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David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

BYOB

This one is only for sane, sober commenters, thanks.

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73 Responses to “BYOB”

  1. Blackcloud says:

    You forgot to lock the thread, right?
    Sigh. There goes the paradox.

  2. leahnz says:

    david poland, just to clarify, can we bring a couple beers or is it teetotallers only? what about just a wee thimble-full of brandy to warm the cockles? (i’m freezing) a sip of wine? a nip of kahlua…

  3. Wonder17 says:

    Love how Defamer made a thing out of the drunk escapades from last night.
    Why is it that when you type in caps, it makes you look like you dropped out of high school?

  4. sloanish says:

    Because you most likely did.
    Batman spoilers to follow:
    How the hell do you make another Batman? The best villains are used up. I think you can re-cast the Joker but plenty of folks have made good arguments that you can’t or shouldn’t. It surely can’t get bigger in terms of stakes since the person he cares about most is gone. Is there any chance whatsoever that Nolan stops here? I would think WB would send their hitmen over to his house if that was the case, but he’s not under contract and he can make his money elsewhere if he feels like he can’t top TDK. If he does go forward I think we’ll get a Bourne Ultimatum, a good retread of greatness but lacking emotion. Wish we weren’t years away from an answer.

  5. christian says:

    One word:
    Bat-Mite.

  6. Monco says:

    For the third Batman they could go with the Riddler. He could be someone who is trying to find out the true identity of Batman. The people of Gotham would want this after how the Dark Knight ended. They kind of hint at this in TDK. Also I’d like to see The Scarecrow get another crack at it.

  7. Aladdin Sane says:

    I liked the idea of a Zodiac like Riddler…then you pepper in a love interest in the form of a cat burglar who is also known as Selina Kyle. Those two would make interesting foils for Batman in this universe.
    Or lets resurrect the rumours of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Penguin.
    Seriously, it doesn’t matter where you go – cos unless you have a really big ace in the hole, which Ledger would have been – you can’t top this movie. The best thing to do is make the best film possible without trying to overdo everything. The world doesn’t need another Spider-man 3 afterall.

  8. Aladdin Sane says:

    Of course the fact that Joker spends half the movie demanding Batman give himself up, well, that thread of public wanting to know would have to be played out in a different way. You couldn’t have Riddler killing people to find that out. The Riddler was always a lot more cerebral though – it’d actually be better as a less action oriented Bat movie. Sure you could still have your explosions, but I don’t think all the set pieces would have to be so huge. But I may be talking out of my ass. Let’s just wait and see if Nolan wants to do another…and if he walks, does Bale walk too?

  9. IOIOIOI says:

    I am still all about BLACK MASK being the next villian. The way the events of this movie played out. The Black Mask would be the only suitable character to fill the void left from half the villians in Gotham either being dead or incarcerated.
    While it would be cool to see a Nolan re-imagined Penguin, Riddler, or even Catwoman. These are all characters that would be hard to intergrate into this version of Gotham. A Gotham that has not fully let it’s freak flag fly.

  10. LexG says:

    LET US, US DRINK! LET US, US DRINK!

  11. LYT says:

    A really radical notion would be to skip ahead several years and actually do Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. Though you’d need to have a strong Superman sequel first.
    Batman: Year Two would have made a good basis for a movie, but “Begins” already took enough of the key elements (Batman debating use of guns, Joe Chill) that there probably isn’t enough left, though the Reaper was a great villain with cinematic potential.

  12. IOIOIOI says:

    Let me also add this: this is a trilogy. We obviously have the HOPE Batman brings in Begins to Gotham, that leads to a real WHITE KNIGHT emerging via Harvey Dent.
    Harvey Dent actually accomplishes a great deal in a short time. So much so that the Bat is willing to saddle himself with Dent’s crimes to make his cases STICK. Thus leaving us with a hunted Batman. Does anyone else see the whole “MISSING PART” of this story?
    There has to be a third act to this story. A third act that instills a small ray of hope into the world that is this Batman and this Gotham. There just needs to be that moment where Batman realizes that the sacrifice was worth it. He needs a small moment of triumphant.
    If the Nolans do not write it. It will indeed suck, but I get a sense we might be discussing the conclusion of this trilogy in three years… hopefully.

  13. LYT says:

    Comic-Con is mere hours away…

  14. IOIOIOI says:

    I would be excited for Comic-Con. If I knew that Marvel were going to take some real initative, and announce who would be Thor or Cap. They are on the defensive now. Thanks to Nolan and Co. making all of their films look like really expensive toy commercials.
    Time to be proactive instead of reactive.

  15. sloanish says:

    In the comics, Riddler was like the dude from Saw but Joker already pulled that stuff out. Remember all that talk that Anthony Michael Hall was being set up to play Riddler? That was scary.
    Speaking of fear, anybody else sense that Lex seems a little spooked now? Those boasts all feel so empty now after the truth comes out. When sites are linking to your comments to laugh at you it’s time to re-examine your “life” on the internet.

  16. sloanish says:

    BTW, Monco, where did they hint at Riddler for 3?

  17. IOIOIOI says:

    I think Monco meant they were hinting at Gotham wanting to know the identity of Batman. The thing of its, if they go with MICHAEL EMERSON as the Riddler. I will be all about it, because that guy always brings his A game. He may be one of the few out there that could turn in a rather thrilling villain performance in a Batman film.

  18. THX5334 says:

    “Those boasts all feel so empty now after the truth comes out. When sites are linking to your comments to laugh at you it’s time to re-examine your “life” on the internet.”
    No shit.
    I seriously thought the guy might be swallowing a bottle of pills tonight from the embarrassment.
    I should have known the lush would twist it around into some form of twisted pride or accomplishment.
    Just like a true alcoholic. Justifying a disaster to keep on drinking.
    The fact that he would drunkenly wave his three college degrees yet blather on in his idiotic stupor is why the rest of the world is laughing at the U.S. education system.
    I wonder if he can be funny without using the all caps?
    Hmm…keep drinking that liquid courage sparky.
    I give it thirty days before the glass is broken and Lex becomes the first to get the Ban hammer.
    Until then, dance for us Jester, keep typing in caps and dance!!!
    supposedly he doesn’t read my shit anymore, so I can say whatever I want about him.
    Awesome.
    $25 says he couldn’t make 24hrs. with Poland’s request to not drink and post and had already cracked one open with the above comment.
    LexG! The poor man’s Andy Dick!

  19. IOIOIOI says:

    He was being silly and the joke did not go over well. These things happen.

  20. The Big Perm says:

    Nolan could easily do Catwoman, just lay off the mystic crap. Penguin is just a mobster in a tux, and Riddler would be easy to pull off as well. I think he pulled off the more ludicrous villains…Scarecrow and Two-Face very well, so those three would be a snap.
    I don’t want to see some Black Mask chracter beause I’ve never heard of him.
    But I thought Two-Face was going to be the third film. Wonder why Nolan merged him into the second film? Maybe not coming back for a third?
    Also, has anyone seen the movie in IMAX? I’d be interested in seeing the flick again in that form, but I was wondering which scenes were IMAX. I assume the big action stuff.

  21. adorian says:

    It’s time for Robin to appear again. He can be played by Zac Efron or Chace Crawford…one of those prettyboys with purrrrty hair. And the gay subtext maybe doesn’t have to be so “sub” this time. Ellen Barkin as Catwoman (jokes about Cougarwoman) can kidnap Robin and try to seduce him. Let’s go for an R rating this time.

  22. Perm, I really hope they don’t use Catwoman. Pfeiffer’s performance in Batman Returns is absolutely stunning. Plus, we’ve already had Halle Berry’s Catwoman, do we need another cinematic incarnation? A friend of mine suggested Harley Quinn, but I’m not fluent in the world of Batman outside of the movies so I don’t know how she’d work. My friend suggested Zooey Deschenel for the role. Or even Brittany Murphy. Teehee.
    I go away for two days and I miss a big Lex event? Unlucky! I need to go back and discover what the hell he said.

  23. EthanG says:

    Some depressing food for thought:
    Hancock is going to end up as the highest grossing non-animated original screenplay since 2003’s Bruce Almighty.
    Behold the power of Will Smith.

  24. Night at the Museum made more than Bruce Almighty. Still sad though.

  25. Okay, it turns out Museum was based on a book? It certainly wasn’t marketed that way. Nevertheless, I stand corrected.

  26. The Big Perm says:

    I agree that it would be hard to top Catwoman from Batman Returns. I’m not the biggest fan of that movie, but Pfeiffer was awesome in it. I never saw all of Halle Berry’s movie because life is way to short for that shit. Who thought that movie was a good idea? Was no one watching rushes, did anyone read the script?
    Anyway, it’s hard to follow up Joker. Weird that they’d bring him in for the second movie. I bet they were going to have him show up in the third, but I can’t see recasting that role now.
    I said after Dark Knight that I would have liked to have Two Face for a whole movie, but the girl I saw it with said she couldn’t stand two hours of looking at him. Every time he showed up, she winced. What a girl!

  27. Tofu says:

    Big Perm, watch Batman Begins and you’ll understand why Joker was coming into the second movie.
    The next villians in “Gotham” will be The Riddler, and Catwoman, with the theme being Redemption. McGregor & Tennet are getting thrown around for Riddler, and Jolie & Beckinsale are getting thrown around for Catwoman.
    Riddler is THE Nolanverse villain. It allows him to play around with flashbacks, and the Riddler isn’t some beast of special effects. The virals should be superb. He also provides ample opportunity to delve into the Dent cover-up, and the loose threads dangling around concerning Batman’s true identity.
    Catwoman needs to be done BECAUSE of the Halle Berry failure, and as Lucius Fox said of Batman’s new suit, “It’ll stand up against a cat.”

  28. Kambei says:

    Tofu, by Tennet do you mean current Dr. Who David Tennent, because that would be amazing?

  29. jasonbruen says:

    Though Nolan may not be signed, I remember reading somewhere that he had a trilogy in mind. There is no way WB is not making a Batman 3; the hope is that they can get most of the principals (if not all) back for another try. I would rather see them try then to hand it off to someone and get an X-men 3. X3 is the real comparison, because they had major changes; Spidey 3 just had way more involvement from the studio.
    Begins and TDK were close chronologically; i wouldn’t be surprised if they let a few years elapse. Heck, maybe Batman isn’t needed after TDK until something or someone tops the cops and he is needed.

  30. Tofu says:

    Yes, he and Beckinsale have expressed their desire for the roles. The McGregor/Jolie casting has just been in the cards for so long that I couldn’t ignore it.

  31. doug r says:

    I was way more impressed by X3 than Spidey 3.

  32. Joe Leydon says:

    Has anyone here seen the TV spots for “Swing Vote”? They are… well, weird. They appear to be running favorable quotes from critics — except no critics are attributed. It’s almost like, they just made up nice things, and printed/framed the comments to LOOK like these were things said by critics. Weird. Well, either that, or the Vidocin I’m taking for my bum knee is affecting my powers of perception.

  33. LexG says:

    I like the poster, with a randy pic of Costner in a baseball cap and Americana backdrop juxtaposed with the SWING of the title, letting everyone know that this is clearly about the further adventures of Crash Davis.
    Quick question: Is Catwoman too sexual for the grim, unromantic Mann/Aldrich/Mann-style crime movie milieu Nolan has presented so far? I think the guy’s great and I have faith he can pull off just about anything, but going by, oh, his entire filmography, he’s a decidedly asexual director.

  34. Joe Leydon says:

    Please don’t misunderstand: I actually quite enjoyed Swing Vote. But the TV spots are… odd.

  35. Triple Option says:

    Thoroughly unimpressed with X-3. I didn’t think it was a bad movie, per se, but I didn’t think it was a good X-Men movie. The first two were definitely different but I think they were trying to say/do different things. X-3 was way too much color by numbers. Wolverine standing out at the edge of the city essentially saying “come on troops follow me!” Sorry, not his character and that wouldn’t have happened on Singer’s watch. Not that I didn’t spit out any remaining kool-aid out of my mouth after Superman Returns but I just think he “got” X-Men.
    I’d like to see Nolan have at least one more shot before the baton being passed on Batman. Maybe he already has something in mind but I’d just as soon he and the writers take a little time off before jumping in. I mean even as I write this I think it’s a little silly to speculate on the next one when I could easily see it a second time and not be bored w/it. If it’s any kind of reflection of society, then theoretically, society needs to respond to his last message. While not suggesting that Dark Knight would be an impetus for social change but in other forms of art, stand up comedy springs to mind, new evils or failures spring up that make for more timely issues to address. Destruction of society can outlive a Twinkie but already we’ve seen two versions of how it could take place. There’s gotta be five or six more. What would be more prevalent 1 year or 18 months from now?
    That blabbed, 30 Weeks Later I think greatly benefited from the new set of eyes, despite there not seeming to be a reason why from a creative view Boyle wouldn’t have been able to offer an original construct. But, per my theory, it was a more timely, reflective story.

  36. Triple Option says:

    Big Perm – I did see Dark Knight on IMAX. There were times I was wondering what was shot specifically on IMAX cameras. Does anyone know which ones? How many IMAX cameras did they use? Wouldn’t multiple ones have been needed for coverage? I don’t remember any long continuous action sequences that would’ve been done on one take. Maybe one was shot that way but Nolan didn’t feel the need to call attn to it???
    It reminds me of when I saw Wall-E, I had the choice of seeing an earlier showing on a big screen but not digital projection or wait a half hour to see it dp but in a nearly sold out theater. While no crying kids is always a bigger determinent, I thought once I get end there and start watching, I’m not going to think about what I could be missing. It’s like getting sucked away from buying a decent TV that has a wicked sales price because compared to the more expensive TV on the shelves, it’s got a lesser picture. Once you get it home, it prolly be fine since the comparison factor is the only thing there to poo poo the enjoyment.
    D’oh! Forgot what you were asking? Nothing looked creepy or disproportionately big or small if that’s what you’re wondering.

  37. Stella's Boy says:

    I was going to mention Swing Vote, Joe. Earlier in the summer Dave claimed it could very well be a sleeper hit. Is there any chance of that at this point? I am not seeing any TV spots or ads for it, and I don’t hear anyone talking about it. My wife, a Costner fan, had never even heard of the movie until this week and until I told her had no idea what it’s about or when it’s coming out. I see a short theatrical run and some decent DVD business in its future.

  38. hendhogan says:

    i agree with jason. there is now way there isn’t a third. riddler or black mask would fit into this world of batman. hell, they could create a character just for the film. outside of fanboys, who knew who ras ah guhl was? didn’t stop the first one from being successful.

  39. Aladdin Sane says:

    Triple Option, how can you say you couldn’t tell what was shot on IMAX? The images filled the IMAX screen when you were watching IMAX shot footage. You can only film 3 minutes a time on IMAX, so there isn’t a ton of wiggle room for long continuous shots. The whole 6-minute bank robbery was on IMAX…as was a lot of the action stuff – including some cut shots for the heck of it. Pretty cool to see. Can’t wait to see it again in IMAX.
    Here’s a good article on the cinematography:
    http://www.ascmag.com/magazine_dynamic/July2008/TheDarkKnight/page1.php

  40. repeatfather says:

    The problem with the inevitable third film is that it’ll be extremely difficult to come up with an antagonist as threatening and menacing as The Joker. (And I don’t think they can recast him.)
    All that motivates the Joker is destruction and chaos, and as he says in the film, he has absolutely nothing to lose. I think that’s what makes Ledger’s performance so creepy – there’s really no limit to his malevolence.
    Maybe the best plan of action would be to follow the blueprint of Begins and make the third film more internal, more focused on Batman’s personal struggle as Gotham hunts for him. Keep the Riddler lurking in the shadows, fomenting mayhem in the dark.

  41. William Goss says:

    Considering the general lack of public awareness and Disney’s strategies in the past, it seemed to me like Swing Vote would be primed to have Saturday night pay sneaks this weekend as a WOM effort. Alas…

  42. jeffmcm says:

    IOI, I really am curious to know what your definition of ‘silly’ is. I tend to think of Lewis Carroll characters wearing odd hats at a tea party, you?

  43. Joe Leydon says:

    Funnily enough, Disney thought (or thinks) enough about Swing Vote to have Costner tour for the film (he was in Houston last week). And he was on the cover of Parade last Sunday.

  44. Baudolino says:

    Forbes released their list of best bang for buck movie stars:
    Forbes ROI Link
    Lucky for Vince his Wild West Comedy Show only went to 962 theatres, or else he would not be #1.
    Otherwise, the accounting seems reasonable – or would there be a better way to figure this?

  45. Triple Option says:

    Aladdin – Thanks for the link. Now I will have to see it again on IMAX. I didn’t notice more or less of the screen being filled. Certain action sequences I figured were IMAX but like the WHOLE bank robbery scene, I would not have known was all IMAX camera.
    I’ll admit to being a story/character decomposition guy and know little about camera, lenses, shots, angles or FX. It’ll take me another viewing before I can isolate any of that stuff.

  46. Hopscotch says:

    A little late to the thread, but I’d agree The Dark Knight is part II of a trilogy. No Doubt. the ending was classic Middle of the Series “everyone is down” ending. I’m curious too what villains come next.
    Since ***SPOILER ALERT*** a female part in the next film is needed, I assume Cat Woman will come up. Also the fact that the Joker is imprisoned I’m sure Ledger would have come back. Naturally, I don’t think the filmmakers have the cojones to re-cast that part with someone else (nor should they).
    It’ll be great to see it try to work. Since Return of the King, the Part III of trilogies lately have been GOD AWFUL. Matrix, Pirates, Spidey. the Part III’s have seriously blown.

  47. Hopscotch says:

    After seeing the film a second time, I’m not sure others feel with me or feel the exact opposite, I do feel the Oscar talk with Heath Ledger will begin to quiet down.

  48. Tofu says:

    After a second viewing, the performance goes down like melted butter. Pure, unadulterated fun. The film itself becomes more focused too, which is nice, but initial impressions are always the most important, and Ledger’s initial impression left my audience gasping.

  49. movieman says:

    William- I totally agree with you about the wisdom behind sneaking “Swing Vote” this weekend. Unfortunately, sneaks seem to be a vanishing, if not extinct breed.
    The last film sneaked in these parts was “27 Dresses,” two days after Christmas.
    Yes, “SV” looked eminently sneakable, as do “The Rocker,” “Pineapple Express,” “Hamlet 2,” “The House Bunny,” “Tropic
    “Thunder” and “The Perfect Game.”
    And those are just the August titles I can think of off the top of my head. None, as far as I know, have sneak plans in their future, though.
    I’m surprised that you saw (and liked) “Swing Vote,” Joe. Considering the stealth “screening” Disney is giving it in Cleveland (a promotional next Tuesday nite at a far-flung location closer to Toledo than Cleveburg), I was getting a definite “We Don’t Want Anyone to See This Movie!” vibe. Plus, the same agency that’s handling “SV” is also promo-ing “Mummy 3” the same nite; at a more convenient location (and a slightly earlier–7:00 versus 7:30–start time). It seemed pretty obvious which movie they wanted Cleveland area press to see (and review).
    Finally caught up with “Meet Dave” this afternoon (it already hits the $1 houses here on Friday), and was pleasantly surprised by how “not terrible” it was. Of course, when your expectations were as rock-bottom as mine were, anything less than another “Norbit” would’ve made it seem like the sleeper of the season.

  50. EthanG says:

    Dark Knight Box office update:
    The film has broken $200 million in 5 days…the previous record was 8 days, shared by Revenge of the Sith and Dead Man’s Chest…tomorrow it’s going to pass Kung Fu Panda to become the 3rd biggest film of the year, and will also top the gross of Batman Begins…

  51. Tofu says:

    It could be the #1 movie of the year by Sunday, which is pretty cool.

  52. Joe Leydon says:

    Movieman: Swing Vote was screened here for everyone who interviewed Kevin Costner. In fact, if you didn’t attend the screening, you didn’t get an interview. Also, Costner has personally requested that I see every movie he makes weeks before their release, ever since I wrote this review.
    http://www.movingpictureshow.com/archives/mps3000Graceland.htm
    (OK, I made that last part up.)
    Happy to see that someone else thought Meet Dave didn’t suck. Entertainment Weekly also gave it a B-. I suspect that when it hits video, a lot of people who passed up seeing it in theaters will be pleasantly surprised.

  53. Chucky in Jersey says:

    Agree on “Meet Dave”. With Jim Carrey or maybe Steve Carrell it would have been a hit in the theaters. With Eddie Murphy it comes off as a latter-day Stephen Fetchit.
    No sneak preview for “Swing Vote”, though “The Wackness” finally hits NYC suburbs this week with some top-grossing megaplexes (hooray!) picking it up.
    With the franchises and Bat-hype out of the way August will have 4 straight weeks of Wednesday/Friday openings. “Pineapple Express”, “Tropic Thunder” and “The Rocker” will each open on a Wednesday per Mojo.

  54. Martin S says:

    Everything for Nolan is macroscopic, like a sociology experiment. I don’t see how Catwoman fits into that since it’s such an intimate story.
    I wouldn’t bet against Black Mask or Penguin being in the Falcone/Scarecrow secondary villain roles. My choice would the Ventriloquist. He’s the perfect mutation of Two-Face’s duality and Joker’s theatrics. Terry Kinney or Giovanni Ribisi would be perfect, but it would most likely be someone like Carrell.
    I can see why Norton was the first choice for Dent, but Eckhart had an imposing physicality that really worked.
    A lot of Ledger’s facial ticks were quite similar to Goldblum in The Fly. I still think it’s a shame it wasn’t Adrian Brody in that role. Nothing against Heath, but Brody would have been more of a visual nightmare.
    The original 3-arc idea, mainly by Goyer, was the return of Ra’s Al Ghul and his daughter Thalia, who was always the big romantic interest in Wayne’s life. She was supposed to be in the sequel but when Nolan and his brother took over, it changed and changed.
    IMO, a streamlined No Man’s Land crossed with the general idea of Knightfall is the only bigger thing to do. The destruction of Gotham and breaking of Batman would also allow him to show hope through re-birth and really tie the “Batman is the city” motif together nicely. Also, Bane fits perfectly for Nolan’s version.

  55. IOIOIOI says:

    Hopscotch: you are on the outside looking in. Devin Farci has a seat for you right next to him.
    Repeatfather: that’s a movie that would be interesting to see. A more internal Batman, whose struggling with being hunted, and the Riddler in the background plotting. They have yet to touch or homage HUSH. So I hope this thought is a strong possibility right up there with the BLACK MASK. Who, Perm, is easy to read about thanks to the WIKIPEDIA! WOOO!!!
    Ethan: thanks for the updates. It’s a shame Heat did not want to give it up for The Dark Knight like he did for DMC.
    Jeff: Phython. Graham Chapman. Buy the MEGASET or check the YOUTUBE.
    Finally, NO CATWOMAN! Seriously, unless they straight up interpret the Catwoman in the current run of the comics. It’s rather pointless to throw her in the next Bat-flick as t and a.
    She’s a pretty awesome character. Who given the time. Could really be worth a spin-off if established properly.
    Nevertheless, the love of Batman Returns continually baffles me. Not only was Phiffer’s Catwoman a wretched and goofy performance. The character’s establishment was just goofy. Some of you folks at least have some love for that god-forsaken thing. Good on you for that one!

  56. IOIOIOI says:

    “IMO, a streamlined No Man’s Land crossed with the general idea of Knightfall is the only bigger thing to do. The destruction of Gotham and breaking of Batman would also allow him to show hope through re-birth and really tie the ‘Batman is the city’ motif together nicely. Also, Bane fits perfectly for Nolan’s version.”
    While I like the referencing of Knightfall and No Man’s Land. Technically they have already destroyed the city. You can fit that into the differences between Gotham in Begins and Knight. Begins Gotham got blown up real good. While Knight Gotham is the rebuilt Gotham without an L and a relocated Wayne Building.
    Nevertheless, Bane does not fit that well. Unless Canseco needs the money, but I do love the whole BATMAN IS THE CITY theme. It would be a nice triumphant note to end this trilogy on.

  57. jeffmcm says:

    IOI, I own the Monty Python deluxe DVD set. That world of ‘silliness’ is still a different kind than what you’re talking about when you said ‘silliness’ before.

  58. jeffmcm says:

    Chucky, it’s ‘Stepin’ Fetchit. Stephen Fetchit is a Canadian tax attorney.

  59. Lota says:

    I think a catwoman as a villainess as she was originally intended (1940s-50s mostly) in many of the comics prior to the mid 1980s is a much better option, as opposed to the T & A catwoman that I hate–gratuitous and not believable. The current state of Batman as per how the Nolans have directed the franchise towards certain themes would suit a cat as villain very well.
    For one, the mid 80s reincarnation of catwoman as a T & A hooker never sat very believably with many people. Batman really isn;t Sin City (which I bought–it’s good but it is different than batman). I didn;t like that they made her an abused woman–ruined her criminal abilities and plenty of women have criminal talents, why not use them. I felt it was a cheap shot to make her mentally weak in many ways.
    I think a catwoman could work if having a kid with Bruce Wayne was left OUT (one of the personal stories) and they went back to one of the original stories of catwoman as a criminal & update it. She could be an ordinary person transformed by hardship into a high end burglar. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. She could use Batman, but not weaken her own powers. Diamonds and gold still retain their value and power, so still a valid thing to steal. They can make a new villain in her name. That sounds good, maybe I’ll become catwoman. Better take that safecracking class.
    I got to look at some very old collector comics my older cousin Tommy had when I was a kid (I was supervised), and some of the older depictions of catwoman–more intelligent, more pathological, a better liar–are appropriate. I say “some” since her story changed many times. I think some comic writers think they have to write women differently, or they don’t know how, and they really don;t re. the criminality. A life of crime is pretty equal opportunity and women can be just as vicious–they don;t get caught as often.
    Making her a better invented criminal will help the franchise in the long term.

  60. Joe Leydon says:

    Actually, I always thought Eartha Kitt was a smokin’ hot Catwoman. And not just because she once literally drank me under the table while I interviewed her at a Toronto Film Festival.

  61. Lota says:

    Well if we look at all of the choices of humans that have ever played catwoman:
    Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriweather, Michele Pfeiffer, halle Berry.
    The only warrior, villain-SMART, ruthless seeming Catwoman was Eartha.
    So she may have been smokin Joe but she also had no victim complex and she was scary and she was like a pissed off feline.
    Pfeiffer was pretty good, a close-enough second, but I don’t know sometimes–watched it the other day to have a bat-week. She was for the boys in many ways, not dangerous enough.

  62. leahnz says:

    hey jeff, ‘the ministry of sillywalks’…the very best kind of silly! (when i was a kid in hawaii we only had two tv channels and one of them was pbs, which from what i can remember played ‘monty python’s flying circus’ almost continuously, it was fantastic!) then there’s the ‘silly bugger’ kind of silly…
    my boy laughed so hard in ‘meet dave’ (particularly in the first half, which i also found amusing), he confided in me later that night he wet his pants a little! eddie murphy’s physical comedy as the spaceship-man adjusting to earth culture was great, even touching at times, but it all went a bit pear-shaped when the movie tried to be ‘hip’. pity that, it could have been something special if it had stayed on track.

  63. Joe Leydon says:

    Lota: Hey, pissed off women can be smokin’ hot, too. Remember what John Wayne once said: Thou art beautiful in thy wrath.

  64. Aladdin Sane says:

    Triple-O, I saw the film a second time in IMAX today. My seat wasn’t as good as last time, but it’s still a great experience.
    As for Ledger, yeah, that performance is butter. The second time isn’t going to be as novel, cos you’re expecting the beats – but that goes with any movie on a whole – still I found myself noticing more nuance to the whole proceedings of Joker…you get a better sense of the hurt behind the sociopath. It’s a frighteningly grand performance. I have no doubt that if Ledger were alive, the character would return in some form in a third film. As it is we are left with probably either a recast or just brief mentions of a the Joker’s antics in Arkham. I doubt you bring the character back before a fourth film – whether Nolan is involved or not.

  65. The Big Perm says:

    They wanted Norton for Harvey Dent? Glad that never happened. Dent would have come off like a kid.
    IO, I just looked up Black Mask. Could be cool, but I think I’d rather see someone like The Riddler or Penguin. But what the hell, I’m sure whomever Nolan choose it will work. I’ve pretty much loved to liked all of his flicks.

  66. William Goss says:

    movieman: That was my primary concern, actually. I know for a fact that there’s a Swing Vote screening tomorrow night that doesn’t conflict with The Mummy – as it will next Tuesday – but while I’ve been informed that it’s “not a critics screening,” you can bet that our local daily will have managed to review both come Friday.
    Oh, well. I could also skip either and just dig on Brideshead Revisited instead. The hype on that one!

  67. IOIOIOI says:

    Yeah, I am sort of shocked Brideshead is being dumped in the Summer. So much for those Oscar dreams!

  68. movieman says:

    William- Thanks for the info. I’m guessing that you’re in a larger market than me….of course, most markets are larger than Cleveland, lol. The dwindling press corps here probably explains why the studios continue to treat us like unloved stepchildren.
    A summer platform release for “Brideshead” makes perfect sense.
    There’s a tradition of opening high-toned British literary adaptations in the summer dating back (at least) to “Howard’s End” in 1992. Last summer we had “Becoming Jane” directed (surprise!) by “Brideshead” helmer Julian Jarrold. It actually makes sense because the Merchant-Ivory style of film is ideal
    counterprogramming to typical “summer” fare.
    Of course, my reasons for mourning the death of the sneak preview are largely selfish. Since I’ve got a 2 1/2 round trip drive (minimum) to most screenings or promos, being able to see a movie on my home turf before its theatrical release is like winning the lottery (especially with the price of gas these days!)
    Glad to hear that I’m not the only one who enjoyed “Meet Dave.”
    Not surprisingly, I had a “private” screening at a 4:50 matinee yesterday afternoon.

  69. Martin S says:

    Bane wears a mask, like Scarecrow. He’s purposely altered himself, like Joker. He’s focus is to destroy Batman, like Two-Face. If it’s about escalation, his genetic manipulation is the next step from physical disfigurement.
    Also, escalation from what Ghul tried in Begins can only be topped by his succeeding. The underworld vacuum, the lack of a commissioner and D.A, a still-corrupt police force and Batman hunted leaves Gotham in chaos that has to be filled by a character bigger than another mob boss. That was the point of the conversation between Batman and Falcone.

  70. Krazy Eyes says:

    Since it’s the supposed end of the trilogy, Nolan should set it a bunch of years down the line and have a major break-out from Arkham Asylum. Then there can be like 10 villains in the next film. Kind of like a “Destroy All Monsters” for the series.
    Who’s hiring at the studios?

  71. sloanish says:

    Went looking for a show to hit this afternoon. Arclight has Brideshead Revisited and American Teen playing midnight. Someone over there got hit in the bat-head.

  72. “Not only was Phiffer’s Catwoman a wretched and goofy performance. The character’s establishment was just goofy.”
    Care to elaborate on that? What’s so wretched and goofy? Sure, I absolutely love that performance so I’m biased – the line readings! the oozing of sex appeal! the scene where Selina and Bruce discover who they are is just as dramatically strong as anything Nolan has done – but even people who hate the movie tend to think Pfeiffer was pretty darn great.

Quote Unquotesee all »

It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon