter shot of Batman perched over a lofty ledge - a guardian watching over his city. With "The Dark Knight", Pfister has taken a gargantuan step up from "Begins", as we see a multitude of aerial and background shots hovering through the beautiful cities of Chicago, London, and Hong Kong. Not too enamored on special effects, Nolan and Pfister have easily proven by far how the scope of a film can exceed that of many CGI-cluttered, overbudgeted blockbusters today that tend to fail in all other aspects. Believe me. You will have not seen this film in its true form until you have seen it in IMAX.

Last, but not least, the storyline. Without revealing any spoilers or specific plot details, let me say this. Chris Nolan has pushed these characters to the brink of their limits until morals become obsolete and all that matters is reaching that final goal, which will only help alleviate the scars that have already been cut deep into the flesh. "The Dark Knight" is a lengthy 2 1/2 hours long, but in no way, I repeat, in no way does it drag and provide you a second of respite to emanating those searing indiglo light beams into people's eyes from your watches or sending your cutesie friendz sappy "idk rotfl byob" txt msgs ; ) This film is graphic, gritty, and emotionally abrasive and gives the best possible reason as to why it barely nicks the surface of an R-rating. The twists and turns are so effectively crafted and well-executed, as they are constantly utilized to raise the stakes precariously higher as the storyline progresses. Nolan has made a masterpiece so seamlessly woven as a whole that you'll be trying to catch your breath when the screen fades to black with the title of a momentous achievement in filmmaking history that is..."The Dark Knight".

Euge's Final Verdict: A+

This man really has had an illustrious career. Before his ultimate masterpiece graces all of our brainsicles this weekend lets take a quick look back at the only director to, quite impressively, not direct a single disappointing movie in his entire career. I’m thinking the chronological breakdown would be the most appropriate.

The Following - 1998

Chris not only directed his first official feature, but he wrote it as well. This under-seen gem portrays a man who likes to follow strangers around London with harmless intentions, until he breaks his own rules and follows a subject more than once, intertangling himself in a web of lies and murder. Despite being shot in black in white, this film won’t be remembered as a classic, but it is an incredibly impressive debut from a young director and should be checked out by all those Nolan enthusiasts who never had the pleasure.

Memento - 2000

I can vividly remember seeing Memento in theaters for the first time. It changed the way I thought about films and is largely responsible for the media whore I’ve become today. With twisted non-linear plotlines (the pieces shot in color are going backwards and the pieces shot in black and white are going forward) this thriller cemented Chris Nolan in my mind as the director to watch for in the new millennium. Memento follows Lenny, a man with no short-term memory trying to pick up the pieces of the puzzle to find the man who killed his wife. Nolan puts the viewer right in Lenny’s shoes experiencing scenes with no preface except the notes written down in Lenny’s pockets or tattooed to his body. When the black and white scenes fade into color and the two stories meet to reveal a horrifying truth, Memento’s ending ties up every loose end and satisfies like few films manage to do. When watched a second (third, fourth and fifth) time, Nolan’s genius can truly be appreciated as you can follow each intricacy of this backwards tale. Nolan penned this script based on his brother Jonathan’s short story, and it truly is a masterpiece in every sense.

Insomnia - 2002

After all the praise Nolan received for Memento the big wigs gave him some serious heavy hitters for Insomnia. Starring Hilary Swank (only one Oscar at this point), Al Pacino (Scarface, enough said) and Robin Williams sitting in as the villain, Insomnia took us on a little journey to a small Alaskan town where the sun don’t go down and murder is afoot. Despite being my least favorite of Nolan’s outings, although I’m not surprised since neither Chris nor his brother had anything to do with the script, Insomnia is a great film worthy of at least one viewing.

Batman Begins - 2005

After Joel Schumacher completely destroyed Batman with George Clooney and his pointy nipples my boy Chris Nolan came in and did the unthinkable. He completely reinvented one of the most iconic characters in movie history utilizing Christian Bale and directed / co-wrote the best comic book movie ever made: Batman Begins. If you haven’t seen it yet then you are out of your mind and running out of time. The Joker is coming to Gotham City in a week and you best not be caught in the sequel asking the person next to you who Morgan Freeman’s character is, or you might end up getting punched in the nuts.

The Prestige - 2006

The Prestige is most definitely my favorite Nolan family film from the whole catalogue and will always remain one of my favorite movies of all time. Penned by the Nolan brothers and starring Hugh Jackman and Batman (Christian Bale) as rival magicians, this film takes the high points of every previous Nolan film and bundles them all into a perfect package. Like Memento, the story is nonlinear darting between the present, where Batman is to be hanged for murder, to different pieces of the past sewn together by two rivals reading each other’s diaries. While the supernatural does come into play before the end credits roll the answer you were looking for is in fact quite simple and has been paraded right in front of your face the entire film. The movie opens with Bale’s character asking, “Are you watching closely?” Despite watching incredibly closely the twist eluded me until the final moments of the film when it was spelled out explicitly. When seeing this movie for a second time (*SPOILER ALERT*) with the knowledge that Bale’s character is actually two twin brothers, I could tell in each and every scene which brother was sitting in the room. Bale’s acting job here is simply amazing. To be able to play two characters and make them seem like one persona on a first viewing, yet clearly separable as two distinct personalities on a second viewing, is a feat I’ve never seen accomplished in a film. If you’ve only seen The Prestige once I really suggest sitting down for round two, only in multiple viewings can it all be taken in.

The Dark Knight - 2008

Appropriately taking the title of the best of the Batman comics “The Dark Knight Returns” by Frank Miller, Nolan’s sequel will no doubt match its namesake’s quality despite sporting an entirely different plot that has been kept under wraps locked up in a basement in a secret location in Maleriabekestan. Unlike Begins, the Nolan brothers wrote Knight so I’d expect a non-linear plot line filled with thought provoking bumps along the way. Much of the talk of the town is about Ledger’s Joker, which I’m sure will be haunting, but the idea for this twisted version of a psychopath sprung out of the heads of the Nolan brothers and is as much their child as it is Heath’s. I expect great things, and apparently I’m not alone. Despite theaters adding 3:00 and 6:00 AM showings on Thursday night many are still sold out. It seems that The Dark Knight could shatter all records to become the biggest opening of all time. I’m glad the Nolan brothers are finally getting the respect they deserve, because I think they are both brilliant and the best filmmakers in the industry.

- Rich

Da noi arrivera' il 23 luglio, negli Stati Uniti un po' prima, il 18. 'The Dark Knight' (in Italia 'Il cavaliere oscuro') e' sicuramente il film piu' atteso della stagione. Aspettative accresciute certo dalla bonta' del predecessore e dalle prime, positive, critiche che iniziano a piovere da oltreoceano. Secondo Variety il sequel di 'Batman Begins' e' "epica criminale ambiziosa e vigorosa, dall'appagante visionarieta' e complessita' morale". Per 'Rolling Stones' tutta l'operazione e' una "una potente provocazione travestiva da cinefumetto".

Ma la febbre che rinfocola le attese intorno al nuovo Batman e' presumibilmente un'altra. La sua origine va ricercata in quel tragico cortocircuito di reale e immaginario che ha accompagnato la lavorazione e il lancio del film. La morte di Heath Ledger, il Joker. L'attore, la maschera. C'e' qualcosa di assurdo, di fatalmente sinistro nella sovrimpressione di queste due immagini, nell'impasto di grana e carne, vita e finzione. L'interprete ha rubato al clown la recita, il clown gli ha soffiato l'istantanea finale. Foto piu' volte riprodotta, rappresa, magnificata. 'The Dark Knight' per tutti e' diventato Joker/Ledger. Quasi un film a parte, lo spin-off imparentato alla lontana con la saga dell'uomo pipistrello.

While clicking around Youtube today I stumbled on yet another clip from The Dark Knight. This clip is of the Joker party crashing scene that has appeared in many of the trailers and TV spots.

Where it came from I'm not sure. This Youtube link is the first place I found it but I severely doubt that this is where it originated. There is a chance this video will be taken down but even if it is it will find its way to another dozen locations.

The clip really gives a nice taste of Ledger's portrayal of Joker.

You will also find all of the footage released to date over HERE.

TV Spot #10

TV Spot #11

TV Spot #12

TV Spot #13

TV Spot #14

TV Spot #15

Wizard World Footage

I didn't love Hellboy, the movie, as much as I feel like I should have, or as much as I love Mike Mignola's source material. But the advance word on Hellboy II: The Golden Army, has me fairly drooling. Not as much as The Dark Knight, due for release the following week (!), but still. Del Toro and Chris Nolan can count on my $10 and then some. Actually, Nolan will get more:  I'm going to have to check out The Dark Knight in IMAX, since Nolan apparently shot four scenes in IMAX.

These kinds of films were defining events of my adolescent summers. They offer diminishing returns in adulthood, but I still get excited about 'em. Obviously.

As well as this 5/5 star review off IGN: http://movies.ign.com/articles/884/884876p1.html

Now here are TV spots 5-9 for you. You can find the rest here.

TV Spot #5

TV Spot #6

TV Spot #7

TV Spot #8

TV Spot #9

Teaser Trailer

Trailer #1

Trailer #2

International Trailer

Dominos Exclusive Trailer

TV Spots

TV Spot #1

TV Spot #2

TV Spot #3

TV Spot #4

TV Spot #5

TV Spot #6

TV Spot #7

TV Spot #8

TV Spot #9

TV Spot #10

TV Spot #11

TV Spot #12

TV Spot #13

TV Spot #14

TV Spot #15

Other

12 Clips

Wizard World Footage

Swedish TDK Exclusive

Two-Face Revealed

Batman Unmasked History Channel Preview

Filming in Chicago Featurette

IMAX Featurette

Clown Masks Featurette

Batman Begins Revisited Featurette

Today Show Feature

And the tracklist:

1. Why So Serious? (9:14)
2. I'm Not A Hero (6:34)
3. Harvey Two-Face (6:16)
4. Aggressive Expansion (4:35)
5. Always A Catch (1:39)
6. Blood On My Hands (2:16)
7. A Little Push (2:42)
8. Like A Dog Chasing Cars (5:02)
9. I Am The Batman (1:59)
10. And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad (2:28 )
11. Agent Of Chaos (6:55)
12. Introduce A Little Anarchy (3:42)
13. Watch The World Burn (3:47)
14. A Dark Knight (16:15)...could this be the new Batman theme (???)

Total Time: 73:24

Images have been removed at Warner Bros.' request. If you have any "questions", feel free to shoot us an email or leave us a comment.

He is pretty gross looking but the problem is I do not know if this picture is real - My gut tells me NO but We saw this picture on Comic Book Forums and had to post it.

Let us know your thoughts.

Chris Nolan, director of The Dark Knight, said Heath Ledger got a chance to see himself on the big screen before he died in January. I thought that was really nice, seeing I keep hearing how great a job Heath did in character. All of his fellow actors said his performance was absolutely unbelievable. According to Nolan, Ledger started preparing and studying for his role even before the script was written. At the premier of the film, there was a tribute at the end of the movie. Hopefully they put the tribute in theaters as well as the DVD. S and I bought K some AWESOME bobble heads the other day, one of the Joker and Batman for the Dark Knight movie. They are so realistic looking, the Joker one scares me. I can't look at him, over there bobbing his head from across the room. Sends shivers down my spine!

I'll be seeing The Dark Knight on IMAX this weekend and I can't wait, I've been looking forward to this since Batman Begins, which I will say is the best superhero movie ever to come out of Hollywood. (Iron Man runs a close second.) Although I am a little upset about them changing Rachel Dawes to Maggie Gyllenhaal. Don't get me wrong, I love Maggie and I think she is a pretty decent actress, however, I always hate when they try to pass different people off as the same character. I understand that Katie Holmes is a looney toony scientologist now, but come on. With a great series like this, you really shouldn't change the characters or else the movie just isn't the same. Mostly I am blaming Katie Holmes for this, for not being able to pull it together for this one film. Instead she made some other dumb film where she stole money with a bunch of old women. Gayyy. True, also, that Holmes probably didn't deserve her role in Batman Begins to begin with, but too late for that now. Holmes is definitely going to regret turning down the role.

The movie is already selling out for opening day, both in regular and IMAX theaters. I've had tickets for about 2 weeks now. I told you I've been waiting! Besides being a huge fan, I'm mainly looking forward to seeing Heath Ledger. It's all the rage about his performance. Even the trailer is creepy. Christian Bale said Ledger was able to change his voice and it just flowed by itself in this scary, creepy tone. Even Ledger said he was scaring himself when filming. In the early filming days, Ledger was seeing some sort of therapist or doctor because he was having trouble sleeping at night. Perhaps his own performance was what creeped him out. I wouldn't doubt it, given everything I've been hearing so far.

There has already been talk about a posthumous Oscar nomination and academy award for Heath Ledger. Critics who have already seen the movie think Ledger created a brand new type of Joker that will be remembered forever. I hope after seeing the movie I will agree (I have no doubts). His co-actors have already backed him and stated their support. Audiences who have seen the movie say it was more than they could have ever expected.

After seeing the premier in New York City with his family, Ledger's dad stated: "The Dark Knight is everything we hoped it would be and more. Heath loved the experience of creating this character and working on the film. We are so proud of our boy."

I almost cried when I read that. I really hope Heath Ledger wins that award. I really really really hope so.

The Dark Knight Trailer:

Christian Bale is H-O-T!
Batman has a sick ride in this movie!
R.I.P. Heath Ledger

Meanwhile, even while Paris Hilton's universally maligned The Hottie & the Nottie has came and went by with barely a whimper (let alone a sigh of regret) to local cinemas, we are still kept in the dark on the local release of Be Kind Rewind and even Forgetting Sarah Marshall...remember how trailers for Charlie Wilson's War kept running in local cinemas, only to have this rather star-studded political comedy (with no less than Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts) debut on DVD.

Same rules apply...local releases in orange, must-sees in italics.

Jul 3
Hancock
Alone
Tirador
Paupahan
My Monster Mom

Still trying to make up my mind whether to catch Hancock or not...haven't been following Big Will's career as religiously as ever (he's getting blah as a rapper...besides, I remain fiercely loyal to Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. Speaking of rappers-turned-Hollywood-actors, Denzel's American Gangster co-star Common is proving himself well in the likes of Smokin' Aces and Wanted). I kinda look to Mr. Smith like too much of a Hollywood Fourth of July slam-dunk.

Jul 9/10
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
Mamma Mia
The Warlords
Kambyo
Barako

I'm still very much disappointed over Spy Kids 3-D, so it looks like I'm gonna skip Brendan Fraser's Jules Vernian subterranean romp. It's about time The Warlords got a local release, though it irks me about the long wait (the bad reviews I'm hearing re the dub work on this one isn't whetting my enthu anyhoo). Even the sheer curiosity value about (an erstwhile) 007 singing ABBA choons isn't gonna get me into Mamma Mia! The Movie...is it me or why do we Pinoys jump the gun on our Yank brethren in the local opening of MMtM (maybe because American cinemas already have fanboy-fave bum-filler Hellboy II penciled on that date)

I have a confession to make...this is my favourite ABBA song:

Christine Baranski vampin' out "Does Your Mother Know" from the Mamma Mia! the Movie soundtrack

Savour the camp Europop goodness!!!

Hey, I was only 'round 7 or 8 when ABBA first burst onto the scene....

Jul 16
The Dark Knight

I've a hunch that this will definitely own Iron Man & The Hulk's collective asses when it opens...not just because of the near-deafening buzz over Heath Ledger's cinematic "swan song".

Holy Method acting, Batman!!!

I'll also bet that this will be yet another achievement for Chris Nolan as he redeems the franchise from Joel Schumacher's campoid hands...watch out for my review soonish enough!!!

Jul 23
Meet Dave

Is it yet another monument to Eddie Murphy's already gargantuan ego that he can work best against himself - isn't the hallmark of a true comedian the ability to work opposite others???

He "married" himself in Norbit (and was his own father), now he's a human-sized spaceship piloted with mini-versions of himself in this one! Philip K. Dick should crawl out of his grave and start suing...

Jul 29
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Ghaaaahhhh....I still hate mummies!!!

Especially when they start ripping off "The Myth" and "The Touch" (Ms. Yeoh....did you even get to read the script when it was handed to you??)

Also in July (no confirmed release date...all depends on the MTRCB's final imprimatur)
The Bank Job
Prom Night

Speaking of superheroes (esp. the DC variety)...you should definitely check out the upcoming direct-to-DVD release of Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. & DC Comics' retelling of the origins story of the Amazing Amazon!!! Even if a much-awaited live-action adaptation remains in development hell, they have leaked out "the-making-of" featurettes as bonus material in the Batman: Gotham Knights animated DVD .

What a cast they've assembled...Keri Russell as Princess Diana of Themiscyra/Wonder Woman, Nathan Fillon (Keri's Waitress co-star) as Sgt. Steve Trevor, Academy Award-winner Virginia Madsen as Queen Hippolyta, Rosario Dawson as Artemis (mmmm...catfights) and Alfred "Doc Ock" Molina as Ares (holy crossovers, Batman!!!!), the "original" God of War (yeah, he's gonna make Kratos look like a pussy)

Sample dialogue:

Diana (to Artemis): "Mention 'Felicity' one more time in my presence and you're truly gonna get it!!!"
Artemis: "You think I got into this 'coz the casting people saw me in cat-suit drag at 'Josie and the Pussycats'??? Well, I thought I was going to read the part of The Cheetah!!!"

Hah - just getting you on that one!!

movie releases

Sin duda The Dark Knight  sera de las mejores peliculas de este 2008 y el arte presentado hasta el momento es de los mejores vistos en el cine. Como dato extra Chris Nolan afirma que la actuación de Heath Ledger es "aterradora".

-Megaline

By Fiona, a contributor to The Stub.

"You look like a man who takes himself too seriously" It's the line that the grimey, grainbag-sporting Scarecrow used to undermine our hero Batman in the most recent instalment of the Batman franchise. But is he right? Has Batman come too far from his comical capers on TV and ended up looking like a serious nut, trying to occupy a moral high-ground while still, clearly, dressed as a bat? Or has he finally become the true dark knight, revelling in the shady corners of the human psyche, managing to really resonate as a character, far beyond the comic book realm?

We probably won't be sure until July 18^th when The Dark Knight is released and we get the chance to see the most psychotic of villains face the most messed up of all heroes. In the eagerly awaited follow-up to Batman Begins (2005), Christian Bale, as the new Batman, will battle none other than The Joker.

But we've seen this war before. In Tim Burton's Batman (1989), Jack Nicholson took on the role of the not-so-funny man who wrecks havoc on an art museum, and taunts Batman with style. Nicholson played the part as a simmering madman, but one who also simmers with an unnerving charisma. He could crack a joke, even better than he could crack a smile (and that's saying something for a man with a permanent grin). At one point he quips "Haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?"

And whatever about its power to heal, Burton's Batman definitely did provoke the laughter. Even if The Joker, and Batman were troubled individuals with obvious personality issues, Burton never made it an issue. They remained comic book characters with a firm grip on unreality. Batman and, of course, Batman Returns, are all about creating a fantastically gothic atmosphere, paying attention to the fact that comic book heroes are really nothing without their implausibly perfect costumes, and keeping a character arc simple and memorable. We never delve too deep into the soul of The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin or, of course, The Bat-Man himself. Let's be honest, if we wandered too far from the surface, and if these people really started rambling on about their feelings, they'd all end up in therapy. Part of the reason the world loves comic heroes is because they're not complicated. They experience a terrible and shocking childhood incident, but they quickly lock it up in the proverbial closet and set to work styling a costume on the sewing machine. Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) didn't experience even a twinge of back pain despite falling from a reasonably tall building. She just got back up (off the pile of cats which probably cushioned her fall) and got on with her disturbing life. I'm not saying they "get over it" but comic heroes don't' dwell on it, at least no longer than it takes to spit out a fight-charged one liner or two. Amidst the punches Batman and The Joker enjoy the following exchange:

Batman: I'm going to kill you!
The Joker: You IDIOT! You made me. Remember? You dropped me into that vat of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't try.
Batman: I know you did.

The comic hero film has always been a spectacle of human personality, as opposed to a reflection on society. A sort of gaudy showcase of core values; The good guys fight the bad guys. The bad guys are usually the product of accidents involving too much ambition, and, er, too little caution when it comes to scientific experimentation. Good guys put duty before love and remain unattached as a result. But I'm not enough of a comic book fan to really comment on their place in popular culture. All I want to comment on is Batman. He's been gradually wandering into a darker place. Darker than the alleyways of Gotham. And darker than his own underpants (the ones he used to sport outside his tights back in 1966, when the first movie of the T.V. series was made). Burton revamped the suit, making it a more brooding all-black ensemble. And he gave our hero some screen time to comment on his rather alternative existence. Vicki Vale even puts it to him: "Well let's face it, you're not exactly normal are you?". To which he replies "Well this isn't exactly a normal world, is it?" On one hand, he might be making a comment on the society we live in today, where there are no limits to the oddities of human behaviour. But on the other hand, he really doesn't live in a normal world; he lives in Gotham city, a fantasy land.

Which brings us to Joel Schumacher, the director who took up the reins after Burton left Batman lie following Batman Returns. Batman Forever (1995) kept its Batman (played by a pouting Val Kilmer) firmly in fantasy land. Like with the previous two instalments, there's not much time for talk of Batman's troubled mind, other than a two-hander between him and psychologist Chase Meridian played by Nicole Kidman.

The look was colourful, from the skinny green one-piece Riddler suit (crowned with his flame red hairdo), to the garish assorted animal print half of Two-Face's ensemble. With Kidman, of course, providing the necessary blonde highlights. There was some light banter between Batman and his trusty side-kick Robin, which, admittedly, was quite amusing at times. A reference to the days of Adam West told us Schumacher wasn't necessarily taking all his cues from Burton's vision.

Robin: Holey rusted metal, Batman!
Batman: Huh?
Robin: The ground, it's all metal. It's full of holes. You know, holey.
Batman: Oh.

All the same, it seemed Robin was ushered in, in order to share the weight of expectation which Kilmer could clearly not manage. Divide and conquer as they say, and if our attention was divided between two and not one superhero then we would surely find less to criticise and more to please.

Burton at least left the red-breasted annoyance out of the picture. Maybe it's just me but I think a partner in crime fighting compromises Batman's whole persona. Bats don't fight crime in pairs now do they? I rest my poorly researched case. Nevertheless, Schumacher didn't do Batman an utter injustice. Batman Forever pulled in the crowds, topping Batman Returns (but not Batman, which was the most successful film of 1989 and the highest grossing of any of the Batman films to date). He should have left it there.

Unfortunately, George Clooney was at a loose end, having recently completed One Fine Day with ex-feline fatale Michelle Pfeiffer. Perhaps they got talking about Batman on set and Clooney developed a dangerous interest in playing the dark hero. Whatever the reason, Schumacher made bad decision number one in casting Clooney. Bad decision number two came with the introduction of Batgirl, another side-kick to take the heat off our rapidly diminishing hero. How my heart sank when I saw Alicia Silverstone in her shiny bat suit try to fit into the already cramped batcave. The colour and lightness of Batman Forever was brought up a notch, but it didn't sit well with the storyline. The plot attempted to cover the themes of Alfred's impending death, and Robin's need to step out from under Batman's shadow. It was a plot that also had Dr Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze), preserve his ill wife in the cold, punishing Gotham for failing to help cure her. If anything the film demanded an even darker, more brooding Batman than we had seen before, one who could mirror the Doctor's anguish-spawned malevolence with his own pain. As it were, Clooney's charisma couldn't win us over. Batman and Robin (1997) earned the producers the lowest figure of all the Batman films, and earned none of the fans respect.

Bearing that travesty in mind, one really cannot blame Christopher Nolan for going over the dark side. The world had rejected a Batman deemed too happy for our liking. The story had also become too cluttered with heroes and villains. Eight years after Batman and Robin, Nolan decided to sweep the streets of Gotham clean and start again. He wanted to show us how an ordinary, extremely wealthy orphan becomes a vigilante in a bat suit. Previously, all we knew about Bruce was that he took a dislike to criminals after one individual shot both his parents dead during a stroll down a dark, empty alleyway. He sought to avenge their deaths and to strike back at crime, albeit using controversial methods. Burton gave us a hint at the back-story in Batman, showing the shootings but left it there.

But Nolan took his cues from the Batman: Year One comics, detailing the young Bruce's travels to the Far East and his ninja training (which explains his ability to expertly fight evil without having any actual superpowers...). While showing sense in not making things too light, Nolan took a big risk in spending so much time showing us Bruce the man as opposed to Bruce the Batman. It's nearly an hour into the 2 hours and 20 minute long film before our hero even picks up the mask. Batman Begins is essentially Nolan Explains. From the affinity with bats, to the batcave and the batmobile, the film is all about explanation, quite a dangerous thing for a comic book film. Obviously the origins of comic heroes are an incredibly important part of their story - What would Spiderman be without the run-in with the genetically modified (formally radioactive) spider? Or Superman without his crash landing in the cornfields of Smallville? But usually the most these heroes get is their 15 minutes of explanation or less. With supervillains it is almost certainly less. The Green Goblin was created quicker than you could say "Oops I should have tested this formula on more monkeys before I tried it out on myself". Catwoman had macintosh converted to catsuit before you could..well..meeow. With Batman Begins however, delaying the inevitable makes it all the more thrilling when it happens. Whatever die-hard fans may feel about Christian Bale being the new man in black, watching him suit up for the first time and declare in the raspiest voice yet "Who am I?-I'm Batman!" to a terrified thug, one cannot help thinking "Yes, goddamnit, he's back!". Not since Batman Returns have we really felt that Batman was exciting, frightening and just a little bit creepy.

Ah yes, there's nothing creepier than reality. It's one thing to have a man dressed as a bat climbing around a clearly fantastical city, but to watch the same playing out in a gritty crime-hole of a place is far weirder. The Gotham created by Nolan and cinematographer, Wally Pfister is one which is jaundiced by street lights, stricken with the homeless and plagued by crime. By night, everything in the film is either a sickly yellow, a toxic orange, or an all-consuming black. By day there is only the fresh green isolation of Wayne manor, far from the influence and hues of the city. Gotham (unlike New York, which is under Peter Parker's watch) was always very definitely a fictional city. But just as a fuming Rachel Dawes drives Bruce down into the underbelly of Gotham to reveal to him that "the city is rotting", Nolan shows us Gotham could be real. The problems it has are real, with drug pushers controlling the gangs and drug users committing the street crimes. Fair enough, the plot dreamed up by the Scarecrow to truly take over and destroy the city is hopefully not grounded in realism but the society upon which he unleashes said plan is a reflection of our own.

So you have to think - is Batman really taking himself too seriously or is Nolan just being smart in taking us to a place we've never been before? We all know that comic heroes aren't real, we know Batman would actually be locked up if he were really to make an appearance on our streets. But doesn't part of us enjoy the spectacle all the more if it seems just that bit more plausible? Batman is probably the only hero who can truly have one foot planted in realism, given that all the others are the product of gross scientific inaccuracies. The only important thing is that he keeps the other foot firmly on the side of fairytale, and one part of him at all times tethered to unreality. Because while we live in a world with problems far more overwhelming than any supervillain, we can do with all the fairytales we can get.

The Imax feature includes: a bunch of never before seen footage, including: a Pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent flipping his coin, Batman talking to the Joker in the interrogation room, a cool little moment where Bruce Wayne enters all bruised and Alfred says “Know your limits Master Wayne” and Bruce responds “Batman has no Limits”, plus more...it is also interesting to see some the shots and behind the scenes footage.

Check it Out Here!

I do not how long this will be up so get it while its hot. There isn't a big difference with this trailer and the others except we get to actually hear some of the Joker's plan, which is Batman must turn himself in or he will start killing people at midnight. Notice the Joker is using a GCN television station...read the following article regarding my early thoughts on that from November.

CLICK HERE

Anyway, interesting..little pieces of the puzzle keep coming. Interesting this is done on what looks to be a Verizon phone and it is even labeled Dark Knight Mobile Trailer. I guess its "All Part of the Plan"

So I was driving home form work yesterday and I happened to be thinking about movies...weird right? Well doing this as I often do I happened to be thinking about your "realistic" Bat-verse and who would make a good Riddler in that world. I was then trying to come up with a way of how you could portray that character in that world that would fit.

So here goes my pitch. First off, Dave Tennant, in my mind could pull my idea off and has the youth and acting skill for this role. So let's start with the character type I have in mind. First off, The Riddler, in this Bat-verse has to be somebody that we could see in real life so you have to take some liberties with the look. I am thinking a faded-green suit, almost tweed looking. I believe this look combined with an almost Hannibal Lector mentality and intelligence to him could work. Secondly, I think he should have some question mark tattoos either on his wrists, arms, face or a massive one on his chest. You can keep the same feel of the character by having him tip off his murders with riddles but you make him an almost serial killer type but in a secondary fashion. Two-Face it seems will be a primary villain in the 3rd film but you could easily make The Riddler a secondary character being used by Two-Face as a diversion, almost like Scare-Crow was in Batman-Begins or he could be acting alone creating an even more complicated conflict for Batman to handle much like in the Dark Victory graphic novel.

So now Mr. Nolan I hope you have a good sense of the look I have in mind. Let's talk about the type acting style Tennant can portray. I am a fan of Doctor Who and seeing him on that show you can see he is talented but you can also see that his range allows you to take him in many different directions. As the Riddler, and I mentioned this before, I see him as a cunning, uncontrolled, almost conflicted murderer who has to use Riddles. His intelligence is conveyed almost like Hannibal Lector's is in Silent of the Lambs or Man-hunter. I see Tennant being able to portray this type of character in convincing way. He also is massively obsessive compulsive and that compulsion is his madness. His name should stay true to the original and be Edward Nashton as well. Also by doing all the aforementioned things you can still stay true to the original idea of the Riddler, being that his criminal compulsion for riddles is so deeply ingrained into his personality that he is virtually powerless to stop himself from acting it out. He cannot simply kill his opponents when he has the upper hand; he has to put them in a deathtrap to see if he can devise a life and death intellectual challenge that the hero cannot solve and escape. However, unlike many of Batman's themed enemies, his compulsion is quite flexible, allowing him to commit any crime as long as he can describe it in a riddle or puzzle. (Draw upon Saw maybe except not as elaborate...maybe use some leftover material from Insomnia...you know that movie well and even Memento...I am sure your brother as some good thoughts as well).

So there you have it. Dave Tennant playing a secondary serial killer archetype, who has a compulsion for riddles. He is estranged in a way but cunning and intelligent that even Batman's own intellectual prowess is strained dealing with him. You can make him a means to an end the film enough to where he doesn't overshadow Two-Face and his plan to kill Batman and destroy Gotham or whatever. I leave that part of the story planning to you.

Anyway, that is what I typically think about on my 30 minute drive home from my office.

Take Care,

Kevin (Kent) Coll

http://angryweb.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/holy-hi-res-stills-galore-batman/