When Everybody Loves You
You Can Never Be Lonely
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My current favorite film director talking about my favorite film franchise.
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It was the look on their faces…Mr. Angier
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I caught a leaked version of the IMAX prologue for The Dark Knight Rises.
It isn’t in any theaters anywhere near me, so I had to resort to the crappy version, but it’s still pretty awesome. I can’t wait to see Bane in this movie.
Bane has always been one of my favorite Batman characters. I think there’s something so interesting about him. I mean, he actually defeated Batman, and it was believable. That’s a major feat, especially for the writers of Knightfall, Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Denny O’neal, and Alan Grant. I’m sure that Bane will break Batman in some way or another in The Dark Knight Rises. Normally I would say you can’t use Bane without keeping that in the plot, but, well…look at Batman & Robin. -
Ha! This was just pointed out to me. Anyone notice how familiar that ‘R’ from trailer for The Dark Knight Rises looks?
That clever Christopher Nolan… -
In seeking to craft ‘a portrayal of a city and the different strata of people living in it,’ [Christopher] Nolan and his brother [Jonathan] were inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and the silent cinema of Fritz Lang, arguably best known for the sci-fi landmark Metropolis.Entertainment Weekly. 20 1 2012:
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30 Day Batman Challenge - Day 3
Day Three: Favourite actor in a Batman film?
This is a strangely difficult decision to make. I think it’s a bit of a cliche to say that Heath Ledger’s Joker had a significant effect on the way that The Dark Knight was received by audiences, but it’s absolutely true. However, his performance does kind of overshadow many of the other brilliant actors in Batman Begins as well as The Dark Knight. Liam Neeson is one that comes to mind especially. Cilian Murphey played a fantastic Jonathan Crane. And let’s not forget Eric Roberts as Salvatore Maroni in The Dark Knight. I was a huge fan of Aaron Eckhart before his portrayal of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and he definitely gave Ledger a run for his money. I can’t forget Christian Bale, whose Batman was, for once, as believable as his Bruce Wayne.
Then, of course, there are the pre-Chris Nolan movies. I’m not a huge fan of any of the actors who played Batman in any of Burton/Schumacher films. I can go on and on about those, so I won’t do that here. The best casting decision that was ever made during this period was Jack Nicholson’s Joker. He is brilliant. He’s every bit as terrifying as Ledger’s but in a totally different way. He’s a sort of darker, more twisted play on the Cesar Romero Joker from the 1960s television series.But if I had to pick someone who I truly enjoyed most out of everyone, it’d probably be Michael Caine’s Alfred in the Christopher Nolan series. Alfred has always served as a sarcastic, light-hearted comic relief character whose concern for Bruce was always underplayed in the Burton/Schumacher series. But Caine perfectly translates Alfred from page to screen, making a character often overlooked into someone who becomes another star of the show. That’s definitely commendable. Plus, he delivers everyone’s favorite line in The Dark Knight: “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” I can’t wait to see how big of a role Alfred plays in The Dark Knight Rises.
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In anticipation for the release of The Dark Knight Risesthis week, I’m showing all of the Nolan-verse related Batman films in my backyard with a projector, a white sheet, and a stereo system. Tonight was the first night, so we, appropriately, watched Batman Begins. Tomorrow we’ll watch Gotham Knight, the animated anthology that bridges the gap between the two live action films, with The Dark Knightfollowing on Wednesday.
Above is a shot of the screen, which doesn’t do justice to how cool the movie actually looked. If you’re in the area, come hang out with us tomorrow and/or Wednesday night. I asked Batman trivia questions and gave away some prizes, so you might be able to win some cool stuff! -
Initial Thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises
It’s very late, and I honestly can’t form a full opinion on the movie. I enjoyed it immensely, and I think Team Nolan certainly finished their trilogy. The movie feels like it belongs with the previous two, and it is without a doubt a small piece of a large whole.
Bane is awesome. He’s always been one of my favorite villains, and after Batman and Robin totally ruined a general audience’s perception of who that character is, it’s nice to see someone treat the character with respect. Tom Hardy plays the character wonderfully; he’s vicious, intimidating, and unrelenting.
I think the real praise goes to Anne Hathaway whose Selina Kyle is the best portrayal of the character outside of comics, period. A lot of people like to give that to Michelle Pfeifer (which I will never understand), but this movie almost makes you forget about the Tim Burton Catwoman from 1992. Once again, this is a character that has never really been taken seriously, so it’s great to get a version of Selina that people will actually enjoy.
I don’t want to talk much on the plot, so I really won’t. There are some definite cool points, but at times things felt a bit off. I almost feel like there’s a fourth movie somewhere between The Dark Knight and Rises.
We all know that following the previous installment is no easy task, and I do feel it has been done, and done well. Is it better thanThe Dark Knight? No, no it’s not. But wasReturn of the Jedi better thanThe Empire Strikes Back? And that’s a fitting comparison. This trilogy is this generation’sStar Wars, andRises is the newJedi.And I am perfectly happy with that.
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NerdNight Ep. 1 is Online!
Each week, some friends and I get together and discuss comics and related material. We decided we’d record it this time, so we did. We talk pretty in-depth each time, so if you’re into long talks about geeky things, you might dig it.
This week, we talked about Punk Rock Jesus, Uncanny X-Force, 100 Bullets, Aquaman, Thief of Thieves, The Dark Knight Rises,and Before Watchmen. Click the link above and download to give us a listen!
St. Louis. Geek. Straight Edge.
