Just had to pass this along. Kind of dig it. Courtesy David Chen:
Tag: Batman Begins
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SANTA BARBARA: Nolan crowned as Modern Master
“He no longer challenges our ideas about film,” actor Leonardo DiCaprio said of Christopher Nolan tonight, before presenting him with the Modern Master Award. “He has helped define them.”It was a great bow on a fine evening meant to celebrate the director’s work over the last decade. The Modern Master designation is Santa Barbara’s highest honor and, despite an unexpected Oscar snub for Best Director from the Academy last Tuesday afternoon, this is certainly the year to single him out in such a light.
Pete Hammond served as moderator for the evening as he queried Nolan on his brief if dense career to date. It was shrewd to note that “Following” in 1998, a $6,000 movie that grossed $40,000 and “Inception” in 2010, a $160 million movie that grossed $800 million worldwide, only have 11 years separating them. The director’s latest “has been successful on its own terms, not on Hollywood’s,” Hammond said by way of introduction. It’s a good way to put it.
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THE LISTS: Top 10 performances in Christopher Nolan films
The word of the day Friday will most certainly be “Inception,” as casually interested movie-goers and anxious fanboys alike line up to take in Christopher Nolan’s latest effort.Now, I have suggested in this space that the film’s ensemble is an organic one, alive and driven. And that the performances are separately less than their sum impact. It nevertheless seemed a good time to look back over Nolan’s septet of offerings thus far and cherry pick the best portrayals for a return to this semi-regular feature at In Contention.
Nolan always puts together a great cast. His carefully selected leads tend to ably balance themes of identity, control and psychosis, while highlighted supporting parts always prove to be charming outside-the-box considerations.
With the latter in mind, I’d have loved to make room for the Steven Tobolowskys, Rutger Hauers, David Bowies, Ritchie Costers and Tom Berengers, but I naturally kept settling on the larger roles when push came to shove.
So, without further ado…
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SUNDAY CENTS: ‘X’ marks the spot
After all the hype, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” opened with a solid $87.0 million at the box office this weekend. Both “X2” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” started with over $100 million* but “Wolverine” does better the $72.6 million of Bryan Singer’s original from 2000. When a film is received as poorly as Brett Ratner’s third entry in the franchise was, it’s only natural for the follow-up to start a bit lower.Almost any franchise will prove this but the easiest example is “Batman.” Schumacher did his worst with “Batman & Robin” and unsuspecting customers shelled out $67.1 million* on opening weekend. The movie collapsed from there and it took Warner Bros. years to attempt another shot at the bat. In steps Christopher Nolan and “Batman Begins” debuted with a cautious $54.6 million. Everybody loved it, the stars aligned and “The Dark Knight” opened to $158.4 million. Obviously, there were other factors at play but look at the “Back to the Future,” “Mission: Impossible” and “The Matrix” films for further proof.
Anyway, all that is to say that $87 million isn’t really disappointing, nor is it that spectacular. “Iron Man” debuted with $98 million on this weekend last year without any previous big screen incarnations. “Wolverine” will most likely not make it to $200 million and life goes on.
Matthew McConaughey tried his luck at counter-programming and brought in $15.3 million for “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” That’s the worst debut he’s had in the romantic comedy genre since “EdTV” in 1999 and only a tiny fraction better than “Made of Honor”’s debut last year versus Tony Stark. I’m willing to go out on a limb and guess that McConaughey’s salary was a bit larger than Patrick Dempsey’s so that return is just not good enough. I like to think that it didn’t do well because it looked awful but that wouldn’t explain “Wolverine”’s numbers.
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What will be the Bat’s final haul?
I’m frankly surprised so many people seem to expect a $100-115 million opening weekend for “The Dark Knight.” That is, admittedly, where I placed my vote, but I didn’t expect so much company.I’ll probably put an actual number to my guess in that light some time this week (all these stories about blasting away advance ticket sales records have me wondering if we’re underestimating the thing). But for now, I’m curious what readers think the final box office tally of the flick will be.
So, have your say in this week’s poll. The final total for “Batman Begins” was right around $205 million, so I think it’s safe to say most people expect that bar to be hurdled. But I’m including good cross-section of choices, in case some folks want to be brazen.
And again, if you want to put an actual number to it, let us know below.
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Nolan for Best Director?
Always willing to be a bit brazen with his predictions (I like that), Nathaniel Rogers is busy updating his picks over at The Film Experience. My favorite left-field notion is his choice of Christopher Nolan in the lone director slot for “The Dark Knight,” naturally.I had the same idea in mind three years ago, right up until the day before the nominations, even. I caught some email flack for thumping the fanboy drum in the process, but it really felt like a possibility. Well, I’ve learned my lesson (somewhat) and haven’t bothered bringing it up this year, despite a nagging feeling that this critically acclaimed effort could indeed surprise us along these lines in January.
But let’s just say I’m glad Nat’s here to help carry the burden this time around. As he shrewdly notes, “This isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.”
Elsewhere, Rogers is hanging onto his “Miracle at St. Anna” forecast in the Best Picture arena, allowing “Australia” to join the party, while he finally finds some room for a little “Revolutionary Road” love in the lead actor and actress categories.
Read his expanded thoughts here. The updates are on-going this week.
And while I’m busy tossing up pics from the set of “The Dark Knight” — I’ve always loved this shot:
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How much will ‘The Dark Knight’ make on opening weekend?
In 2005, “Batman Begins” opened to just shy of $49 million. It’s fair to consider that a low number, because it came in behind the openings of such films as “2 Fast 2 Furious” and “8 Mile” of all things, even failing to best the $52 million mark of “Batman Forever” ten years prior.However, the film went on to gross over $200 million at the box office, displaying considerable legs built on word of mouth and repeat viewings.
I think we all expect the film’s sequel, “The Dark Knight,” will open to larger numbers than that, but I’d like to get a gauge on just exactly where the readers expect this thing to drop.
I’m on the record all over the place as thinking the film would be the biggest box office draw of the year, but I truly didn’t expect the $300 million ceiling to be crashed by “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and especially “Iron Man.” Now I’m not as sure, but I also can’t shake the feeling that there is an incredibly unknown element at work here. This thing could obviously be MASSIVE.
So tell us in this week’s poll: how much to you expect “The Dark Knight” to rake in when it opens in the U.S. on July 18? And if you want to be a real smarty pants and offer a specific number, tell us in the comments below. We’ll follow this up with a poll predicting the final box office tally for the film next week.
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Rachel Dawes believes in Harvey Dent
You’ll have to forgive me, folks. I’m on one of those obssessive “Dark Knight” kicks today. Back to normal soon, I assure you.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D15iHxCvjBs
By the way, this site has an exhaustive analysis of the news bits, viral marketing and studio promotion of the film that reads like a full blown discourse revealing major secrets throughout…and with nothing in the way of “inside” information. I like the way Michael Moran put it in his link here at The Times: The film ruined for your pleasure.
There are also some sweet new banner images that hit a little over a week ago, but I’m only seeing for the first time today for some reason.
Also, “Batman Begins” and “Dark Knight” production designer Nathan Crowley is apparently behind the set designs of a superhero costume exhibit that has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York. Very cool. Meanwhile, the milk people are up to it once again with “Dark Knight” marketing.
And I want this motorcycle. Bad.
Alright…I think I got it out of my system. I think.
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Zimmer taking the Joker ‘punk?’
Todd Martens, who always does a fine job of rounding up news and talking points regarding the year’s film music compositions (especially around the Oscar season), sat down recently with Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. The composing duo of “Batman Begins” and the upcoming “The Dark Knight” are enjoying a nice publicity push, including a press day last week in Los Angeles solely for the pair.Martens was able to listen to about 10 minutes of the new score (jealousy isn’t a strong enough adjective at the moment), and he managed to get some details on the way the two composers are splitting duties. It seems Zimmer is on Joker duties, while Howard is fleshing out the aural rhytms of Harvey Dent.
Zimmer had some interesting things to say on his approach to the Caped Crusader’s latest foe:
Yet some early signs show “The Dark Knight” departing at least a little bit from the more subtle tones of “Batman Begins”…the theme Zimmer wrote for the Joker, played in the film by the late Heath Ledger, is a damning piece of music. It’s an intense eight-minute piece that comes off like an orchestral interpretation of a something created by Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails. Zimmer says the work is only two notes, but the two notes are twisted and manipulated into mimicking the sounds of thunder, razors and all sorts of clatter heard in alleyways probably better left unexplored.
Though that description may not make it sound like music to the ears, it’s still immensely listenable. It plays out like something from a horror film, with many a shift in direction and a nod to “Psycho.” But all of it is tied together by a striking blow of strings that keep it from falling apart, and Zimmer said it bears a punk influence.
Check out the rest. And here’s a glimpse of what might be some of the new score, by the way.
Anticipation is killing me by the day on this.
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Could two potentially great film scores get the AMPAS shaft this year?
It’s a debate that never gets old regarding the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. When is it going to clean house regarding shady rules that seem to fly in the face of what the organization sets out to do each and every year: honor the best in cinematic achievement?The foreign film committee had a major shakeup last year, and promises of attention were made, but it’s high time the same happened with the musicians. One of the rules seems poised to become a serious talking point later this season, however.
Within Rule 16B of the Academy’s eligibility guidelines — launched into infamy last year when the caca hit the fan regarding Jonny Greenwood’s “There Will Be Blood” score — you’ll find the key language:
Only the principal composer(s) or songwriter(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible for an award. This expressly excludes from eligibility…scores assembled from the music of more than one composer.
Specifically, it’s Rule 16B-5f. And it will likely affect two promising works of film music composition this year.
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A 3-hour ‘Dark Knight’
I, like virtually everyone else in the world, can’t wait to see Chris Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” this summer. In addition to being the following up to “Batman Begins,” everything about it so far looks riveting, Nolan has continued to prove himself and I fully expect Aaron Eckhart and Heath Ledger to hit their roles out of the park.
But Dark Horizons is today reporting that the film is going to come in and around the three hour mark. While I have the utmost faith in Nolan to entertain and make an all around great movie, this running time nevertheless gives me some concern. I like my superhero movies at the 110-120 minute mark.
Again, I’m not worried – I’m just hoping this is not a misstep.
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Best in show 2005: the year in superlatives
It’s time to really round out the year and offer up my picks for awards in 2005.In addition to the typical categories – which finally see their winners announced today – you’ll find some other fun arenas for awards citation. Call it a mish-mash of MTV-Awards-type kudos and other frequently heralded categories we find time to time in various critics’ awards and precursor ceremonies.
No one is better at this sort of thing than Nat Rogers over at The Film Experience, so I recommend you all take a look at his Film Bitch awards when he dishes them out in the coming weeks.
These will likely be my last extensive thoughts on the awards season this year, barring any brief comments I may or may not make here and/or there. There will, of course, be one final predictions update before the end of the year.
It feels good to wrap everything up before Christmas vacation, I have to tell you. But the Oscar season is by no means over, so I’ll be diving right back in once 2006 finally rolls around.
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If I had a ballot
Customarily, here in the midst of our year in review, it is time for me to fill out my ballot.I do this every year, pretending, for one brief moment, to be one of the 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and fulfilling my own fantasies about who does and does not deserve Academy recognition in their numerous categories.
Be sure to check back on Friday as we wrap up the “Year in Review” with a list of superlatives. There you will find the respective winners of the categories listed below (given the top ten list you can easily discern Best Picture), as well as a bevy of other random categories for your reading pleasure.
If I had a ballot:
Best Picture
Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Crash (Lions Gate Films)
A History of Violence (New Line Cinema)
Last Days (Fine Line Features)
March of the Penguins (Warner Independent Pictures)