I thought it was the other way around...it's supposed to be a Superman film with Bats as a character?
I can't believe there are people in this country that would look at that and start a White House dot gov petition begging President Choom (h/t edutcher) to denounce the casting.
That's pathetic.
And btw, so is the casting. Benjie is terrible. Seems to be competent as a director though.
Meh, I don't care either way. I don't care about the people petitioning the White House to have Obama denounce this move. (Someone tell the President that a black man got harmed by this casting choice and he'll be all over it.)
But there were a couple of fun news stories out today.
Neither story is much of a surprise to any American with a pulse and at least three functioning brain cells. Which again makes me wonder at an electorate that views THIS as a successful state for the country, and that our "leaders" deserved re-election last year.
Of course, they're probably the same low-wattage types that thinks the President should be worried about which celebrity fuck-up is going to play Batman next.
Is he the guy who did Syriana or whatever it was called?
My wife watched it upstairs while I was in the basement doing my workout.
From what I could hear of the dialogue and musical score, it sounded like maybe some sort of very slow, painfully tedious movie about some bored ghosts walking around some deserted old mansion looking around for something to do with all the time on their hands.
Syrianna was George (Head Bob) Clooney. Affleck was Argo, and some stuff about Bostonians all being a bunch of brain-dead criminals. Or math geniuses. Or whatever.
The Arab prince(?) in Syriana was played by the guy who played Dr. Bashir in Deep Space Nine. i heard it was a bit of a disappointing movie, so did not see it.
Redford and Pitt were good in Spy Games, a Middle East espionage suspense piece. Russell Crowe did a good job as the in-DC CIA agent running running the op.
I got into the DC universe because of Sgt Rock and GI Combat and then when they came out with the Legends of the Dark Knight after Frank Miller did his Dark Knight thing.
For the most part though I don't care about DC anymore than I care about Marvel.
I don't get the X-Men thing at all. I kinda like Spiderman I guess, or I did when I was a kid.
Who else is there?
Superhero types as a rule don't interest me though.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
1. It's not just older people who like stories, and
2. As you say...let's not hold our breaths.
Saw a movie the other day 'These Wilder Years'. Cags, Stanwyck, Pidgeon...schmaltzy movie. Oh God...but really good. Based on the strength of the actors and the honesty of the story.
Not now but I believe in the not so distance past they were owned by the same company. That is why they were able to do crossover comics a few years ago and not now.
That is why they were able to do crossover comics a few years ago and not now.
Not true, although apparently DC tried to sell itself to Marvel at one point during Jim Shooter's tenure at Marvel, and the Feds had an anti-trust hissyfit. Jim Shooter used to have a pretty interesting blog with way more historical material on the industry than anyone other than comics otaku would have the patience to wade through. One series of posts was about the periodic crossovers, which really were projects of two separate companies sharing intellectual property for the hell of it. The deal was that they traded off the right to publish a big event crossover every so often. I dunno, Shooter can be interesting when he wants to be.
I'm not really that big of a comics geek - love the DC animated stuff, though. Well, the non-CGI, Bruce Timm or Timm-ish cartoons, anyrate. I never saw the Daredevil movie Affleck was in - was it that bad?
I had a good WW2 friend die earlier this year. This guy was very liberal. He belonged to a renegade Catholic Church formed by his ex-wife former nun and other lefty ex-nuns. With all that, this man hated Jane Fonda. "You don't give aid and comfort to the enemy." That's all he would say on the subject, and it's all that really needs to be said.
Affleck was Argo, and some stuff about Bostonians all being a bunch of brain-dead criminals.
He also directed "Gone Baby Gone", which in my opinion was one of the best films of the last ten years. It deals with moral choices with a maturity that is almost unheard-of in cinema.
Personally, I've been a fan of his ever since his Kevin Smith days. He's a decent actor and a first-rate director. It doesn't take a great actor to pull off a one-dimensional character like "Batman", anyway -- whether those films are good or bad depends entirely on the screenplay and director.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
This is just a variation on the nanny-state argument that people will eat healthier if you just give them more access to fresh fruits and vegetables. False; junk food sells because while people like *talking* about eating healthy, in practice they like potato chips more than celery sticks. There have been hundreds of great "story" films made in the last thirty years, but the harsh truth is that they don't do as well at the box office.
Really, though, who cares? Television surpassed film as a storytelling medium years ago. Films are increasingly about spectacle in large part because spectacle is the only thing film does better than TV (the other reason is that spectacle translates well to other languages).
It doesn't take a great actor to pull off a one-dimensional character like "Batman", anyway -- whether those films are good or bad depends entirely on the screenplay and director.
See, that's the problem. Batman isn't a one dimensional character. It's why Keaton surprised a lot of people with his protrayal, and it's why Bale is considered so good (beyond the man's crazy ability).
I have to disagree, Cody. I thought Bale did a good job, but I don't see the depth of character there.
People were surprised by Keaton because many found it difficult to picture the star of "Mr. Mom" kicking bad guy ass. They weren't surprised by his ability to capture the nuance of the character, because the character hasn't got nuance. DC heroes are archetypes; that has always been their appeal.
Conan The Barbarian reserved Marvel a special place in my heart that I have never felt for DC (though I always enjoyed the darker Batman stuff -- Dark Knight & such). To me, the only comic book films to even come close to the 1982 Conan film are the three Dark Knight flicks (Nolan / Bale). I'm skeptical about Ben Affleck with the role. Christian Bale has killed it as the Dark Knight. I like that Affleck has salvaged his dignity some. As far as his politics, eh, just another detached Hollywood lefty. I always try to separate people's politics from any type of 'art' that I enjoy. Jane Fonda can suck it, though.
none of the 3 Nolan/Bale Batman movies did fucking anything right?
Well 2 out of 3 did well, but only because they didn't use the Batman title. The first Nolan movie foolishly used "Batman" in the title, and it according to Box Office Mojo. When you add marketing to production costs, it barely broke even.
When Nolan dropped the word Batman from the title, the next 2 films grossed over $1B or about double the cost to produce and market.
Note too the latest Superman dropped Superman from the title, cost $100M more than Iron Man to produce, and grossed about the same amount as the original Iron Man, while Iron Man 3 still cost less to produce and doubled the gross of Man of Steel. Good luck #Baffleck in trying to do the same.
38 comments:
Saw this last night. The studio folks must have been on something, because it seems just as mind boggling as Clooney batman.
I thought it was the other way around...it's supposed to be a Superman film with Bats as a character?
I can't believe there are people in this country that would look at that and start a White House dot gov petition begging President Choom (h/t edutcher) to denounce the casting.
That's pathetic.
And btw, so is the casting. Benjie is terrible. Seems to be competent as a director though.
Meh, I don't care either way. I don't care about the people petitioning the White House to have Obama denounce this move. (Someone tell the President that a black man got harmed by this casting choice and he'll be all over it.)
But there were a couple of fun news stories out today.
Premiums Climbed $2,976 Since 2009, Despite Obama Vow
-and-
Incomes Have Dropped Twice as Much During the 'Recovery' as During the Recession
Neither story is much of a surprise to any American with a pulse and at least three functioning brain cells. Which again makes me wonder at an electorate that views THIS as a successful state for the country, and that our "leaders" deserved re-election last year.
Of course, they're probably the same low-wattage types that thinks the President should be worried about which celebrity fuck-up is going to play Batman next.
Is he the guy who did Syriana or whatever it was called?
My wife watched it upstairs while I was in the basement doing my workout.
From what I could hear of the dialogue and musical score, it sounded like maybe some sort of very slow, painfully tedious movie about some bored ghosts walking around some deserted old mansion looking around for something to do with all the time on their hands.
Syrianna was George (Head Bob) Clooney. Affleck was Argo, and some stuff about Bostonians all being a bunch of brain-dead criminals. Or math geniuses. Or whatever.
Nobody cares about the DC characters. They are never successful.
Meanwhile the Marvel characters have hit paydirt in some of the casting and movies they have been making the last few years.
The new Thor movie looks pretty good.
Yeah Troop, cuz none of the 3 Nolan/Bale Batman movies did fucking anything right?
They also lose many people when they put a commie like Affleck it their films.
Of course these Hollywood scumbags think it is appropriate to have Jane Fonda play Nancy Reagan.
The Arab prince(?) in Syriana was played by the guy who played Dr. Bashir in Deep Space Nine. i heard it was a bit of a disappointing movie, so did not see it.
Redford and Pitt were good in Spy Games, a Middle East espionage suspense piece. Russell Crowe did a good job as the in-DC CIA agent running running the op.
Those are the exceptions to the rule. Most of the DC movies sucked hard.
DC vs Marvel used to be like the Red Sox vs the Yankees back in the day until the same company bought them.
Is Fonda to play Reagan? Or has she already?
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
We'll all be long gone by then, however.
Yes, it was Argo. Thank you!
I've never been anything like a Marvel guy.
I got into the DC universe because of Sgt Rock and GI Combat and then when they came out with the Legends of the Dark Knight after Frank Miller did his Dark Knight thing.
For the most part though I don't care about DC anymore than I care about Marvel.
I don't get the X-Men thing at all. I kinda like Spiderman I guess, or I did when I was a kid.
Who else is there?
Superhero types as a rule don't interest me though.
Isn't Fonda Nancy R. in The Butler?
She plays Reagan in the new Blaxploitation movie "The Butler."
A theatre owner in Tennessee refused to show it for that reason.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
1. It's not just older people who like stories, and
2. As you say...let's not hold our breaths.
Saw a movie the other day 'These Wilder Years'. Cags, Stanwyck, Pidgeon...schmaltzy movie. Oh God...but really good. Based on the strength of the actors and the honesty of the story.
I miss stuff like that.
DC is owned by Time/Warner. Marvel was its own company up until getting bought by Disney. So not the same company.
Not now but I believe in the not so distance past they were owned by the same company. That is why they were able to do crossover comics a few years ago and not now.
That is why they were able to do crossover comics a few years ago and not now.
Not true, although apparently DC tried to sell itself to Marvel at one point during Jim Shooter's tenure at Marvel, and the Feds had an anti-trust hissyfit. Jim Shooter used to have a pretty interesting blog with way more historical material on the industry than anyone other than comics otaku would have the patience to wade through. One series of posts was about the periodic crossovers, which really were projects of two separate companies sharing intellectual property for the hell of it. The deal was that they traded off the right to publish a big event crossover every so often. I dunno, Shooter can be interesting when he wants to be.
I'm not really that big of a comics geek - love the DC animated stuff, though. Well, the non-CGI, Bruce Timm or Timm-ish cartoons, anyrate. I never saw the Daredevil movie Affleck was in - was it that bad?
I had a good WW2 friend die earlier this year. This guy was very liberal. He belonged to a renegade Catholic Church formed by his ex-wife former nun and other lefty ex-nuns. With all that, this man hated Jane Fonda. "You don't give aid and comfort to the enemy." That's all he would say on the subject, and it's all that really needs to be said.
That should be "wife ex-nun". It's happy hour.
Affleck was Argo, and some stuff about Bostonians all being a bunch of brain-dead criminals.
He also directed "Gone Baby Gone", which in my opinion was one of the best films of the last ten years. It deals with moral choices with a maturity that is almost unheard-of in cinema.
Personally, I've been a fan of his ever since his Kevin Smith days. He's a decent actor and a first-rate director. It doesn't take a great actor to pull off a one-dimensional character like "Batman", anyway -- whether those films are good or bad depends entirely on the screenplay and director.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
This is just a variation on the nanny-state argument that people will eat healthier if you just give them more access to fresh fruits and vegetables. False; junk food sells because while people like *talking* about eating healthy, in practice they like potato chips more than celery sticks. There have been hundreds of great "story" films made in the last thirty years, but the harsh truth is that they don't do as well at the box office.
Really, though, who cares? Television surpassed film as a storytelling medium years ago. Films are increasingly about spectacle in large part because spectacle is the only thing film does better than TV (the other reason is that spectacle translates well to other languages).
It doesn't take a great actor to pull off a one-dimensional character like "Batman", anyway -- whether those films are good or bad depends entirely on the screenplay and director.
See, that's the problem. Batman isn't a one dimensional character. It's why Keaton surprised a lot of people with his protrayal, and it's why Bale is considered so good (beyond the man's crazy ability).
I have to disagree, Cody. I thought Bale did a good job, but I don't see the depth of character there.
People were surprised by Keaton because many found it difficult to picture the star of "Mr. Mom" kicking bad guy ass. They weren't surprised by his ability to capture the nuance of the character, because the character hasn't got nuance. DC heroes are archetypes; that has always been their appeal.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
Ed, I'm imaging an old bent over guy saying in a cranky voice:
"Why in my day they had REAL MOVIES WITH REAL STORIES!
LOL Rev.
Batman has many different levels of nuance because I want him to and I said so!
LMAO.
So there.
Nah. I get what you're saying.
"Why in my day they had REAL MOVIES WITH REAL STORIES!"
Isn't it obligatory these days to conclude with "Get off my lawn"?
-Jane Fonda is Nancy Reagan
-Robin Williams is Ike
-Alan Rickman plays Ronnie
Rickman is known for playing villains by the way.
"The Butler" is also supposed to be badly written, authored by a left-wing white guy, cheaply made, and stars Oprah.
Its like the "The Help" but with White Presidents, instead of stuck-up white bitches.
Conan The Barbarian reserved Marvel a special place in my heart that I have never felt for DC (though I always enjoyed the darker Batman stuff -- Dark Knight & such). To me, the only comic book films to even come close to the 1982 Conan film are the three Dark Knight flicks (Nolan / Bale). I'm skeptical about Ben Affleck with the role. Christian Bale has killed it as the Dark Knight. I like that Affleck has salvaged his dignity some. As far as his politics, eh, just another detached Hollywood lefty. I always try to separate people's politics from any type of 'art' that I enjoy. Jane Fonda can suck it, though.
Interesting, rc, I'd never heard about it before this thread.
Rickman is known for playing villains by the way.
Is it the early 90s again already?
Rickman first came to my attention in Die Hard.
One of these days, the movie mavens will realize that it's the older people with the money to go to the movies and put up some real stories.
Ed, I'm imaging an old bent over guy saying in a cranky voice:
"Why in my day they had REAL MOVIES WITH REAL STORIES!
none of the 3 Nolan/Bale Batman movies did fucking anything right?
Well 2 out of 3 did well, but only because they didn't use the Batman title. The first Nolan movie foolishly used "Batman" in the title, and it according to Box Office Mojo. When you add marketing to production costs, it barely broke even.
When Nolan dropped the word Batman from the title, the next 2 films grossed over $1B or about double the cost to produce and market.
Note too the latest Superman dropped Superman from the title, cost $100M more than Iron Man to produce, and grossed about the same amount as the original Iron Man, while Iron Man 3 still cost less to produce and doubled the gross of Man of Steel. Good luck #Baffleck in trying to do the same.
He would have been a better Hal Jordan for Green Lantern, not Batman. Fuck, this is all wrong, it's like Daredevil all over again.
Post a Comment