RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited August 2007
As much as your statements may ring true, W.G., my psyche is too engrained into Batman to turn my back on this picture. I blindly believe that TDK will OWN the 2008 movie summer.
That action figure still sucks though... )
That isn't to say that financially Iron Man won't make alot of noise(I'll be contributing to its cause anyway because I'm a comic geek and I love the character ;% ) but like you Batman is a much stronger influence on me since my childhood. If my bias is showing, please forgive me.
If I can find something positive to say about Casino Royale and I'm still not smitten to Craig, I can endure Nolan's vision for the duration, cross my fingers and pray that some of my doubts about this movie are extinguished after I've seen it. At least there are no nipples and butt camera pans.
Just wishful thinking on my part for this and The Incredible Hulk...
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Rogue,I hope that both movies do well.They're both big productions and they're each probably extreme enough to be judged as either very good or very disappointing,with little middle ground by the public.I don't care what the critics think about these kinds of things--their opinions are meaningless to me.
But unlike you I'm having a very hard time accepting Christopher Nolan's "real world" take on everything dealing with Batman.I don't much care to see cinematic artistes dabble with the comics medium and while doing so, substantially alter so much of the rich material they've been entrusted with.I love the Batman character, and I very much like the casting of Christian Bale, but I'm not blind to the uncalled for revisions of Batman's rogues gallery.I didn't like it when Tim Burton miscast Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and when he refered to operas whenever discussing Batman(a character he famously said that he "loathed").And now due to what looks to me like a disasterous and entirely uncalled for reimagining of the legendary Joker character's image(something I believe you once said you also feared would occur),I'm not at all sure I can trust Nolan with the Batman mythos any longer.This from someone who REALLY liked Batman Begins.
Having said that,despite my serious misgivings concerning this movie,Dark Knight might be actually be a masterpiece--but I'd be more inclined to be excited about it if as much care was given to replicating the looks of the villains as was done with the selections of the actors playing Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon.If Nolan had just gone with The Riddler or The Penguin,for example--in place of The Joker--I probably wouldn't be so disappointed with his creative decisions.Additionally,if David S.Goyer--a major Batman fan and the principal author of Batman Begins-- was once again involved with the screenplay,I know I'd be looking forward to Dark Knight with considerably greater enthusiasm than I currently am.
As for Iron Man--I only started reading the book in the 1980s,during the Justin Hammer period,when Marvel treated Tony Stark as a kind of cross between Bruce Wayne and James Bond.At the time,I thought there was plenty of potential for a movie with this material.Iron Man's been around for quite awhile(since 1965,if I remember correctly)but I think that in direct contrast to Batman,many of today's moviegoers will consider Iron Man to be fresh and new and exciting.Furthermore,because unlike Warners--who apparently could care less about the contents of the movies based upon the DC Comics library--Marvel actually polices what goes into each and every one of their motion pictures,so I suspect they'll do everything humanly possible to make the Iron Man motion picture a success at the boxoffice.
As for the toys--I'm sure they'll all sell very nicely.That's what these movies are all about anyway.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited August 2007
Well, W.G., I was sent a source excerpt on your favorite Batman baddie Two-Face for TDK. I really don't know how this will trigger you but it is supposed to be a reliable site. Then again it could be just another rumor to keep the masses in a tizzy...
filmick.co.uk
Digital Dent I've been told by a rock-solid source that Cinesite in London are to be handling the CG FX for Two Face in The Dark Knight, with their work due to start in earnest in November. I mention this just so you know it isn't an entirely make-up based look.
[EDIT: Actually, my source has read this published post and told me, actually, it's Framestore CFC and I 'misinterpreted their clues' to the FX house. My mistake, and quite a dumb one, really. I could explain the confusion in how I thought they meant one and not the other, but they asked me not to, as it might just reveal who they are...]
But why not make-up, I wonder? The only solid reasons I can think of are all mouth-based - teeth showing through a wound, maybe, or impossible mouth movements. But I don't know for sure. Hopefulyl more info will be forthcoming.
Cinesite are, frankly, brilliant and have a great back catlogue of work - from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Hot Fuzz.
[EDIT: And Framestore CFC are similarly excellent, if not more so. Their work on Children of Men is amongst the greatest FX work ever completed. As well as the digital Dent they'll also be creating the virtual set extensions for the Hong Kong scenes and some CG stand-in Batmen]
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Well, W.G., I was sent a source article on your favorite Batman baddie Two-Face for TDK. I really don't know how this will trigger you but it is supposed to be a reliable site. Then again it could be just another rumor to keep the masses in a tizzy...
filmick.co.uk
Digital Dent I've been told by a rock-solid source that Cinesite in London are to be handling the CG FX for Two Face in The Dark Knight, with their work due to start in earnest in November. I mention this just so you know it isn't an entirely make-up based look.
[EDIT: Actually, my source has read this published post and told me, actually, it's Framestore CFC and I 'misinterpreted their clues' to the FX house. My mistake, and quite a dumb one, really. I could explain the confusion in how I thought they meant one and not the other, but they asked me not to, as it might just reveal who they are...]
But why not make-up, I wonder? The only solid reasons I can think of are all mouth-based - teeth showing through a wound, maybe, or impossible mouth movements. But I don't know for sure. Hopefulyl more info will be forthcoming.
Cinesite are, frankly, brilliant and have a great back catlogue of work - from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Hot Fuzz.
[EDIT: And Framestore CFC are similarly excellent, if not more so. Their work on Children of Men is amongst the greatest FX work ever completed. As well as the digital Dent they'll also be creating the virtual set extensions for the Hong Kong scenes and some CG stand-in Batmen]
Sounds interesting.Whatever happens is bound to be an improvement on the Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face,whose skin was so wrinkled by the sun that it was almost impossible to see that one side of his face was supposed to be destroyed.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Sounds interesting.Whatever happens is bound to be an improvement on the Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face,whose skin was so wrinkled by the sun that it was almost impossible to see that one side of his face was supposed to be destroyed.
Not to mention that Jones' Two-Face acted kookier than Nicholson's Joker. I never recalled that behavior in the comics. After seeing that film, I remember rushing home to pull out my old 60s Bat issues to see if I had lost it. ) Curse that Schumacher!
Does Warner interview their potential directors who've actually sat down and read a comic book before putting them on said comic projects or do they just hurl a dart at a board full of candidates? Maybe they could take a tip from Marvel...
Thank goodness that I missed out on that "nail in the coffin" Batman & Robin when it premiered... due to my wife's pregnancy.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Thank goodness that I missed out on that "nail in the coffin" Batman & Robin when it premiered... due to my wife's pregnancy.
You've never seen Batman & Robin? Or did you just not see it at the cinemas?
I liked Tommy Lee Jones, however that could be because he's one of my favourite actors and I've never read the comics.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Thank goodness that I missed out on that "nail in the coffin" Batman & Robin when it premiered... due to my wife's pregnancy.
You've never seen Batman & Robin? Or did you just not see it at the cinemas?
I didn't see it in theatres due to my wife's difficulty in her last month or so of being pregnant. Summer months can be very hard on a woman with child; Bats had to take a back seat that year.
I had a very bad vibe about that particular film anyway though... When I finally saw it on cable the following year, I remember switching the channel midway through. God awful...
And Jones SUCKED as Two-Face!
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Does Warner interview their potential directors who've actually sat down and read a comic book before putting them on said comic projects or do they just hurl a dart at a board full of candidates? Maybe they could take a tip from Marvel...
The WB executives are just too stupid to even consider attempting anything resembling quality control whenever they deal with their comic book projects.In certain instances,DC has been very fortunate:Richard Donner thought enough of Superman to hire Christopher Reeve(rather than Bruce Jenner) and Tom Mankeiwicz(who completely rewrote the unfilmable mess the Newmans called a screenplay.Mario Puzo had been hired for publicity/prestige purposes-he later confided that he didn't write a word of either Superman I or II).And V for Vendetta was independently made by folks who actually respected the source material.Not even Tim Burton's best efforts could kill Batman--even with the deadly miscasting of Michael Keaton in the title role,most of the acclaimed Sam Hamm screenplay was retained and filmed.And happily,the animated Batman TV series went to people who really cared about their subject matter.All things being equal,I thought The Flash TV series was pretty good, and so was the first season of Wonder Woman.
In a perfect world,another studio--staffed with people who actually give a damn about treating comics with respect-- would handle all of the movies based upon the DC Comics characters.In fact,WB wouldn't have any connection at all with these films, other than providing money and worldwide distribution.
I like Jones alot, but I'm not as protective of him as I am of some of my other favourite actors (such as De Niro) so I'll let that one go.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I like Jones alot, but I'm not as protective of him as I am of some of my other favourite actors (such as De Niro) so I'll let that one go.
By all means...let that one go... 8-)
Oh, Rogue. I'm not saying that he was fantastic, however I do like him and I don't think he was nearly as terrible as you think he was. Whenever I think of a terrible villain; I think of Kevin 'I'm so boring that I make Brandon Routh look like Jim Carrey' Spacey in Superman Returns. 8-) Now that was a horrible villain IMO.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever was a train wreck. It was as if he and Jim Carrey were trying to out-stupid one another, the film was waaaay too colorful and I didn't want Robin to make an appearance at all because that meant Batgirl wasn't very far behind... 8-)
...and she wasn't...
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
and I didn't want Robin to make an appearance at all because that meant Batgirl wasn't very far behind... 8-)
...and she wasn't...
I feel for you. I wasn't particularly happy to see Batgirl either. She's one of the reasons why I find Batman and Robin to be completely unwatchable. (If Nolan ever makes a Batman and Robin-type Batman film, he'll end up with Singer on my 'directors to never trust ever again' list. )
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
and I didn't want Robin to make an appearance at all because that meant Batgirl wasn't very far behind... 8-)
...and she wasn't...
I feel for you. I wasn't particularly happy to see Batgirl either. She's one of the reasons why I find Batman and Robin to be completely unwatchable. (If Nolan ever makes a Batman and Robin-type Batman film, he'll end up with Singer on my 'directors to never trust ever again' list. )
Nolan may be criticized for the down-to-earth spin he takes on Batman but I don't think he'll ressurrect Robin during his directorial stint.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Nolan may be criticized for the down-to-earth spin he takes on Batman but I don't think he'll ressurrect Robin during his directorial stint.
I've always had trouble with the Robin character. For starters, the name is beyond lame. Call him Hawkboy or Young Falcon, but "Robin"? Whenever I think of that name, the only image that comes to mind is a redheaded girl I used to know. The costume, with its splashes of red, green and yellow is also just plain ugly and not very practical if you're trying to stay out of sight. His emblem, a stylized "R", is about as unimaginative as you can get (even Dynomutt's straightman Blue Falcon had a better bird emblem). No wonder Dick Grayson ditched the suit and moved out. I'd be embarrassed to be seen in that getup as well.
Heresy perhaps, but I for one would retire the character and give Batman a darker, edgier sidekick more befitting his personality and modus operandi. I know why Robin exists and why his suit looks like it does but really, when you compare him to Batman's other allies, he sticks out like a sore thumb and the logic behind his continued existence and participation becomes very coarse and brittle. Just my (probably very unpopular) opinion.
** Note that I have not brought up Batman: The Dark Knight at all in this rambling, barely coherent rant. My self-imposed media blackout with regard to that movie continues. **
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
** Note that I have not brought up Batman: The Dark Knight at all in this rambling, barely coherent rant. My self-imposed media blackout with regard to that movie continues. **
) ) )
Love this disclaimer...But coming from you I'm not surprised. )
Yeah, I always wondered, even for that time he was created, why they gave Robin that look and name. He's getting MUCH more respect & admiration as Nightwing for the last 15 or so years.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
** Note that I have not brought up Batman: The Dark Knight at all in this rambling, barely coherent rant. My self-imposed media blackout with regard to that movie continues. **
) ) )
Love this disclaimer...But coming from you I'm not surprised. )
Yeah, I always wondered, even for that time he was created, why they gave Robin that look and name. He's getting MUCH more respect & admiration as Nightwing for the last 15 or so years.
Even Joel Schumacher caught on and basically turned Robin into Nightwing in Batman & Robin. Of course, it's hard to look intimidating when your buff shiny costume has nipples on it. 8-)
As for B:TDK, I can get a little obsessive-compulsive with these things so it's best for me to cool it for a while and revisit it in a few months.
Just one little bit of food for thought though: if CGI artists are really being brought in to work on Two-Face's appearance, then we'll probably get something along the lines of what they did with Arnold Schwarzenneger at the end of T3; they basically green-screened half his face out of the picture and then used motion capture techniques to essentially rip half his face off and show the endo-skeleton underneath. The effect was very good and giving Two-Face that same kind of treatment is very intriguing.
Batman doesn't need Robin (or Batgirl.) He has Alfred! {[] Alfred has surely got to be one of the greatest allies any superhero can hope to have.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Maybe I missed something, but the CPD bulletin I received today (see below) mentions Batman filming and refers to the movie as "Rory's First Kiss". Is that the actual name, and if so does anyone know why.
The Batman movie, "Rory's First Kiss" will be doing low flying helicopter filming on Sunday, August 12th from noon to 7:00 pm over the Chicago River between Wells and Wabash. As part of their filming activity, the State Street and Wabash Street bridges will have full closures for the entire day. While the helicopter is flying, the Wells, LaSalle, Clark and Dearborn bridges will be closed on an intermittent basis.
Maybe I missed something, but the CPD bulletin I received today (see below) mentions Batman filming and refers to the movie as "Rory's First Kiss". Is that the actual name, and if so does nayone know why.
The Batman movie, "Rory's First Kiss" will be doing low flying helicopter filming on Sunday, August 12th from noon to 7:00 pm over the Chicago River between Wells and Wabash. As part of their filming activity, the State Street and Wabash Street bridges will have full closures for the entire day. While the helicopter is flying, the Wells, LaSalle, Clark and Dearborn bridges will be closed on an intermittent basis.
When a lot of these high profile movies film on location and solicit ads for extras, they often operate under a false title to minimize publicity and distractions. "Rory's First Kiss" was the pseudonym for Batman: The Dark Knight. It was also one of the worst kept secrets in the history of cinema. One of the original ads soliciting extras read "Rory's First Kiss, Directed by Christopher Nolan, Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Michael Caine." You'd have to be pretty out of touch not to make the connection. These days, the title has almost become a running gag, thus its continued appearance on bulletins like the one you came across.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
[WWC] ‘DARK KNIGHT’ FOOTAGE MAKES ITS DEBUT
A full report on the first look at Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel including the Joker, the Batpod and…Two Face?
By Kiel Phegley
Posted August 11, 2007 8:40 PM
Minutes ago, the capacity crowd at Wizard World Chicago was treated to the first look at “The Dark Knight” – the much anticipated sequel to fan favorite “Batman Begins.” With actors Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart on hand along with Nolan and screenwriters Jonah Nolan and David Goyer, DC Publisher Paul Levitz led the crowd through a spirited and secretive Q&A before getting to a sneak peek at the Dark Knight’s most recent on-screen battle with his arch nemesis, The Joker.
Fans were only allowed to see it once, and while it might be some time before the footage will be released to theaters across America, Wizard Universe was on hand to witness the action and give a full report.
The footage started with a silhouette of a dark figure in front of one of Batman’s armored vehicles before quickly cutting to Bruce Wayne and Alfred delivering the brief lines heard in the “Dark Knight” teaser trailer.
“Some people just want to watch the world burn,” advises Alfred before the camera jumps to Batman in action on the Batpod, the new iteration of his motorcycle.
The action built up as the Joker was seen in full for the first time with a mess of white face, smeared red lipstick and sweaty, straggly green hair. Apparently, the clown prince of crime gets arrested at one point in the film, as the montage presented Jim Gordon (complete in SWAT gear) at the Joker’s booking, saying, "no prints, no ID, custom clothes, no tags.” The clown smiles with what appears to be blood over his face from the inside of an interrogation room.
Checking back in with Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy has a brief scene with Eckhart’s Harvey Dent where he says “Rachel’s told me everything about you.”
“I truly hope not,” responds Wayne.
The footage sped up at that point into an intense montage of action, featuring the following clips:
- The new batsuit rising up from a trap door in the ground and held in a chain metal case.
- Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) close to an unidentified man either kissing him or being threatened by him as the camera rotates around them.
- The Joker and Batman battling in close quarters (possibly a hospital room). Batman throws Joker over a table and crashing into the ground while the clown smiles at him. It should be noted that the Joker was done up in his signature purple suit.
- Plenty of big, bold Batmobile action including a shot where the tank-like car drives through a wall of flame. In fact, flames were pretty much everywhere in the footage as it appears Joker does actually make the world burn.
- There is also a shot of a somewhat grim-faced Joker walking across a city street mercilessly firing a machine gun as well as a television close-up of the Joker laughing hysterically.
- Two major additions to the speculation that Two Face will appear in the film came in the form of a single shot of a spinning 50 cent piece and the final image: after the action montage has slowed down, the camera cuts to a bartender looking at Harvey Dent, whose only onscreen presence is his left shoulder and a bit of a reddish-purple scarred neck. “Dent! I thought you were dead!” the man gasps, to which Harvey replies, “Half.”
A friend of mine had the opportunity to go to WW Chicago to check it out and he called me to say that the footage was AWESOME. He said that no cameras of any kind were admitted in the Q&A conference but you know that someone was resourceful enough to get some footage. I'm sure the same was asked of Iron Man but we got a chance to see that.
Hopefully something will leak out over the net in the next coming days. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited August 2007
Also, here's a link to the Q&A session for TDK at Wizard World this weekend...
I just read that this film is going to be 3 hours long and have four villains (Joker, Two Face, Sal Moroni and *possibly* The Riddler in a cameo)... and I wasn't all that desperate about it to begin with!
I just read that this film is going to be 3 hours long and have four villains (Joker, Two Face, Sal Moroni and *possibly* The Riddler in a cameo)... and I wasn't all that desperate about it to begin with!
Interesting. I like multiple villains, but if done badly (Spiderman 3 anybody? ) it can end up being extremely disappointing. I hope that Nolan and co know what they are doing, because no film should be 3 hours long unless it's got enough material for a 4 hour film, or unless it's of the quality of The Godfather.
BTW, I hope that if there are 4 (or more) villains, one of them is Scarecrow. I was quite disappointed with the fact that he wasn't caught at the end of BB.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
And I think that must be Cillian Murphy on the 10th picture, the 2nd from the left
I hope you're right, as I won't be fully happy unless I know that Scarecrow will finally be dealt with. (Perhaps he will be captured/killed at the start of the film before we meet The Joker. )
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Great pictures. Have I mentioned, though, how I disappointed I am that the Joker is just a dude in cheap makeup? Oh, wait, I have. . .
I think this look is absolutely dreadful and more unimaginative and ordinary than anything else.Everything that made The Joker so unique and memorable is gone.Too bad DC didn't have somebody who could veto this atrocious makeup before the movie began shooting.
I'm now waiting for the next shoe to drop--for all of the execs at DC to tell the world that the unfortunate look the Nolan version of The Joker sports is something his creators would've approved of, and what they themselves would've done--if only they'd been able to go back and refine the character's image.:v
Maybe this is the look he starts with and later in the movie, he gets the Killing Joke treatment, permanently altering the colour of his skin and hair. But I wouldn't have a problem with either.
Comments
That action figure still sucks though...
That isn't to say that financially Iron Man won't make alot of noise(I'll be contributing to its cause anyway because I'm a comic geek and I love the character ;% ) but like you Batman is a much stronger influence on me since my childhood. If my bias is showing, please forgive me.
If I can find something positive to say about Casino Royale and I'm still not smitten to Craig, I can endure Nolan's vision for the duration, cross my fingers and pray that some of my doubts about this movie are extinguished after I've seen it. At least there are no nipples and butt camera pans.
Just wishful thinking on my part for this and The Incredible Hulk...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
But unlike you I'm having a very hard time accepting Christopher Nolan's "real world" take on everything dealing with Batman.I don't much care to see cinematic artistes dabble with the comics medium and while doing so, substantially alter so much of the rich material they've been entrusted with.I love the Batman character, and I very much like the casting of Christian Bale, but I'm not blind to the uncalled for revisions of Batman's rogues gallery.I didn't like it when Tim Burton miscast Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and when he refered to operas whenever discussing Batman(a character he famously said that he "loathed").And now due to what looks to me like a disasterous and entirely uncalled for reimagining of the legendary Joker character's image(something I believe you once said you also feared would occur),I'm not at all sure I can trust Nolan with the Batman mythos any longer.This from someone who REALLY liked Batman Begins.
Having said that,despite my serious misgivings concerning this movie,Dark Knight might be actually be a masterpiece--but I'd be more inclined to be excited about it if as much care was given to replicating the looks of the villains as was done with the selections of the actors playing Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon.If Nolan had just gone with The Riddler or The Penguin,for example--in place of The Joker--I probably wouldn't be so disappointed with his creative decisions.Additionally,if David S.Goyer--a major Batman fan and the principal author of Batman Begins-- was once again involved with the screenplay,I know I'd be looking forward to Dark Knight with considerably greater enthusiasm than I currently am.
As for Iron Man--I only started reading the book in the 1980s,during the Justin Hammer period,when Marvel treated Tony Stark as a kind of cross between Bruce Wayne and James Bond.At the time,I thought there was plenty of potential for a movie with this material.Iron Man's been around for quite awhile(since 1965,if I remember correctly)but I think that in direct contrast to Batman,many of today's moviegoers will consider Iron Man to be fresh and new and exciting.Furthermore,because unlike Warners--who apparently could care less about the contents of the movies based upon the DC Comics library--Marvel actually polices what goes into each and every one of their motion pictures,so I suspect they'll do everything humanly possible to make the Iron Man motion picture a success at the boxoffice.
As for the toys--I'm sure they'll all sell very nicely.That's what these movies are all about anyway.
filmick.co.uk
Digital Dent
I've been told by a rock-solid source that Cinesite in London are to be handling the CG FX for Two Face in The Dark Knight, with their work due to start in earnest in November. I mention this just so you know it isn't an entirely make-up based look.
[EDIT: Actually, my source has read this published post and told me, actually, it's Framestore CFC and I 'misinterpreted their clues' to the FX house. My mistake, and quite a dumb one, really. I could explain the confusion in how I thought they meant one and not the other, but they asked me not to, as it might just reveal who they are...]
But why not make-up, I wonder? The only solid reasons I can think of are all mouth-based - teeth showing through a wound, maybe, or impossible mouth movements. But I don't know for sure. Hopefulyl more info will be forthcoming.
Cinesite are, frankly, brilliant and have a great back catlogue of work - from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Hot Fuzz.
[EDIT: And Framestore CFC are similarly excellent, if not more so. Their work on Children of Men is amongst the greatest FX work ever completed. As well as the digital Dent they'll also be creating the virtual set extensions for the Hong Kong scenes and some CG stand-in Batmen]
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Sounds interesting.Whatever happens is bound to be an improvement on the Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face,whose skin was so wrinkled by the sun that it was almost impossible to see that one side of his face was supposed to be destroyed.
Not to mention that Jones' Two-Face acted kookier than Nicholson's Joker. I never recalled that behavior in the comics. After seeing that film, I remember rushing home to pull out my old 60s Bat issues to see if I had lost it.
Does Warner interview their potential directors who've actually sat down and read a comic book before putting them on said comic projects or do they just hurl a dart at a board full of candidates? Maybe they could take a tip from Marvel...
Thank goodness that I missed out on that "nail in the coffin" Batman & Robin when it premiered... due to my wife's pregnancy.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I liked Tommy Lee Jones, however that could be because he's one of my favourite actors and I've never read the comics.
I didn't see it in theatres due to my wife's difficulty in her last month or so of being pregnant. Summer months can be very hard on a woman with child; Bats had to take a back seat that year.
I had a very bad vibe about that particular film anyway though...
And Jones SUCKED as Two-Face!
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
The WB executives are just too stupid to even consider attempting anything resembling quality control whenever they deal with their comic book projects.In certain instances,DC has been very fortunate:Richard Donner thought enough of Superman to hire Christopher Reeve(rather than Bruce Jenner) and Tom Mankeiwicz(who completely rewrote the unfilmable mess the Newmans called a screenplay.Mario Puzo had been hired for publicity/prestige purposes-he later confided that he didn't write a word of either Superman I or II).And V for Vendetta was independently made by folks who actually respected the source material.Not even Tim Burton's best efforts could kill Batman--even with the deadly miscasting of Michael Keaton in the title role,most of the acclaimed Sam Hamm screenplay was retained and filmed.And happily,the animated Batman TV series went to people who really cared about their subject matter.All things being equal,I thought The Flash TV series was pretty good, and so was the first season of Wonder Woman.
In a perfect world,another studio--staffed with people who actually give a damn about treating comics with respect-- would handle all of the movies based upon the DC Comics characters.In fact,WB wouldn't have any connection at all with these films, other than providing money and worldwide distribution.
By all means...let that one go... 8-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
...and she wasn't...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Nolan may be criticized for the down-to-earth spin he takes on Batman but I don't think he'll ressurrect Robin during his directorial stint.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I've always had trouble with the Robin character. For starters, the name is beyond lame. Call him Hawkboy or Young Falcon, but "Robin"? Whenever I think of that name, the only image that comes to mind is a redheaded girl I used to know. The costume, with its splashes of red, green and yellow is also just plain ugly and not very practical if you're trying to stay out of sight. His emblem, a stylized "R", is about as unimaginative as you can get (even Dynomutt's straightman Blue Falcon had a better bird emblem). No wonder Dick Grayson ditched the suit and moved out. I'd be embarrassed to be seen in that getup as well.
Heresy perhaps, but I for one would retire the character and give Batman a darker, edgier sidekick more befitting his personality and modus operandi. I know why Robin exists and why his suit looks like it does but really, when you compare him to Batman's other allies, he sticks out like a sore thumb and the logic behind his continued existence and participation becomes very coarse and brittle. Just my (probably very unpopular) opinion.
** Note that I have not brought up Batman: The Dark Knight at all in this rambling, barely coherent rant. My self-imposed media blackout with regard to that movie continues. **
Love this disclaimer...But coming from you I'm not surprised.
Yeah, I always wondered, even for that time he was created, why they gave Robin that look and name. He's getting MUCH more respect & admiration as Nightwing for the last 15 or so years.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Even Joel Schumacher caught on and basically turned Robin into Nightwing in Batman & Robin. Of course, it's hard to look intimidating when your buff shiny costume has nipples on it. 8-)
As for B:TDK, I can get a little obsessive-compulsive with these things so it's best for me to cool it for a while and revisit it in a few months.
Just one little bit of food for thought though: if CGI artists are really being brought in to work on Two-Face's appearance, then we'll probably get something along the lines of what they did with Arnold Schwarzenneger at the end of T3; they basically green-screened half his face out of the picture and then used motion capture techniques to essentially rip half his face off and show the endo-skeleton underneath. The effect was very good and giving Two-Face that same kind of treatment is very intriguing.
The Batman movie, "Rory's First Kiss" will be doing low flying helicopter filming on Sunday, August 12th from noon to 7:00 pm over the Chicago River between Wells and Wabash. As part of their filming activity, the State Street and Wabash Street bridges will have full closures for the entire day. While the helicopter is flying, the Wells, LaSalle, Clark and Dearborn bridges will be closed on an intermittent basis.
When a lot of these high profile movies film on location and solicit ads for extras, they often operate under a false title to minimize publicity and distractions. "Rory's First Kiss" was the pseudonym for Batman: The Dark Knight. It was also one of the worst kept secrets in the history of cinema. One of the original ads soliciting extras read "Rory's First Kiss, Directed by Christopher Nolan, Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Michael Caine." You'd have to be pretty out of touch not to make the connection. These days, the title has almost become a running gag, thus its continued appearance on bulletins like the one you came across.
A full report on the first look at Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel including the Joker, the Batpod and…Two Face?
By Kiel Phegley
Posted August 11, 2007 8:40 PM
Minutes ago, the capacity crowd at Wizard World Chicago was treated to the first look at “The Dark Knight” – the much anticipated sequel to fan favorite “Batman Begins.” With actors Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart on hand along with Nolan and screenwriters Jonah Nolan and David Goyer, DC Publisher Paul Levitz led the crowd through a spirited and secretive Q&A before getting to a sneak peek at the Dark Knight’s most recent on-screen battle with his arch nemesis, The Joker.
Fans were only allowed to see it once, and while it might be some time before the footage will be released to theaters across America, Wizard Universe was on hand to witness the action and give a full report.
The footage started with a silhouette of a dark figure in front of one of Batman’s armored vehicles before quickly cutting to Bruce Wayne and Alfred delivering the brief lines heard in the “Dark Knight” teaser trailer.
“Some people just want to watch the world burn,” advises Alfred before the camera jumps to Batman in action on the Batpod, the new iteration of his motorcycle.
The action built up as the Joker was seen in full for the first time with a mess of white face, smeared red lipstick and sweaty, straggly green hair. Apparently, the clown prince of crime gets arrested at one point in the film, as the montage presented Jim Gordon (complete in SWAT gear) at the Joker’s booking, saying, "no prints, no ID, custom clothes, no tags.” The clown smiles with what appears to be blood over his face from the inside of an interrogation room.
Checking back in with Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy has a brief scene with Eckhart’s Harvey Dent where he says “Rachel’s told me everything about you.”
“I truly hope not,” responds Wayne.
The footage sped up at that point into an intense montage of action, featuring the following clips:
- The new batsuit rising up from a trap door in the ground and held in a chain metal case.
- Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) close to an unidentified man either kissing him or being threatened by him as the camera rotates around them.
- The Joker and Batman battling in close quarters (possibly a hospital room). Batman throws Joker over a table and crashing into the ground while the clown smiles at him. It should be noted that the Joker was done up in his signature purple suit.
- Plenty of big, bold Batmobile action including a shot where the tank-like car drives through a wall of flame. In fact, flames were pretty much everywhere in the footage as it appears Joker does actually make the world burn.
- There is also a shot of a somewhat grim-faced Joker walking across a city street mercilessly firing a machine gun as well as a television close-up of the Joker laughing hysterically.
- Two major additions to the speculation that Two Face will appear in the film came in the form of a single shot of a spinning 50 cent piece and the final image: after the action montage has slowed down, the camera cuts to a bartender looking at Harvey Dent, whose only onscreen presence is his left shoulder and a bit of a reddish-purple scarred neck. “Dent! I thought you were dead!” the man gasps, to which Harvey replies, “Half.”
A friend of mine had the opportunity to go to WW Chicago to check it out and he called me to say that the footage was AWESOME. He said that no cameras of any kind were admitted in the Q&A conference but you know that someone was resourceful enough to get some footage. I'm sure the same was asked of Iron Man but we got a chance to see that.
Hopefully something will leak out over the net in the next coming days. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/dark_knight/005609461.cfm
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
BTW, I hope that if there are 4 (or more) villains, one of them is Scarecrow. I was quite disappointed with the fact that he wasn't caught at the end of BB.
http://tinyurl.com/ynrde8
And I think that must be Cillian Murphy on the 10th picture, the 2nd from the left
This film should be awesome.
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/070816l.php
I think this look is absolutely dreadful and more unimaginative and ordinary than anything else.Everything that made The Joker so unique and memorable is gone.Too bad DC didn't have somebody who could veto this atrocious makeup before the movie began shooting.
I'm now waiting for the next shoe to drop--for all of the execs at DC to tell the world that the unfortunate look the Nolan version of The Joker sports is something his creators would've approved of, and what they themselves would've done--if only they'd been able to go back and refine the character's image.:v