Ever since Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was released, lead star Harrison Ford has expressed enthusiasm in a potential fifth big-screen entry in the popular adventure franchise, as long as it doesn't take to long for production to start, and he's recently stated that creator George Lucas currently has an idea for the plot that is "crazy, but great".

According to the official publication Production Weekly, Christopher Nolan, the director of the previous two Batman films, has officially signed on for a third one, and pre-production will start in February 2009. Take this with a grain of salt because that date seems way too close.

The highly anticipated Tr2n will be made in 3D while newcomer director Joseph Kosinski believes the film will be released by the end of 2010 and confirms the first movie's director, Steven Lisberger, is involved in the production. Also, original star Jeff Bridges, who reprises his role, is extremely enthusiastic.

Rumors have it that Paul Andrews Williams (The Cottage) has signed on to direct 28 Months Later, the third entry in Danny Boyle's superb zombie franchise. The only problem? Danny Boyle has always stated he would return to direct the film himself.

Source: /Film

We've never heard one way or the other whether Christopher Nolan would return for the next Batman movie (which isn't likely to have "Batman" in the title if I understand correctly, Gotham Knight or Knights has been bandied about but who knows!).

We've heard that Nolan was "on vacation" and had yet to return to discuss a new project. We've hear whispers that he wouldn't come back , and that alternate directions for the franchise were being considered. We've heard there's been little-to-no talk of another Batman movie at all. Last week, AICN received a few e-mails indicating that a Batman film was gearing up to start production early next year in the Chicago area, but Nolan's name was nowhere to be found on the project's preliminary information. AND, in a recent interview I can't seem to locate at the moment, one interviewee from Warners revealed that (I'm paraphrasing) Nolan's return was clearly desirable, but was in no way assured (if anyone knows of a link to said interview, please post in Talkbacks below).

Well, the usually reliable Production Weekly, which (according to its front page) provides the entertainment industry with a comprehensive breakdown of projects in pre-production, preparation, and active development for film and television., has now listed a Batman 3 as going into pre-production early next year - with Nolan directing Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman.

It's...uncommon...to hear this kind of news without first hearing noisier allusions from other channels, so it's probably prudent to take this with a grain of salt until further & officialer details come down the pipeline. However, Production Weekly isn't known for going off half-cocked, and we've previously gleaned information like this from far funkier sources. One example: before Len Wiseman was officially announced for Live Free Or Die Hard, some guys on a plane were discussing his attachment to the project...they were overheard by a passenger who then wrote in to tell us the news. So, it may not be wise to completely dismiss this new Nolan information either.

Can't wait to see how this shakes out. More news as more comes in...

This is to be taken with a grain of salt; however, we're pledged to bring you all the Batman 3 news we run across. If he turns this down, it could be more shocking than Jerry Seinfeld saying no to season 10 of Seinfeld. Lets hope Nolan likes money ;)

www.badtaste.it

According to ign (they cite 2 sources) Batman 3 may begin shooting next year. Lots of behind the scenes people who worked on Dark Knight have released this rumor. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan have not signed on for the project as of this writing. 

Not sure what to think of this. I'm anxious for another Batman movie, but this seems too soon. I think Christopher needs a break from Batman; another non-Batman movie hopefully. I don't want the same thing happening to Batman that happened to Spider-Man with their respective 3rd installments.

Hace rato que no teníamos bati-rumores, pero llegó uno de los momentos que muchos esperan. Aunque obviamente no es hora de llegar y dar por confirmado, no falta el que se emociona y confirma sus expectativas para tener pronto una nueva entrega del hombre murciélago. Y es que lo único más o menos oficial que se ha sabido es que Batman 3 es una de las cuatro películas basados en personajes de DC Comics que la gente de Warner Bros quiere de aquí al 2011 y que todos esperan a Nolan. En esta ocasión, en IGN.com nos apuntan a dos reportes aparecidos en Batman-on-Film.com (aquí y aquí), en donde los típicos "señores" fuentes han informado que la pre-producción de la próxima película del encapotado esta fechada para comenzar en Febrero próximo en Chicago,  para que las grabaciones se inicien durante el verano del '09. ¿Tanto así?:

"Lo interesante es que la información se origina de tipos que trabajaron detrás de las cámaras en The Dark Knight - constructores de sets, dobles, personal de grabación, etc. - en Chigaco", señalan en BoF. "El hecho que este rumor surja de miembros del equipo quizás  da cuenta que existe algo, ya que no puedes contratar a esta gente a última hora. Si sets deben ser construidos y otras tareas de proyectos misceláneos de pre-producción necesitan ser realizados, sospechamos que leer este tipo de cosas año y medo o dos años con anticipación no es algo improbable".

¿Y que dijo Nolan?, el día que confirme la situación... este mundo entrará en estado de ebullición, sin duda.

Tout d'abord, il y a une erreur à 1h30 du film environ, lorsque Batman regarde à l'intérieur d'une maison avec une lunette de visée nocturne, un enfant sort sur le balcon et le voit : on y voit la ruelle pleine de linges accrochés pour sécher... hors dans la scène en question, il pleut et le linge est trempé ^^ la aussi pas d'excuse possible, car une ou deux personne qui oublie de rentrer son linge je veux bien, mais tous le monde, la non ^^

Ensuite lors de la course poursuite de la batmobile, sur le dernier étage d'un parking, on y voit un agent de police qui parle dans le micro de la voiture et lui dit "sortez de votre véhicule..."

puis la batmobile s'en va... mais plus loin dans la poursuite, on y voit le même policier qui dit "est-ce que quelqu'un pourrait me dire à quoi ça ressemble"...

Hehe c'est le même acteur, on le reconnait très bien ; voilà ce qui arrive quand on veut faire des économies de figurant ^^

Since the whole point here is an introduction and then the big AVENGER's team up movie, each hero (IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA etc.) getting some breathing room in their own separate installment should amount to some good pacing for character development.

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Johnny Depp must be the busiest dude in Hollywood, Pirates 4, Dillinger, etc.... This story from the LA Times sadly has no mention of the rumor that he's in talks with Christopher Nolan to play the Riddler, but Depp to play Tonto?!? If your going to make a Lone Ranger movie (which is seriously frakkin' awesome BTW) then of course Viggo Mortensen is your troubled vigilante masked Ranger, but since this is set for a 2010 or 2011 release, lets think all 21st Century shall we? Why not use a Native American/First Nation actor and who better right now than Adam Beach? I mean, except for the the whole sad broken English thing, even the original Tonto was played by Canadian and native Mohawk Jay Silverheels. Anyway, check it out.

Il costume di Batman è un pezzo forte in tutti i film dedicati al pipistrellone, sopratutto da quando Bob Ringwood (costume designer per i film di Tim Burton) decise di sostituire la classica calzamaglia con una tuta in gomma che desse l'idea di una corazza antiproiettile.

Tra tutte le Bat-tute svuluppate fino ad oggi, qual'è quella che preferite? E di questa, cosa vi piace in particolare?

Come sapete, il Joker ha avuto un trattamento particolare ne "Il Cavaliere Oscuro".

Sebbene la sua psicologia e la sua personalità siano state sviscerate a fondo dal regista Christopher Nolan, il personaggio non aveva (volutamente) una "storia", un passato, e lo spettatore alla fine del film non sapeva praticamente nulla di lui se non quanto era folle eppure geniale allo stesso tempo.

Ebbene, il regista Brett Ratner ha parlato a MTV spiegando che il personaggio di Joker non può finire così, e sebbene Heath Ledger sia morto "Il Cavaliere Oscuro" ha rivelato un enorme interesse degli spettatori in quel personaggio, tanto che meriterebbe uno spin-off tutto per sè.

"Quando ero bambino, adoravo Batman. Sono un po' geloso del fatto che sia stato Christopher Nolan a dirigerlo, sebbene abbia fatto un ottimo lavoro. Comunque ci sono così tanti personaggi nelle serie di Batman, così tanti personaggi che adoro, che le opportunità di spin-off sono infinite."

"Sarebbe grandioso [dedicare il primo solo a Joker, esplorando le sue origini]. Heath è stato grandioso, ma Joker è un ottimo villain. Ecco perché Nicholson e Ledger ci hanno lavorato, ciascuno così tanto. E penso che ci sarà un altro attore in grado di interpretarlo. Ad esempio, Robert Downey Jr."

Ratner è stato regista di X-Men 3, quindi è già piuttosto esperto di film sui supereroi. Vedremo se la Warner accoglierà questo suo suggerimento..

FONTE: BADTASTE

Lethem boils down the comparisons to a couple of salient points, the first of which being the comparison between Batman's treatment of criminals and our own government's treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. Second, Batman's invasion of Gothamites' privacy in order to find the Joker is compared to recent wiretapping scandals and the USA Patriot Act. He writes, "The Dark Knight, with its taciturn and self-pitying vigilante, its scenes of torture, rendition and interrogation, its elaborately leveraged choices between principles and human lives, might offer a defense of the present administration's cursory regard for human rights abroad and civil rights at home, in the cause of reply to attacks from an irrational and inhuman evil." I will agree that Batman begins The Dark Knight as an individual who supports use of torture and privacy invasion in pursuit of the greater good, but two of the most important areas of growth for him as a character were his realization that torture won't get him the results he needs, and that the power to spy on everyone is too much for anyone to wield responsibly. He states that, "Scene after scene presents a sensual essay in taking good-guy torture and a crumbling social and economic infrastructure equally for granted," but I must question his understanding of the plot of the film. The two good-guy torture scenes (Batman brutalizing Joker in the interrogation room and Batman dropping Salvatore Maroni from a third-story fire escape) were complete failures on Batman's part. He was unable to get a single piece of information from either subject that they weren't already willing to give. He (and, until I read this article, I thought the viewer also) learns a valuable lesson: Torture is not a solution. I agree with Mr. Lethem when he says that "Torture evaporates our every rational claim to justice, and will likely be the signature national crime of our generation," but he and I apparently saw two very different movies.

The differences between his perception of the movie and mine don't end there. He writes that "No one in Gotham can remember a time before the town's ruin, and the movie declines to hint at a way out." Perhaps he has not seen Batman Begins? Gotham City has had a history of being prosperous and impressive. It is only in recent years that there has been a steady decline (immediately preceding the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, with a resurgence in crime shortly before Batman makes his first appearance.) Gotham is supposed to still be an economic powerhouse throughout The Dark Knight, especially after Batman destroyed the League of Shadows and their plans to cripple it economically at the end of Batman Begins. The Dark Knight was supposed to show a Gotham with two faces, one of a bustling and successful business center, the other a seedy underbelly of unchecked crime and corruption. If corruption is America's growth industry, it makes sense that the most corrupt city would also be one of the richest.

A small point I wanted to bring up was Lethem's reach to compare Batman to our current president:"Trace the bat-signal's outline with your finger and it looks kind of like... a 'W.' Is it so?" No, it is not! If I had to compare bat symbols to letters, I would sooner say a V (as in For Vendetta) for the movie's symbol and an M for this decade's comic version. Perhaps it is a matter of perception, though.

Lethem also seemed to think very little of the movie's plot progression and story construction. He believes that "In its narrative gaps, its false depths leading nowhere in particular, its bogus grief over stakeless destruction and faked death, The Dark Knight echoes a civil discourse strained to helplessness by panic, overreaction and cultivated grievance." I would argue that there were only a few minor narrative gaps (such as the confusion regarding Joker's whereabouts at Bruce's fund-raiser party for Harvey Dent) that are nothing unusual for big-budget blockbusters. I know not of any "false depths" or where they were supposed to lead. As far as "bogus grief," "stakeless" destruction and "faked" death are concerned, perhaps he simply did not connect to the story emotionally. Personally, I felt sympathetic grief for the characters who died, even for the one whose death was faked. I also thought the destruction had more visual impact than many movies (in large part because most of it was done practically instead of using CGI) though there were admittedly few repercussions for property damage. His overall estimation, that "I couldn't shake the sense that a morbid incoherence was the movie's real take-away, chaotic form its ultimate content" also raises my eyebrow. I thought the movie was quite coherent, except for the obvious and intentional monkey wrenches thrown in by The Joker.

I also think that Lethem missed the point of the boat scene. He claims "The Joker's paradox is the same as that of 9/11 and its aftermath: Audacious transgression ought to call out of us an equal and adamant passion for love of truth and freedom, yet the fear he inspires instead drives us deep into passivity and silence." The boat scene contradicts this in a major way. It is indeed the passengers' passion for love of truth and freedom that keeps them from killing each other, and they are rewarded for their demonstration of resolve (or at least not punished for it.) I suppose you could argue that refraining from setting off the other boat's bomb could be seen as passivity, but we need more of that kind of passivity.

He makes some amusing comparisons between The Dark Knight and our 24-hour news networks, arguing that "Every topic we're unable to quit not-thinking about is whirled into a cognitively dissonant milkshake of rage, fear and, finally, absolving confusion," and that "All hope of conversation between the paranoid blues and the paranoid reds, all that might bind us together, is forever armored in a gleeful and cynical cartoon of spin and disinformation." Not only do I agree, I applaud the cleverness of his milkshake metaphor.

Finally, I'd like to rewrite his last line because I fell it misinterprets the metaphor and doesn't make sense given the source material. I think a change from "I have no theory who Batman is, but the Joker is us" to "I have no theory who the Joker is, but the joke is on us" would work far better.

Batman é uma criatura de várias facetas. Na Sétima Arte, o herói já ganhou encarnações diametralmente opostas, sendo interpretado por meia-dúzia de atores diferentes, em abordagens distintas a cada novo projeto envolvendo tal encapuzado. Mais recentemente, sua figura foi reiventada novamente, numa série cinematográfica cuja pretensão era livrá-lo das bobagens cometidas no passado distante e reapresentá-lo em um formato realista - algo condizente com seu histórico nos quadrinhos. Apelidado de "Begins", o “início” da franquia - na verdade um reinício - conseguiu realizar este objetivo com êxito. “Em ‘Batman Begins’, nós nos concentramos nas origens do personagem: como ele evoluiu do próprio trauma inicial de Bruce Wayne, seus medos, sua raiva e, por fim, sua resolução de combater o crime e a corrupção”, explica a produtora Emma Thomas.

“Assim, embora Bruce precise usar uma fantasia para proteger sua identidade, na verdade é Batman quem define a verdadeira personalidade de Wayne, sendo sua imagem pública de Playboy a 'máscara' que ele usa para coexistir nesse mundo”, ela delimita. “Achei que deixamos o universo de Batman em um ponto interessante no primeiro longa, sugerindo uma direção intrigante pela qual a história poderia prosseguir”, continua Christopher Nolan, diretor destes dois recentes bat-longas. “Há algumas conseqüências muitas negativas de sua cruzada que estão prestes a ocorrer em Gotham”, reitera o cineasta, lembrado até hoje pelo fantástico “Amnésia” (2000). “Por um lado, Batman começou a livrar as vielas da brutal guerra de gangues que a assolava - mas, ironicamente, o vácuo que ele criou atraiu um elemento criminoso ainda mais poderoso, que vê isso como sua oportunidade para assumir o controle”, revela Charles Roven, igualmente produtor de “Cavaleiro das Trevas”. Um título muito popular entre os fãs e que diz bastante sobre a presente (sombria) filmografia batmaníaca.

“Creio que Bruce achou que seu trabalho seria por tempo limitado, que Batman serviria como uma inspiração para Gotham e que, por fim, ele poderia deixá-lo para trás. Contudo, ele está começando a compreender, cada vez mais, que isso é algo que não pode ser abandonado agora, ou que talvez ele nunca possa abandonar. Há inimigos recém-chegados dos quais a cidade precisa ser protegida”, prossegue Christian Bale, interprete do protagonista, referindo-se (sobretudo) ao obstáculo escolhido pelos realizadores na hora de complicar (de vez) a exaustiva vida-dupla do "homem morcego". “Este Coringa é o arquivilão supremo do cinema”, deleita-se Nolan. “Ao seu próprio modo, ele é um ícone tanto quanto o Cavaleiro das Trevas”, especula o autor. “O Coringa é um dos maiores vilões na tradição dos quadrinhos: psicótico, enigmático, esperto, diabólico, charmoso e divertidíssimo de se observar. Sabíamos que seria necessário um ator extraordinário para interpretá-lo”, pondera Roven, sabiamente.

O escolhido (acertadamente) para encarnar o “palhaço do crime”, claro, foi Heath Ledger, falecido brutalmente - lamentavelmente - pouco tempo depois das gravações, vitima de uma (mal-explicada) overdose pelo uso excessivo de medicamentos antidepressivos. “Heath criou algo completamente original. É impressionante, é cativante e surpreenderá as pessoas”, profetiza Christopher, ciente da excelência deste exemplo póstumo do enorme talento de Ledger. “De cada nuance física a cada emissão vocal, é simplesmente um desempenho inesquecível”, elogia Charles, com toda razão. “Conversamos sobre como víamos esse ser psicopata/vilanesco e tínhamos exatamente o mesmo conceito, Heath parecia compreender instintivamente como tornar esta figura diferente de tudo o que tinham feito antes”, recorda o filmmaker, fazendo referência ao cômico Coringa interpretado por Jack Nicholson, na primeira versão para as telonas da batsérie - lançada em 1989. “Para manter o tom estabelecido em ‘Batman Begins’, decidimos que ele seria um sujeito bastante sério. Por isso, começamos com a noção dele ser a forma mais extrema de anarquista, uma força do caos, um criminoso sem propósito que não está à procura de nada - no sentido de que não há motivação material para suas ações”, esclarece Nolan. “Em certo sentido, o Coringa é uma resposta lógica para o Batman, que instigou esse tipo de comportamento extremo em Gotham”, finaliza.

“Enquanto alguns consideram Batman um herói, outros se perguntam se ele está causando mais mal do que bem”, Emma vocifera, tocando no lado negro indelével deste estreito limiar entre combater o crime e fazer justiça com as próprias mãos (sujas). “Batman ainda tem uma imensa reserva de raiva-dor e sabe que poderia facilmente ir longe demais, por isso não deve ultrapassar esse limite. Ele precisa ter certeza de que, ao perseguir um monstro, ele próprio não se tornará um”, concorda Bale. Assim sendo, Batman resolve sair da solitária (perigosa) cruzada para encontrar ajudas bem-vindas, que podem auxiliá-lo a se manter na linha. “Agora temos um trio formado por Batman, Harvey Dent e o comissário Gordon - representando, o sistema judiciário, a polícia e um justiceiro - numa aliança para reduzir a criminalidade”, inúmera o dono da cadeira de direção. “Harvey assumiu a responsabilidade de enfrentar o crime organizado e limpar as ruas. Ele é a novíssima esperança em Gotham, o ‘Cavaleiro Branco’, como é chamado”, intercede Aaron Eckhart, interprete do citado promotor.

“Acaba sendo uma dinâmica interessante, porque Harvey vê o ‘Cavaleiro das Trevas’ lutando contra os criminosos de um modo como o próprio gostaria de agir, mas não pode. Dent precisa permanecer dentro dos limites da lei. Ele precisa fazer publicamente o que o vigilante está fazendo veladamente”, suscita Nolan. “Há certa quantidade de oportunismo pessoal acontecendo também, porque se Harvey Dent for bem-sucedido, então, talvez Bruce possa deixar de ser Batman. Quem sabe haja um mundo em que ele possa retornar a uma vida normal”, diz Thomas, entretanto, como lembrariam os leitores das HQs, outro futuro (provável) pode acabar se abatendo sobre os dois ‘Cavaleiros’ listados. “O Coringa e o Duas Caras são os dois personagens mais fascinantes das revistas do Batman. Eles têm uma característica quase mítica, e eu desejava muito vê-los pelo prisma que criamos”, entrega o diretor.

Entretanto, a película não vive só de arquiinimigos, promovendo surpresas a cada elemento introduzido nesta bombástica continuação. “Em ‘Begins’, precisávamos mostrar coisas tipo o Batmóvel e o uniforme. Ao mesmo tempo, não exploramos completamente todos os bat-dispositivos”, cita Chris Nolan, faceiro, incluindo no seu pacotão de novidades uma armadura reformulada (“Agora eu posso virar a cabeça”, sorri Christian, feliz com a liberdade propiciada pelo upgrade no pesado design), outros truques do “Batcinto” e um novíssimo veículo, o aguardado Bat-Pod. Além de cenários nunca visitados anteriormente - vide Hong Kong e a fria (entretanto belíssima) cobertura do milionário Sr. Wayne. “Estávamos atrás de maneiras para expandir o escopo do longa-metragem”, reitera Nolan, que continua: “Ao continuarmos a saga de Batman, o desafio era tornar as coisas grandiosas e melhores, tanto por meio da trama quanto através da forma como a apresentamos”, pondera, alicerçando os motivos que o levaram a filmar boa parte da obra com câmeras IMAX - feito inédito na área - conseguindo lindas imagens, extremamente amplas, muito acima das obtidas nas filmagens tradicionais. “Ela lança o público bem no meio da ação, de uma maneira que nenhum outro formato de cinema poderia”, defende-se o tutor-cineasta destas “mudanças técnicas” (pra melhor).

“Acho que Chris tem um grande talento para satisfazer as necessidades do entretenimento puro, sem prescindir dos momentos de grande conflito pessoal ou mesmo da dualidade dos personagens. No fim, ele consegue fazer as duas coisas sem comprometer nenhuma delas”, completa Bale, o titular do capuz negro. “Para mim, Batman tem um forte apelo e sempre foi capaz de fascinar platéias porque é um ícone com o qual as pessoas se identificam. É um mito muito comovente”, encerra Christopher Nolan, com a certeza de quem fora cumpridor de seu dever, mantendo o batsinal aceso. Da melhor maneira possível. Em todos os sentidos.

Fonte: Warner Bros.

Imdb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/
Rotten Tomatoes page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPy5qYlTlRY

Things you’d never hear “The Dark Knight” characters say:

Gordon (to his wife): I'm sorry. I coudn't risk your safety.
(she slaps him)
Gordon: Bitch, that hurt!
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Joker: Are you the real batman?
Brian: Yes.
Joker: No? Then- wait. What?
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Fox: You've turned every phone in Gotham into a sonar.
Batman: Yeah. This sreen is my favorite. Look at that ass. Mmmm...ass.
Fox: Bitch, that's my mother!
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Guy from Watchmen: The world will look up and shout, save us! And i'll whisper...no.
Joker: Even to me that's cold.
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S.W.A.T. Guy: That's not good. Okay, that's not good!
Gordon: No sh it, sherlock!
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(Batman pushes Two- Face off the ledge)Batman: Yippee- Ki- Yay Motherf_cker!
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Joker: Duh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- duh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- nuh- BATMAN!
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Joker: You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
'89 Joker in audience: THAT SON OF A BITCH!
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Alfred: Can I persuade you to take a sandwich with you, sir?
Bruce: Middle of the day, Alfred-- wait, that's not right...
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The Joker: Hey, don't let me eat any more of these pills...
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Mike Engel: So Mr Reese, you know the identity of the Batman?
Coleman Reese: Yes, in reality Batman is Oscar winning actor/director George Clooney.
Mike Engel: If you're not going to take this seriously.....
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Joker: Wanna know how I got these scars? My father is a drinker, and a fiend...

Batman: Motherfuc*er, what makes you think I care?
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Joker : You either die a villain ; Or live long enough to see yourself become a hero !
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Joker : Now that you've seen me in the Nurse's costume ; How about we set up a petition to get Me the role of CatWoman !
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Rachel : Would you say that the reason that people don't like me in this film is related to the fact that my scenes are all Dull Exposition ? I haven't got a single memorable line in the Whole Movie ! Mr. Nolan ? Could you and your brother please learn how to write dialogue for women ?
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Joker: You wanna know how I got these scars?
Rachel: How?
Joker: My father made me watch a video. It was so terrifying that I screamed. I screamed so loud and my mouth got so wide it ripped.
Rachel: Oh my, God! what was it that was so terrible?
Joker: A Rick Roll music video.
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(Bruce walks into the fundraiser with three women)
Random Guy #1: That's my girlfriend!
Random Guy #2: That's my wife!
Alfred: That's my mother!
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(Gordon sees Harvey's burnt face): Holy crap! You look like sh it.
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Joker: Look at me. LOOK AT ME!!! Do these pants make me look fat?
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Joker: Good evening commmmmmmmmiiiiissssssiiiiiiooooooonnnnnnneeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr
(Gordon snickers)
Joker: What's funny?
Gordon: Oh nothing, just you wait til i leave this room. (He keeps laughing) You're not going see this one coming.
Batman (whispering behind the Joker in the darkness): Shut the fu*k up, Gordon!
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Joker: Introduce a little anarchy.
Harvey Dent: (kneels down in front of the Joker) I pledge myself to your teachings, master!
Joker: (in deep, Sith voice) Good. GOOD!!! The force is strong with you. A powerful villain you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as: Two Face!
Harvey Dent: Thank you, my master. What is thy bidding?
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SWAT cop: Is that a bazooka?
Gordon: no, no, don't be stupid! It's a German-made panzerschreck, 88 calibre, model 1943! You can tell the difference by the shape of the barrel. You see, bazookas have a small trumpet cap at the base of...
BOOM
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Joker: You remind me of my father.
Mel Gibson: Wrong movie.
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Alfred: This cave could really use a Batgirl.
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Press Conference Scene
Harvey Dent: I'm the Batman.
Tony Stark: And I'm Iron Man!
Harvey Dent: Yes Tony, we know.
Tony Stark: I'm just saying......
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Joker: We really should stop fighting, we'll miss the fireworks!
Batman: Don't be ridiculous, the 4th of July isn't until next year.
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Party Guest: We're not intimidated by thugs.
Joker: What? So all of that acting like a maniac was for nothing? Why didn't you tell me sooner!? Dammit! Alright boys, let's go.
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Joker: A little fight in you. I like that.
Chuck Norris: Then you're gonna love me.
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Alfred: There's a man here who's family was just killed. He wanted to know if he could stay. His name is Dick Grayson.
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(in audience)
Joel Schumacer: Where are the bat nipples?
Tim Burton: And wheres Jack Nicholson dancing to Prince?
Adam West: Forget that, where's Batman dancing?
Christopher Nolan: All in good time, my pretty. All in good time.
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Batman (in the shadows): You won't kill the boy.
Two- Face: Who is that.
Batman (comes out of the shadows): I'm Batman.
Robin: And I'm Robin.
(Two- Face shoots Robin and he dies): Whew, that felt good.
Batman: Thanks man. (hands him a 20)
Two- Face (to Gordon and his family): You guys can go now.
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With an overly-complex plot involving at least five or six different storylines, the ongoing battle between the Joker and Batman sits as the centerpiece of the film. While Batman attempts to pass the baton of crime-fighting on to Harvey Dent, the Joker wants nothing more than to unmask the caped crusader. And the Joker makes clear early on that he will stop at nothing—not destruction of property, not kidnapping, and not even loss of life—to achieve his goal. The violence and destruction that come as a result take on increasingly senseless proportions, given his desired outcome. Using crude and simple technological elements, he exists solely to create chaos, to push against the rules, and to react against the modern, technologically-advanced world.

Batman on the other hand stands as a symbol of justice. He works hard to avoid killing people, uses the latest technology to aid his crime-fighting, and declares that he lives by a set of rules that govern his behavior. In this sense, Batman is that modern hero of yesteryear; the one who inherently knows what justice is and will stop at nothing to make sure he carries it out to the letter. However, as Joker’s attacks become more and more vicious and unsettling, Batman’s entire position and ethos is called into question. Does he allow this killing to continue in the name of conscience and his own personal rule? Or should he kill the Joker and end the suffering of his victims?

The film has no answer to this question, at least explicitly. We are left with a world of confusion and chaos, one in which the Joker still lives. One could presumably make an argument that due to our implicit knowledge of Batman as the “hero,” we know his way is ultimately the right one. This would all be well and good, except for one significant problem. The Joker has shown that his simple rules do not work. Further, at a formal level, the film leads us to sympathize with the Joker. The plans of the Joker are so cleverly wrought and well-carried out, that we are dazzled by the violence that results.

For instance, in the opening bank robbery sequence, one leaves that scene never really worried about all the criminals that got knocked off one by one. Instead, the thought is—what a great plan. We admire the sharp mind it took to conceive of such a raid. This seems true of most of the violence throughout, where we laugh at the Joker walking away from the hospital in a nurse’s uniform, feel the rush of adrenaline at the close-up fight scenes that offer no sense of perspective and no opportunity for contemplation, or chuckle at his deft ability to use a pencil (or was it a pen?). The excitement brought on by the violence in this film troubles me precisely because the ways in which it excites are more formal than content based.

The film has been popular, I think, because it has pinpointed our times. We live in a confusing world, where people have lost a sense what’s right and what’s wrong. We no longer know who we can trust. Our fathers leave. Our leaders lie. And our nations seem headed for self-destruction. Batman portrays a world that has lost its way. Does anyone know the way back?

Sinopsis: Con la ayuda del teniente Jim Gordon y el nuevo y comprometido Fiscal del Distrito, Harvey Dent, Batman se propone destruir para siempre el crimen organizado en Gotham City. Al principio, el triunvirato resulta ser eficaz, pero pronto se encontrará preso de un incipiente cerebro criminal conocido como Joker, que introduce la anarquía en Gotham y obliga al Caballero Oscuro a cruzar aún más la fina línea que separa al héroe del justiciero.

“La noche es más oscura justo antes del amanecer. Os lo prometo. No tardará en amanecer.”

Después de mucho, mucho, mucho, muchísimo tiempo me plante ayer con unos amigos en el cine a ver “Batman: El caballero oscuro” con miedo por el “Efecto 300” (efecto con el cual, te decepciona una película tras anunciarla como obra maestra a bombo y platillo). Pero no, no fue así.

La película se merece el 9.2 que tiene en la “Internet movie database”. Y la primera declaración de intenciones de la película la planteo nada más ver a dos extras/secundarios de la película, los cuales (no diré quienes son) conocemos por series de mucho éxito en España y USA, todo un guiño al publico de la pantalla pequeña.

La trama se sabe, se sea fan o no de Batman, pero lo que la hace tan grande es la disputa y relación casi fratricida que tienen con sus personajes tanto Christian Bale en la piel de Bruce Wayne/Batman, como el fallecido Heath Ledger con su carismático Joker (PD: Habría que darle una ración de BatOstias al que le puso “Guason” en la versión sudamericana). La relación amor/odio de todo Héroe/Villano de todas las películas solo que en esta no hay un héroe, ni un villano, solo la búsqueda del caos por el caos y la búsqueda de la paz en tiempos de caos.

Durante las dos horas y veinte que puede durar el corte de esta segunda entrega de Batman te van pasando muchos sentimientos desde las retinas hasta el subconsciente, miedo, emoción, piedad, comprensión, odio etc.… todos esos que siempre florecen mas cuando hay caos de por medio.

También a destacar la forma de grabar las escenas de Batman, sobre todo en lo alto de edificios, la cuidadosa iluminación y contrastes de luz/oscuridad dentro de la película, superan sin lugar a dudas a la de Batman Begins.

No sé si habrá quedado claro que para mí ha sido un peliculón, que quedara para siempre en las filmotecas más prestigiosas del mundo, ya que películas tan bien rodadas e hiladas como esa no se hacen todos los días.

“Voy a hacer un truco de magia, voy a hacer desaparecer este lápiz”

Posdata: Se habla, se dice, se comenta, se rumorea, que quieren dar un Oscar póstumo a Heath Ledger por la interpretación de “The Joker”. Solo quiero comentar, opinar o matizar que la interpretación fue de lo más sublime de la película, no sé cómo será con la voz original del mismo, pero si sigue la tónica de que las películas en versión original dan mil vueltas a las dobladas a español, entonces no creo que tenga reparos en dar mi grato apoyo a tal galardón póstumo.

Posdata 2: Morgan Freeman, ese crack del cine, está en todas las películas sin levantar polvo, pero dejando huella. Alegría tengo al saber que ya salió del hospital hace una semana tras su trágico accidente. Noticia AQUI

The Dark Knight is a good film and better than Batman Begins – the latter was clearly an origins story and therefore somewhat stuck in its template (although doing very well in this respect), but its sequel definitely does much better in terms of providing an interesting, worthwhile antagonist. It does so well, in fact, that Batman/Bruce Wayne suffers by comparison: the film is just so much more interesting when the Joker is on screen. Still, you couldn’t have the one without the other, and the moral dilemmas that Gotham’s favourite anarcho-terrorist poses the Dark Flabberghast are fascinating to watch. The ferries scene, even though it resolves itself without Batman’s input is a vast improvement on the simplistic scenes in the Spiderman films where the general populace pulls together and proves to be heroic in their own right.

It’s not a perfect film, though, not even in it’s genre. There are some mistakes it should have avoided quite easily. For one thing, some of the editing is seriously disorienting and not in a good way – there are scenes that feel like a bad TV edit to get rid of scenes that are too violent, and as a result continuity suffers. Were they trying to keep the film in PG-13 country? (If so, the studio is eminently silly – even without explicit violence this is not a film that you should let your 13-year olds watch.) I don’t mind the disorienting editing of the fight scenes, but there the lack of clarity has a purpose. The continuity wobbles get especially bad in the batpod scene where I felt that they’d buggered up the sequence of scenes.

The film also tries to cram too much into its running time, and where it tries too hard to make us believe something. I’m not complaining about the two villains, because Harvey Dent’s fall from grace follows smoothly from the Joker plot. However, the scene where Bruce Wayne and Alfred get the fingerprint from the bullet? Overly complicated, to a point where it barely makes sense. Same goes for the bat sonar and the ethical quandary that comes with it: not only does it feel overly gimmicky in the film, it’s also much less interesting and complex than the Joker-induced “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. It feels like a top-heavy retro-active explanation for how Batman manages to find the Joker later in the film, and surely it could have been done in a more elegant way.

These quibbles aside, though, the film is definitely worth watching. It’s worth it for the visuals, it’s worth it for the acting, and it’s worth it to see to which dark corners Nolan will take its hero. If there’s a third film, I’ll be happy to follow him there.

Eu sei, disse isto de uma forma muito fatela, mas a verdade é que o argumento é bom, mas a forma como o contam é que lhe dá um maior impacto. É um pouco ao estilo de Memento, outro filme deste realizador, muiiiiitíssimo bom, na minha opinião, quem gostar de um deve gostar do outro! Como caras conhecidas temos Hugh Jackman e Christian Bale (nos papéis principais), Michael Caine e Scarlett Johansson! Ah, claro que me soube bem ver alguma coisa sem ser dobrada... eu reparei que aqui os filmes chegam ao cinema relativamente mais tarde do que em Portugal e concluí que isso é porque devem demorar semanas a dobrá-los... Tudo: Zohan, o novo fatela do Eddie Murphy, desde cinema até ao CSI, tudo dobrado! E se for dobrado em castelhano e não em catalão já é muito bom! Já agora, podem ver o subtítulo do Zohan em espanhol:

Também vi o “Che, El Argentino”, e só percebia bem o que o Benicio Del Toro e o que o moço que fazia de Fidel diziam, de resto, foi quase tudo fumo.

Esta sexta começaram as “Festes de La Mercè”, uma semana de celebração em Barcelona, em homenagem à santa da cidade, a Virgin de La Mercè. É uma cena muito forte, porque as ruas estão todas apinhadas de gente a dançar e a cantar e, em vários pontos da cidade, ao mesmo tempo, estão a haver concertos de todos os estilos. É engraçado, porque nos concertos só se vê bandas espanholas, nada de nomes internacionais e é assim com quase tudo! Deu para rir um pouco num concerto de uma rapariga que era uma mistura de Ana Malhoa com Luciana Abreu, para dançar no concero dos Casa Azul, e ainda andar à cotovelada numa pista de dança (electro =/ ). Quanto a isto gostava de realçar uma coisa...seja neste tipo de festas, como em bares ou discotecas, muitos rapazes entram de MOCHILA.... Já não era mau suficiente ter as bolsas de tamanho sobrehumano das raparigas, ainda há que aguentar com aqueles monos a bater as costelas...não compreendo.

Sinceramente nunca imaginei ver metros tão cheios, a trazer fornadas e fornadas, de 3 em 3 minutos, de gente de todas as idades, sempre em celebração. Há vários eventos, concertos, fogos-de-artifício, correfocs, mas o que me espanta mais são os Castellers. Pelo que percebi, vários bairros competem entre si a ver qual faz a maior torre humana. Isto é feito em plena rua, com a multidão em redor. Deixo aqui um vídeo, que já é do ano passado, para poderem ver o que estou a dizer...reparem que começa por haver homens, depois mulheres, e depois crianças a subir ao topo!

Bem, por enquanto o tempo em casa é curto, e a universidade ainda não nos forneceu a pass para aceder à internet, mas dá para o gasto! ;)

Quem achou minimamente impressionante o vídeo anterior, este é o da maior torre feita até hoje:

Carbono

There's a lot of layers in the MOORE story that will obviously be lost in the movie adaptation. But it is after all an adaptation so we'll see where SNYDER ends up with the final cut.

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A few weeks ago I started reading a book called Batman and Philosophy by Mark D. White, Robert Arp, and William Irwin which covers several themes present in Nolan's film (for example, doing what's morally right versus doing what will ensure the best outcome for everyone, even if it's technically wrong).

Anyway, this weekend was way fun. Thursday night we all went out to dinner for Caroline's birthday, followed by the midnight showing of The Dark Knight. Friday night a couple of us went over to Franco's house to smoke hookah and play some cards. We played poker and I bought in with $2 (as opposed to the usual $5 buy-in, since I only had $2 on me) and ended up walking with $16. At one point I was up to $21. Saturday night I watched The Dark Knight again with Bobby and Josh; while we waited in line, the two guys behind us struck up a conversation with us about films and comic books.

Oh, speaking of comic books, I'm super excited about Watchmen being made into a film! If you haven't seen the trailer, you can watch it here: <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/">Watchmen Trailer</a>. The twelve-issue comic book is the only comic book to make it onto Time Magazine's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. Definitely worth checking out. I got my new passport in the mail today! Finally! I look like a douche. I am so ready to go to Japan.

I believe in Harvey Dent,

Betty