Funko Pop Dark Knight Teaser Trailer

A fun sizzle reel I created, starring Dark Knight Funko Pop Heroes (and villains). Check it out!

Scene Stealer: I'm Necessary Evil

"I'm Gotham's reckoning, here to end the borrowed time you've all been living on."
(Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

The Dark Knight Rises is a hot topic this week, because the home release comes out in 7 short days. It's exciting (although shocking) that some people will be seeing it for the first time.

One of our favorite scenes in the movie is not even a big action or IMAX scene. It's when John Dagget (Ben Mendelson) wants to talk to Bane about things not going according to plan. Little does Dagget know, Bane has another plan.

Right before Bane enters the room, you hear him breathing, reminiscent of Darth Vader.

"Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear."

The way Bane casually rests his hand on Dagget's shoulder and Stryver (Burn Gorman) leaves the room is very chilling. Bane shows Daggett who's boss!

Actually, it reminds us of the scene in The Dark Knight with The Joker and Gambol in the billiard room. You know, "Why so serious?"

"Let's put a smile on that face."

Granted, Tom Hardy is standing on a higher level than Mendelson, embellishing his height again, but that's subtle movie magic.

In the last shot, Bane snaps Daggett's neck. Even though it's not seen, Tom Hardy sells it well with the quick head turn. Daggett squeals and Stryver flinches--giving you a glimpse of the terror to come.

It's all PG-13.

Bane on a Plane -- Theatricality at its Finest

I'm getting hyped up about The Dark Knight Rises again, as if it's a new movie coming out. Well, it really is--the blu-ray version!

One of the real scene-stealers of the film is the opening "prologue" sequence. I shouldn't have to tell you what happens in this spectacular opening: the CIA brings a nuclear physicist and three hooded prisoners known to be working for "the masked man" Bane onto an airplane, one of those prisoners happens to be Bane, they hijack and "tow" the plane with a much bigger cargo plane, kill the CIA, stage the death of the nuclear physicist and kidnap him, blah, blah, blah . . .

What's really great about this sequence are the stunts, using minimal visual effects. Christopher Nolan took huge inspiration from James Bond--it shows in Inception and especially in this sequence, which oddly doesn't even feel like a Batman movie. Coincidentally, Chris Courbould, the special effects coordinator, also did work on Skyfall (another fine movie, I might add).

It's stunningly shot in IMAX, and get this--edited from the original camera negative, which means no generation loss, effectively adding up to 18,000 lines (film doesn't use pixels). I always felt like the prologue had a different quality from the rest of the film, and this is why. You practically feel the grass touching your face when the jeep is driving towards the airplane, and when they're in the aircraft, you feel like you're inside with them. In effect, it accomplishes what 3-D tries to do.

"No one cared who I was 'til I put on the mask."

The tension is further built by the musical score, wonderfully composed by Hans Zimmer. I love the way the bass riff starts playing as the plane is flying, you start to hear hints of "the chant" as Bane's presence is felt (deshi deshi basara basara), and then the big drum beats really kick in once the fire rises.

Going back to the visual effects, they are very minimal. That's right--stuntmen are actually tethered jumping from one plane to another, and even the part where they drop the front of the plane from the sky onto the grounds of beautiful Scotland was done for real. Most of everything is shot on camera, and miniatures are used in favor of CGI, which is great because you never get that green screen or animation effect. It's a breathtaking opening scene that just had to be experienced on IMAX.

Watching it at home won't quite be the same, so I hope modern filmmakers up the ante and take note. Theatricality and showmanship are not dead; computer graphics and post-production don't accomplish everything. Open your movie with a bang, and consider screening the first few minutes of the film to audiences in place of trailers.

Hooded Man #2, an Unsung Character

I already blogged about Bane's Right-Hand Man aka Barsad. Now, I bring your attention to another one of Bane's Boys. A character who is simply credited as "Hooded Man #2" on IMDB.

The opening IMAX sequence for The Dark Knight Rises has become pretty iconic to Batman and film fans by now. As you may recall, Bane purposely had himself get caught along with two of his men and we are introduced to them with their faces covered with black hoods.  Then, they destroy a whole airplane and it looked nuts/epic on the big screen.

At the end of this exciting scene, Hooded Man #2 was about to make his escape with his fellow terrorists when Bane puts a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. 

"They expect one of us in the wreckage, brother."

"Have we started the fire?"

"Yes. The fire rises."

That is the last we see of Hooded Man #2 as he gallantly sacrifices his life for a cause that fails at the end of the film... kind of sucks for him. But at least he didn't have to know that he died for nothing. 

Still, not only was Hooded Man #2 a handsome feller, I thought his short-lived character was brave nonetheless. Not that I advocate terrorist actions and feelings but you gotta either be mentally unstable or you just really, really, really believe in something that you are willing to die for it. How many of us can claim to have had that feeling?

Hooded Man #2 was played by a Aliash Tepina, a Slovenian actor (according to Wikipedia)... hence the cute little accent when he says his one single but very important line in the movie. We salute you and your unsung character. At least Batman didn't get to punch you in the face.

According to Google Search, this is him... 

Dark Knight Double Whammy

Holy Blu-Ray, Batman!

Winter is a damned good time for Batman: we have The Dark Knight Rises coming to home release on December 4, and then Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (animated feature) on January 29, 2013.

 

Michael Emerson of LOST will be doing the voice for The Joker in 'Returns' and I'm sure he does a fantastic job. The Joker in Frank Miller's famed graphic novel, "The Dark Knight Returns" is a little bit different, so I think Emerson will match it really well. Actually, my favorite part about Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is the ending, so I'm already excited . . .

As for 'Rises', I recently made a post that I'm not that excited about the blu-ray release. It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, as I will certainly be at the door on the morning of its release. I'm mostly looking forward to the special features, as well as being able to read subtitles (there is a line by John Blake that I do not understand).

After experiencing it on IMAX ten times during its run (not bad), I look forward to stretching out on the couch during all 2 hours and 40 minutes. Plus, when I have a day to waste, I can't think of a better way to spend it than as a couch potato running a Dark Knight Trilogy marathon! 

Speaking of formats, have you seen or heard of the new 4K and 8K TV's slowly making their way to market? They are 8 and 16 times the resolution of 1080p, respectively (8K apparently approaches IMAX resolution). I'm sure the color quality, sound, and contrast ratios are superior, to boot. I wonder what kind of format will support it, i.e. what will come after blu-ray?

Nevertheless, these new ultra high resolution displays are absurdly expensive, but if I could afford it, I'd get an 8K projector with the largest, creamiest screen and 22.1 surround sound with enough watts to wake up the zoo.

Here is an awesome trailer for The Dark Knight Rises blu-ray release:

Bane Graphic Novel - Why it Needs to Happen

Insights into The Masked Man

bane [beyn]
noun

1. a person or thing that ruins or spoils.

2. a deadly poison.

3. death; destruction; ruin.

Coming fresh of the hype of The Dark Knight Rises, Bane has seen a resurgence in popularity. Relegated to a simple brute in the god-awful Batman & Robin, Bane is finally relevant again.

He might not be a "household name" like The Joker or Catwoman, but dedicated Dark Knights know he's the real deal. I mean, this is the guy who broke Batman's back. I remember when that issue came out (Batman #497). There was a huge poster behind the comic book store counter. It was a bigger deal to me than the death of Superman.

Now that Bane is more of a household name again, thanks to the movie, it's a perfect time to do a one-off graphic novel reinterpretation (similar to what DC did with The Joker). I personally liked Graham Nolan's art the best, but we can go for a completely fresh look here.

Why it should be done 

Bane is a badass villain, among the top 5 in Batman's rogues gallery, in my opinion. However, the comics he appeared in were, to put it bluntly, mediocre. Plus, there are not enough of them. I've read Knightfall, Vengeance of Bane (Bane's origin), and the Bane of the Demon series. I wanted more Batman and Bane.

How it should be done

The thing I love about the world of comic books is that there are many ways to tell a similar story, or reimagine a character. However, there are things about Bane that I think should be kept consistent:

• I like the idea of him being born in a prison. His country of origin, I don't think is as important (can you read accents in comic book panels?)
• He's much cooler/mysterious/threatening when his mouth is covered. It doesn't need to be the Lucha Libre inspired mask, though.
• He needs tubes to feed him the venom. It doesn't matter how, but they need to be visible.
• Bane is smart, calculated, and two steps ahead of Batman. Do not reduce him to an [over-sized] thug.
• Size-wise, Bane shouldn't be too big. He needs to be slightly more imposing than Batman, but not The Hulk. A grittier way to go is to make him like normal human on steroids and growth hormone (Venom is not so subtly based on that phenomenon, anyway). He doesn't need to be a model of human physical perfection; Tom Hardy's bear-like street brawler physique worked really well for the character.
• I loved his romantic interest in Talia al Ghul, and the tie-in with Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins.
• Whereas The Joker is the chaos to Batman's order, the Yin to Batman's Yang, the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object; Bane is more of Batman's equal, both in terms of physical capabilities (i.e. hand-to-hand combat) and genius-level intellect.
• Bane is an expert strategist, but he doesn't necessarily need to remain cold all the time. He doesn't need to ham it up, either, but there is definitely room for verbal displays of quick wits.

Do it, DC! 

I would love to see a new graphic interpretation of Bane (Arkham Asylum Bane doesn't do it for me, sorry). A DC animated feature with Bane as the primary antagonist would be priceless, as well! I'm sure many fans of the character would be pleased.

The Dark Knight Rises Easter Eggs: Part I

I geeked out at some of the not-so-subtle Batman Universe references at the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, so I'll share them here. It's not an exhaustive list; just my personal favorites.

1. John Daggett/Roland Daggett

If you watch Batman: The Animated Series "Feat of Clay" episodes, Roland Dagget is a corrupt and powerful businessman, and adversary of Batman, very similar to John Dagget in TDKR. He is the president of Dagget Industries, a pharmaceutical company that develops a face cream that allows the user to mold their face to their desire. The addictive qualities of the face cream ultimately leads to the creation of Clayface. In the movie, John Dagget owns a construction company and pours concrete over Gotham City (that Bane has laced with explosives) instead of clay.

2. Giant Alligators

Okay, I know my taxonomy and that alligators are different from crocodiles, but the whole scene in the sewers and officer Blake's line about giant alligators gave me a sliver of hope at the possibility but improbability of Killer Croc. Side note: Bane beats up Killer Croc in The Animated Series.

3. Bane as Red Hood

"Rookie, lose the helmet, we need faces for camera."

Bane in a red helmet and motorcycle suit getting away from the cops on motorcycle, while the police chase down Batman just made me lose it!

 4. Bane's Coat

One word: HUSH.

5. Judge Crane/Scarecrow

Okay, so I'm a big fan of The Animated Series (it's listed as the 2nd best animated series of all time behind The Simpsons on IGN, c'mon).  In the episode, "Trial", Batman is accused of "creating" all of the criminals, freaks and monsters of Gotham City and is taken to court in Arkham Asyllum, which is presided by none other than . . . Judge Joker! (it sounds better when Harley Quinn says it). Some say that if Heath Ledger was still alive, he should have been the judge in TDKR instead of Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), but I honestly don't think it would have been as fitting.

6. Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb.

I encourage everyone to take a day off, order a pizza, and watch the 1966 Batman: The Movie. There is a hilarious scene where Adam West's Batman is running around trying to dispose of a live Bomb, but has a very hard time. When he finally brings it to the water (off-screen) and it explodes, Robin presumes that Batman went with it. Much like Blake and the rest of the city assume that Batman dies when he flies the nuclear bomb over the bay.

7. Liam Neeson is a foreshadow for everything

Ra's al Ghul (from Batman Begins): "If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them, and stab them in the heart."

This is exactly what Miranda Tate/Talia does to Batman!

To be continued . . .

"Vanilla" Dark Knight Rises

I went and saw 'The Dark Knight Rises' for the 5th time, and this time it was at my local theater on a standard 35mm projection.

While still a great film (I found myself paying attention to more details since I wasn't too occupied by being "wowed"), I found the experience quite underwhelming. It definitely made me appreciate the IMAX experience that much more.

SPOILERS BELOW

Here are things that I noted:

• The trailers definitely made me feel like I was there way too long. The film's 164 minute runtime is just right, in my opinion, but I like that there are no trailers attached to the IMAX film.
• The sound--nowhere close to the IMAX experience. From the opening logo, to the prologue. On IMAX, you feel like you're in the plane. Sounds that are meant to be jarring like gunshots, explosions, aircraft (such as The Bat), and the scene where Bruce Wayne shoots the bow-and-arrow a hair away from Selina Kyle really startle you in the IMAX setting. Furthermore, when Batman saves Blake from trouble, you actually here a hint of The Bat hovering behind him.
• Color quality. No comparison. I felt like the color here was notably muted. IMAX color really pops and with the high resolution and bright projection, it gives it a more realistic quality. For example, the first time we see Officer Blake on the rooftop with Commissioner Gordon, it was so dark I couldn't see his face right away.
• Scene cropping. It is known that this movie was filmed for both IMAX and widescreen formats, and while it doesn't take away from the movie itself, the widescreen version doesn't give you that realistic sense of height. Furthermore, the establishing shot of Gotham Stock Exchange is completely different.

 

Bottom line

I'm going back to IMAX for 'The Dark Knight Rises' because I want that to be my last impression. Once it's gone from theaters, it goes to blu-ray and we'll never get to experience it on IMAX again. So, I'm maximizing it now. Definitely worth the extra drive and arriving early to get the best seat.