As you can see in the polls archive, it looks like readers aren’t too receptive to the notion that Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” will be a major awards contender as it sits atop the hep with four or five other “frontrunners” early in the season. Joe Wright’s “The Soloist” wasn’t far behind. We’ll see if you guys were on the money in a matter of months, but for now, we’ve got a new query for you all.
Now that the summer movie season has exploded onto the scene in the form of last week’s “Iron Man,” what are you most excited about on the horizon? Well, speak up!
(I went with the nine most likely choices and an “other” option as well. If you’re more psyched for something else, come back here and let us know!)
Comments
13 responses to “What next?”
Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Fincher is unreal and this could be really interesting
Blindness – trailer looks cool
The Dark Knight – no explanation
Burn After Reading – I like slapstick Coens
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Blindess
Dark Knight
Burn After Reading
Helloby 2
Tropic thunder
Pineapple Express
Harry Potter
The Fall
Indy
Sorry guys. The poll is there now. It didn’t show up at first.
“The Dark Knight – no explanation”
I can’t help but smile when I see this amazing show of support for this movie (kind of reminds of the whole Firefox community but that’s another story).
Seriously, can someone explain to me what the big deal is? I’m usually a pretty fair guy and when it comes to big budget flick (at least) my views aren’t that far off the consensus.
That said, in my opinion, Batman Begins was a very weak movie. I’m talking second worst of the series. Nearly every aspect of the movie failed to me. Everything from casting – Bale was stiffer than a wooden plank, to screenplay. I mostly blame Goyer, who is simply one of the worst working screenwirters without a single decent flick to his credit. Nolan, on the other hand is usually briliant and I absolutely adore “Memento”. “The Following” was fantastic too.
Much has been said about how dark and thoughtful this movie was. To me, it was entirely by the numbers (read: incredibly linear). Batman wasn’t brooding – he was boring.
There isn’t a single action sequence in the entire film that would even consider being cool much less a classic. Nolan, still clearly needs to learn how to stage these sequnces. The awful train sequence at the end was a sad reminder of a much better sequence in much superior Spiderman 2. I dare you to name a sequence that you really really liked and stuck in your memory. The actual sequence and not the idea of it (if that makes any sense). I would honestly like to hear it.
Also, can I just say that I dislike the designs of nearly everything. From the batsuit to the batmobile it just looks too… I dunno square. Also, gone is that real gothic feeling present in Burton’s films and the sense of fun (and wtf) in Schumacker’s Batman Forever.
Lastly, I would like to say that I found the impressive all-star cast too distructing. It was just too much. Cain, Oldman, Freeman, Neeson, etc… it all just took me out from the exprience. I dunno, maybe I’m in minority on that issue.
That said, Dark Knight DOES look better. But it also looks EMPTY. Save for Joker who looks interesting it has nothing to offer (Heath does look very great here – in particular I really dig his voice). Certainly not the Batman himself who is nowhere to be seen – and for a good reason. He turned into a bore. Still, this new film does look a lot better and with Nolan’s brother on board I am confident the bar will be raised.
I am not trying to hate, these are just my honest opinions. For some reason, I think Aronofsky’s take on Batman would have been a little more interesting though it’s not really fair to comapre them like that.
In conclusion, I do have high hopes for this new Batman film and I am quite excited for it but it’s due to I have seen for this film alone and and not because of Batman Begins.
If you had read the shit script Aronofsky wanted to direct, you’d likely think otherwise. Alfred as an African American, jive-talkin’ mechanic. That’s all I’m saying.
Hmmm… let’s save for posterity this 5 pics you audaciously chosen to be nominated for best pic:
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonâ€
* “Doubtâ€
* “Frost/Nixonâ€
* “Revolutionary Roadâ€
* “The Soloistâ€
….and later in the year realize and see that NONE of them will be nominated for Best Pic.
Ladies and Gentlemen.. presenting above…. this year’s Charlie Wilsons. Sweeney Todds and Great Debaters!!
Happens every year, Mack. Would love to hear what you think the nominees will be. You know, for posterity’s sake.
“Alfred as an African American, jive-talkin’ mechanic. That’s all I’m saying.”
That doesn’t tell me much at all, actually. In any case, this hardly makes any less sense than Alfred as a British butler.
I’m not saying the script was good though as I haven’t read it. “Below” certainly wasn’t great. It’s just ever since I saw and loved “The Fountain” I can’t help but be fascinated by any project Aronofsky is attached to.
Lastly, “shit” is becoming a word too overused in your vocabulary. Nothing against swearing, just wish you could diversify it a bit.
Please point me to other such excessive uses of “shit.” Since they bother you so much.
As for the comment about Alfred as a British butler — if youw ant to rape 60 years of canon and character history, be my guest. I somehow doubt viewers would be happy about it. They already lost their — “shit” — over nipples on suits.
I’m all for respecting the canon and continuity but let’s face it: after so many different reboots, re-interpretations, time settings and “universes”, this is argument is simply not as persuasive anymore. Batman is no longer about a particular character. He is an icon, a hero with a thousand faces if you will (har, har). I’m not saying that the property should be raped by insensative adaptations though, because taking an openminded approach is not the same as doing something in a cheap and mindless fashion.
And those fans who would complain about a black Alfred would probably do so out of their own racism other than anything else.
But that probably wouldn’t be a big deal anyway. After all I don’t see anyone (including yourself) complaining about Samuel L Jackson playing Nick Fury. And that’s not exactly canon either, now is it?
“And those fans who would complain about a black Alfred would probably do so out of their own racism other than anything else.”
That’s an incredibly broad statement and accusation. I don’t fancy myself a racist, but I’m aware of what the character of Alfred means in the Bat-lore, so to speak, and how that character, as represented in the comics, has been untapped until the latest reboot on film.
And after all, you point out yourself the Sam Jackson example. And yes, a black Nick Fury is not canon, but it is also not a screen creation, as Nick Fury was presented as a black man in the non-canon Ultimates series of books.
My view is that Batman/Bruce Wayne is a fascinating character and one that has been only skimmed as spectacle in the past. There is a lot of exploring to be done, and I’m happy Nolan is doing it, and doing it so well.
“That’s an incredibly broad statement and accusation. I don’t fancy myself a racist, but I’m aware of what the character of Alfred means in the Bat-lore, so to speak, and how that character, as represented in the comics, has been untapped until the latest reboot on film.”
Fair enough. I was being semi-sarcastic and I guess I should have made it more obvious . I don’t completely agree with absolutism with which you talk about the character but I can understand where you are coming from.
Two words for you, Proman (what is that, by the way–a rejected superhero name?): Shut up.
Best pic noms:
Australia
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Revolutionary Road