Rebooting Batman – Hypothetical Casting

There are going to be more Batman films; that’s a given. While it seems weird bringing up the subject so soon after the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s stunning trilogy, in a year, maybe two, audiences are going to be hankering for some serious Bat-action. If the release of The Amazing Spider-Man and next year’s Man of Steel tell us anything, it’s that the masses don’t care about reboots. They want superheroes on-screen as long as filmmakers can offer the goods. But, where do we go from here? The answer: anywhere.

Batman’s Best – Top 10 Moments from Bat-films

Since 1989, the “B” in blockbuster stands for Batman. There have been total misses in terms of the completed films, but there are wonderful moments that stick with you forever: moments you reenact at parties, use as code in conversation with friends, quote when you play Batman with little kids. Batman is in each and every one of us movie lovers. Let’s look back on some of Batman’s best moments.

Batman Born Again – Top 6 Potential Reboot Stories

One of the spectacular aspects of Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga is how rewarding it is for Batman fans who are well-versed in Batman comic book lore. Nolan and his writers draw upon dozens of great moments, themes, concepts, and set-pieces from various comic stories to build an incredible single story. For example, The Dark Knight was a delicious blend consisting of parts of the 1996 maxiseries Batman: The Long Halloween, the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers run on Detective Comics in the 1970s, the 2003 comic series Gotham Central, and, crazily enough, a lot of 1940′s Batman #1!

However, outside of WB/DC’s direct-to-DVD animated features, there have not been any direct adaptations of a Batman comic or series. Now that Nolan is finished, Warner Bros. is guaranteed to go back to the DC Comics well and try to mine some new gold. The wonderful thing about Batman is that he can fit into any genre, any tone and the character will always work. He’s just that great. WB will probably try to stay within the tone of what has worked so well over the decade, the dark, realistic Bat-world. I doubt they are going to change much. I say, let’s look at some other stories in the Bat-canon that would not only make potentially fantastic movies, but also spur the powers that be to think outside the box a little when it comes to the Caped Crusader.

The Trouble with Quibbles: The Dark Knight Rises – Part 2

The quibbling continues as Bryan and I discuss our feelings about The Dark Knight Rises. If you haven’t already, be sure to read part 1 of this Quibble.

The Trouble with Quibbles: The Dark Knight Rises – Part 1

I’ve been wrestling with the anticipation for The Dark Knight Rises on an ever-increasing level over the last few years. Until a few weeks ago, it was a gradual thing, nothing too grand, but then we got to July and with the film only weeks away, I kinda lost it. I went batty. Prepping for Shooting the Script’s Batman coverage only exacerbated things. I gave in and have been on a Bat-binge for the last three weeks. This exponential increase in eagerness to see the film combined with the events surrounding the release of The Dark Knight Rises has been overwhelming. When I finally saw the film it was less like entertainment and more like treatment… like getting my fix… like something I had to do… like a release… of all this pent up eagerness mixed with anxiety. It was a very bizarre movie-going experience. It’s strange how ridiculous the simple act of going to see a movie became. It’s only a movie. Still, something about Christopher Nolan’s trilogy–and Batman in general–has given us a lot to talk about.

Gotham’s Finest: Best Bat-Casting

Actors have been taking shots at Bat characters for nearly fifty years now, longer if you count the serials. Below is the list of the ten greatest cast actors and the characters they played.

“OMG, Heath Ledger so better be number one or I’m going to lay a smack down.” – The Internet

Heath Ledger isn’t on this list. Frankly, I’m tired of talking about how great he was as the Joker. We all know and we all agree, it’s inspired. He won the Oscar.

Bat Out of Development Hell – Part 4: Batman Beyond an R-rating

The Batman films have been titans in theaters for more than twenty years. Yes, even Batman & Robin made a lot money. The presence of these films, however, tends to overshadow Batman ventures in other mediums, mainly television. In 1992 kids watched as Batman: The Animated Series created a new Bat mythos different from the films or the long-standing comic series. Anyone part of the generation that was exposed to this version of Batman cites it as the foundation of their passion for the bat.

Bat Out of Development Hell – Part 3: Requiem for a Bat

In 2000, the frenzy that followed the release of X-Men had studios buying up any comic book property they could get their hands on and putting those titles into production before the ink was dry. And the heads at Warner Brothers did something a bit unfounded; they would develop multiple story ideas, which would eventually lead to the rebirth of the prized Batman franchise. They could have continued to build upon the previous films. A script was already ordered for Batman Triumphant (aka Batman 5) and George Clooney was contracted to play Bruce Wayne again. Or, they could go in a new direction, a vastly different direction.

Bat Out of Development Hell – Part 2: Nicholson Returns?

“Let me be the way I’m not in interviews. I’m furious. I’m furious. They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me.” — Jack Nicholson to MTV in 2007

During the above interview, Jack Nicholson was 70-years-old. It had been almost twenty years since the first Batman film. Obviously, this is an aging movie legend ranting about something that would never happen. Even Adam West got bent out of shape when he found out that he wasn’t considered for Burton’s 1989 reboot. To that I say: not true. A second appearance of Jack’s Joker could have very easily happened. Let me tell you why.

Bat Out of Development Hell – Part 1: Batman vs. Superman

The quest to bring Batman to the screen began in the late 70s. Superman was a hit, so why not try other superheroes? Film development being the hellish process it is, it took nearly ten years to get 1989′s Batman. Not bad considering Tim Burton and screenwriter Sam Hamm were literally creating the empirical baseline on which all Bat movies would be based. The various sequels would either be a little darker and sinister, a little goofier, and finally downright retarded. By 1997, the series seemed finished but was strangely saved a few years later by a band of mutants. X-Men brought back super hero movies like a phoenix (pun intended) and suddenly Batman had another shot. But what’s almost more interesting than Batman’s return to the big screen is the story of the various attempts to get him there.

Earth’s Mightiest Decade – Part 6: Predictions

The last ten years have been filled with huge successes and tremendous learning curves. One thing this decade’s audience loves to do is speculate. Let’s do that for a bit. We’ve seen where we’ve been, now let’s think about where we might go. The following list is our top 10 predictions for the decade ahead…

My Favorite Films of the Last Decade #5

Alfred Pennyworth: …some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

Top Twenty of the Decade #9 & 10

Batman: Do I look like a Cop?!
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Joker: I think you and I are destined to do this forever

Xavier Institute 10-Year Reunion

We are gathered here today to recognize the 10th anniversary of Bryan Singer’s X-Men. It was this very month that the comic book genre was kick-started, ushering in a decade overflowing with billions of dollars worth of attention paid to one of the toughest crowds ever in the history of entertainment: the nerd.