In Contention

Tag: comics-to-film

  • Batman through the years

    Michael Keaton in Warner Bros. Pictures' BatmanDominic Wells of The Times has written a cross-section of Batman as seen on film through the past five decades.  I can’t believe I didn’t know this was being written under my nose.

    He takes us back to the serials of the mid-to-late 1940s and into the “Pow!” and “Bam!” psychedeliq of the 1960s TV series, through the Michael Keaton protests of Tim Burton’s re-imagining as well as Joel Schumacher’s disintegration of the franchise, before bringing us up to speed with Christopher Nolan’s vision of the character.

    I especially liked this bit of insight following an aside on Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” (and the subsequent push for a film adaptation):

    The book was a critical and commercial smash, and plans were laid for a film. Adam West, now 58, lobbied to reprise the role, which would have suited the Dark Knight Returns storyline. I met him in 1988, when Britain was again gripped by Batmania (TV-am’s ratings leapt 25 per cent after screening the Sixties episodes), and he sounded as though he’d given it considerable thought: “In the final scenes of the film, if it’s bizarre and mysterious, you can still have Alfred the butler driving the old Batmobile to the rescue. We’d have been using all hi-tech, wonderful slick new stuff, and at the critical moment, there’s Alfred, driving the old Batmobile. People would stand up and cheer.”

    But he kind of gets testy with me on this assessment of Burton’s 1989 elseworld take:

    Even so, it’s not particularly good. There are strange holes in the plot where the producer Jon Peters and Tim Burton didn’t see eye to eye, and Kim Basinger, then the producer’s real-life girlfriend, is a waste of space.

    Easy now, Dom.

    Read the rest here.  One of the commenters mentions Sandy Collora’s “Batman: Dead End,” which has always been a fun watch.  If you’ve never seen it, have a look:

    httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=Hjp0I_okX0w

  • Viral marketing pays off for ‘Dark Knight’ committed

    WhySoSerious.comI stumbled onto this today at /film, but it turns out the “Dark Knight” viral marketing campaign, thoroughly concocted and carried out by 42 Entertainment, has paid off in spades for Bat-fans who stuck it out.

    A wave of Tuesday noght screenings across the country was announced on the WhySoSerious.com viral site, and each of them: free.  So if you’ve been huffing it about your metropolitan area participating in those crazy scavenger huts and paying close attention to every nuance the viral sites have put out there, now’s your chance to step up and get your cookie.

    Personally, the viral stuff wore out on me long ago.  It became something of a burden to even feel informed at one point, and the overall depth kind of left me for wanting.  But maybe I’m getting old.  All of that said, I’m actually very happy to see the end result pay off for loads of committed fans who clearly have a passion for this character and this franchise.  It’s a special symbiosis.

    And in a strange sort of way, the whole episode rings as a nice au revoir to Heath Ledger.  The Joker has been “behind” all of the viral shenanigans, after all.  So congrats to all the fans who stuck it through.  Enjoy the early show (and come on — when you’re just a fan and not stuck in the cynical world of film criticism and journalism — an early screening is pretty much the greatest thing on earth).

  • Favreau returns

    Jon FavreauSo according to Deadline Hollywood Daily, Jon Favreau is officially directing “Iron Man 2.”

    While I may not have been as gung-ho for “Iron Man” as most, I’m more than glad to see him come back. The first film, to me, felt like a good movie begging for a great sequel, and I think the same could be said of Favreau as a director. He’s been improving from picture to picture and I think “Iron Man 2” could be the moment where he really comes into his own as a filmmaker.

    With “Iron Man” currently the highest grossing film of the year (probably just for a few more days until “Crystal Skull” finally overtakes it) and Robert Downey Jr. undeniably becoming the A-lister we all knew he could (and should) be, it was simply ignorant of Marvel to think they could get away with anyone but Favreau in the director’s chair.

    I’m wondering when Marvel will start moving the pieces more definitively in place for the rest of the inevitable “Avengers” flick. Edgar Wright is the only confirmed director (for “Ant-Man,” which he’ll go into post-“Scott Pilgrim,” and which I’d guess Marvel will want to throw into “The Avengers” just for gluttony’s sake).  But for anything beyond “Iron Man 2,” I think we’ll be hearing announcements in the coming months, specifically at Comic-Con.

    On a side note, it looks like “The Incredible Hulk” will narrowly sneak past “Hulk” at the box office some time this month. I’m guessing that’s probably not good enough for another sequel

  • ‘Le Chevalier Noir’

    Sweet:

    The Dark Knight poster on the streets of Paris

  • Two Face on Leno

    Aaron Eckhart dropped by “The Tonight Show” Monday night. Of course, I wasn’t able to catch it, but here’s the “Dark Knight” stuff (Michael Caine will be on the show tonight): 

  • Difference between day and ‘Knight’

    Adam West in Batman: The MovieA couple of Bat-stories around the web this morning (both of which I first came across at Hollywood Elsewhere).

    The first is this New York Times piece from Michael Cieply, about “Dark Knight” screenings rolling out as early as 6:00 a.m. in some cities due to the blast of ticket sales for showtimes around the clock.  Here’s a look:

    Movie theaters have sometimes opened their doors at odd hours for their most highly anticipated films, say, an entry in the “Star Wars” series, and midnight shows have become part of the summer blockbuster ritual.

    But all-night sellouts far in advance of an opening have come only with the near ubiquity of online ticket sales. Fandango.com, for instance, reports well over 1,500 wee-hour showings for “The Dark Knight” in theaters that typically do not open their doors before about 10 a.m.

    I expect to be a wee hour guy.  Despite the fact that the press screening drops Monday (the day I return to the states), I don’t think I’ll make the show.  So Thursday at 3:15 a.m. I’ll be with the masses over at Universal CityWalk.

    Meanwhile, Reel Geezers star Lorenzo Semple Jr. has cranked out a remembrance for Variety detailing his days as a scribe for the “Batman” television series.  If you can get past his woeful ignorance of the character int he first half, you might actually have a laugh at the direction he and Bill Dozier took the material and why.  Check it out:

    Days of innocence, days of Andalusian heaven! From the very beginning, Bill Dozier and I had seen millionaire Bruce Wayne and his Bat regalia as classy comedy, hopefully appealing to kids as an absurdly jolly action piece and to grown-ups for its deadpan satire, entirely nonfraught with psychological issues. I mean, golly gee!

    Personally, I love the old “Batman” show.  I recognize it for what it is and have a lot of fun with it.  I think it also says a lot for the character, that it has given way to so many (vastly) different interpretations.  But I was a kid once.  And pre-Tim Burton, I was plopped in front of the tube watching reruns of King Tut wreaking havoc — and tuning in, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel each and every week to see what happens next.

    The special edition of the old “Batman: The Movie,” by the way, is out on DVD and Blu-ray.  I’ll be picking it up sometime next week I’m sure.

  • David Poland dings ‘Dark Knight’

    Slightly.  Here’s a taste:

    I wanted that movie that Nolan was chasing. I really wanted that movie. But as is the nature of the dramatic arts, there is a mystical and undeniable gut feeling when you know that even the best film has come to its natural end. And in The Dark Knight, this occurs more than half an hour before the picture actually ends… maybe an hour…

    But he makes a mistake positing that Nolan would ever offer a “director’s cut.”  The director has infamously debunked such ideas, making it clear that his definitive vision of a film is what is on the screen.

    Read the rest of Poland’s review here.

  • Michael Bay’s ‘Dark Knight’

    It seems Spill.com got a hold of the very same “Dark Knight” script “written by Michael Bay” that landed in my inbox this week and has apparently been making the ha-ha rounds.  All in good faux fun, of course, but I’ll let /film’s link take you there.

  • Nolan for Best Director?

    Christopher Nolan and Aaron Eckhart on the set of The Dark KnightAlways 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:

    Director Christopher Nolan (hands folded leaning on rail) watches as Christian Bale prepares for a scene in The Dark Knight

  • New ‘Dark Knight’ trailer and Thompson blows a raspberry

    I remember when I first heard about the footage shown to fans at Wizard World in Chicago last year.  I was partially still feeling burned from not getting anything at Comic-Con in San Diego, but the description still had me tingling with excitement (especially the Two-Face scene, which closed the trailer and was released almost a month ago).

    Well /flash film points us today to the old footage, which has finally been released online.  There’s not really much dialogue, but there’s plenty of action (and some nice shots of Batsy beating the hell out of the Joker).

    Take a look:

    Meanwhile, Variety’s Anne Thompson has published her review of the film, but she apparently was “overwhelmed” and must have been expecting something akin to the leisurely pace of “Wild Strawberries” or something:

    Finally, I would have preferred to see The Dark Knight in 35 mm, not IMAX. (I will go see it again when it opens July 18.) While the sequences that were shot with giant cameras were stunning at the IMAX venue–especially the deep detailed helicopter shots over Gotham and the amazing car/truck chase filmed in Chicago’s freeway tunnels–I found the movie overwhelming. My brain starts to shut down when it gets over-pixillated, and this film goes on for two and a half hours.

    I guess a dissenting opinion was bound to come down the pike sooner or later.  Jeff Wells is certainly happy about that.  Thompson’s colleague, Justin Chang, meanwhile, begs to differ.

  • Coming May 2009

    Man I hope this doesn’t miss the mark:

    20th Century Fox\'s X-Men Origins: Wolverine

  • Most anticipated of part two

    MGM\'s Quantum of SolaceLooking ahead to the second half of the year, there are more than a few films floating to the top of my list of anticipations.  Here’s what I’d call the top 10:

    1. “The Dark Knight” (hasn’t budged in six months)
    2.“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    3. “House of Lies”
    4. “Quantum of Solace”
    5. “Appaloosa”
    6; “The Brothers Bloom”
    7. “Milk”
    8. “Australia”
    9. “Pineapple Express”
    10. “Religulous”

    Anticipating with caution: “W”
    Movie I hope disappears before it releases the most: “Ace Ventura Jr.”

    How about you?

  • Speaking of ‘Dark Knight’

    I was reading through a schedule of upcoming TV appearances from the cast, and noticed one interesting pairing on “The View,” July 15: Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.  What a treat to get that duo in one spot.  I think they shared, what, one scene in “Batman Begins?”

    Check out the week ahead for the Maggie and the boys here.  It’s interesting that Christian Bale only has one show lined up (The Today Show on 7/14).  Maggie Gyllenhaal seems to be lifting the most weight with four separate appearances.

  • How much will ‘The Dark Knight’ make on opening weekend?

    How much will The Dark Knight be worth to audiences?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.

  • Defending Robin

    DC Comics\' RobinBatman scribe Jeph Loeb (“The Long Halloween, “Dark Victory”) has jumped into the recent Robin debate, defending the character’s potential in Christopher Nolan’s current trilogy.

    Hunter Stephenson at /film points us to this MTV story, which offers the following from Loeb:

    Take the time to tell the story properly…There is a story of Dick Grayson and how he becomes Robin that is extremely moving and very helpful. …[Grayson/Robin] doesn’t understand why it is that he needs to do this and Bruce doesn’t understand why he’s doing it either because he’s not a parent. He doesn’t know how to be a parent…together, they make each other better people…that for me would be the next step.

    Stephenson also mentions that the recent Star Pulse item quoting Christian Bale’s dismissal of the character may have been misattributed, indicating that the actor once noted one of his favorite Bat-stories was the very Robin-heavy “Dark Victory.”  I never commented on the dismissal, because it frankly didn’t sound like something he would have said.

    Anyway, you’ve all heard my side of this debate.  I think there is plenty of room to do this story maturely and powerfully, and unless the filmmakers prefer to lock in to what could be a very straight-line, three-film arch, a saga more epic than most could imagine is there for the taking.  And Loeb seems to understand that it would need to be something for the long haul, not a quick fix:

    I wouldn’t let him become Robin until the third act, if that. I think that’s the other problem when you tell that story is that there’s this rush to put him in a costume by the end of the first 20 minutes and in that case I think it’s a disaster…

    Read more of the Loeb interview here.

  • EW ‘Dark Knight’ cover story

    The Dark Knight cover story in the July 11 issue of Entertainment WeeklyBenjamin Svetkey has cranked out a thoughtful, compelling cover story study of Heath Ledger’s performance in “The Dark Knight” for next week’s Entertainment Weekly.

    The piece, titled “Tragedy and Triumph,” concerns itself with how Ledger’s death has affected expectation and perception in the lead-up to the film’s release in a little more than a week.  It’s tightly written, one of the better features out there on the film.

    There are money quotes all over the place and plenty of insight from Svetkey’s early set visit woven in here and there.

    However, there is a stupid, pointless graph at the top of the fourth page that is ridden with a few spoilers.  It’s totally unnecessary and evidence of a journalist strutting, if you ask me.  But the rest: top notch.

    On the casting of the Joker, here’s what Svetkey cranked out:

    With Bale contractually locked in for two more Bat movies, and Nolan on board for at least one more, the only thing needed was an actor to play the bad guy. There certainly wasn’t a shortage of options. Robin Williams, Sean Penn, and even Mark Hamill were rumored to be on Nolan’s short list (at least Hamill had practice, having voiced the Joker in various superhero cartoons). What nobody knew at the time, though, was just how short the director’s list was. ”Heath was the only one on it,” Nolan insists. “I knew he was it from the start.”

    And an interesting segment on the makeup of the character:

    Ledger also gave plenty of thought to the makeup that would be splattered across his face throughout the film. ”He started applying the makeup himself — just to see what it would look like if he put it on with his own hands,” Nolan says. ”We talked about how streaking the paint could get across the idea of corruption, of decay.”

    Check out the rest here.  But be wary of that first graph on the last page.  You can skip it totally and the article reads just fine.

    And finally, here’s a glimpse of Ledger’s work in the film:

    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4FZdsIDsKE

  • Official site for ‘The Dark Knight’ soundtrack

    Sounds…so…amazing.

  • Variety on the darkness of ‘Knight,’ Kevin Smith’s thoughts

    David Cohen offered up a pretty standard story at Variety yesterday, touching on the darkness of “The Dark Knight” and the danger of alienating general audiences versus appeasing fans, etc.  He quotes two online Batman fansite sources (truthfully, a knowledgable step if you want to convey any real education on the character — these guys are committed).  He then tosses in some perspective from poducer Charles Roven.  But I’m wondering if this was the best choice of words for Mr. Roven:

    We walk that narrow line of making sure we were true to the character, but it’s not so gruesome. It’s not so utterly real that you turn away in disgust. You watch it and it’s one of the things that lets you know the film is not a real thing. We call it hyper-reality.

    I get what he means, but it kind of made me take a step back and read it again.  Sort of goes against the grain of the franchise’s mantra just a bit.

    Meanwhile, comic geek extraordinaire Kevin Smith was impressed with the film to say the least. Here’s the brief blurb from his MySpace blog:

    Without giving anything away, this is an epic film (and trust me: based on the sheer size and scope of the visuals and storytelling, that’s not an overstatement). It’s the “Godfather II” of comic book films and three times more earnest than “Batman Begins” (and fuck, was that an earnest film). Easily the most adult comic book film ever made. Heath Ledger didn’t so much give a performance as he disappeared completely into the role; I know I’m not the first to suggest this, but he’ll likely get at least an Oscar nod (if not the win) for Best Supporting Actor. Fucking flick’s nearly three hours long and only leaves you wanting more (in a great way). I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by it. Nolan and crew have created something close to a masterpiece.