Batman carries on beginning in ... The Dark Knight

i love how difficult a set-up for a third movie it is, even as a hybrid of real events and things they'd planned on. i remember reading this thread when people were speaking hopefully of a certain dark knight character returning, somewhat fantastically, as someone from the comics, and thereby undoing some of the twists of the second film. the way it is is perfect; i'm reminded of the role of the mother's diaries in maus, of how frustrating it is to read about them knowing that they're not there, that there's this situation that can't yield a satisfying resolution. the way things have been left in batman's so genuinely, palpably frustrating and tangled, like with the note Alfred didn't deliver, and elicits emotions more complex than it ought to. i hope there's a third one, as long as it doesn't impinge upon or undo the scenario created by the last film.

Nolan gets too much credit. The 60's show was just as hard-hitting in its political overtones:

BTW it is a travesty that this show is not on DVD

Batman did pal around with terrorists criminals.

So the DVD arrived yesterday and we watched it last night, our forth viewing (one in the cinema at a pre-screening with fans in Joker make-up; one first-week screening with ne'er-do-wells eating massive slushies at the cheap cinema; one hooky file recorded off a Spanish-language cinema in America watched on tiny MacBook).

And it was still ace. The soundtrack struck me more at home than in the cinema (I run the DVD player through my amp and hi-fi speakers, so it's not surround sound but it is loud and clear); it's one of the most dynamic films I've ever seen, the quiet bits are so quiet and then the loud bits, which often come suddenly, are FEROCIOUSLY FUCKING LOUD. The single rising tone in the soundtrack, the Joker's theme, is awesome, foreboding and unsettling. I was really struck by the pace and rhythm of the film too, more so now than in those first viewings where I was carried along by it, there's a real rise-and-fall momentum, moments of near chaos interspersed with very calm, very quiet areas of the film. Like, it goes from the fucking mentalism and nastiness of Joker's kidnap & explosion of Rachel & Dent, to Bruce Wayne and Alfred alone, isolated, high above Gotham, very quiet, almost serene.

I have no idea how they'd approach a third film in the series, if they wanted to. I think that interview Ned linked above is right; they'd need a proper story to tell before even thinking about bothering. Conceptually how do you then make the film though, even with the story? Do you try and make something bigger, longer, more profound, more operatic, more real? I'd almost like them to just make a 95-minute film rather than a 150-minute epic, I think. I watched all the Bourne films last week while off work sick, and the pacing and length of them was just brilliant. I don't think I'd want a third Nolan Batman film to try and out-do The Dark Knight.

Has anyone watched it on bluray yet? seems they've fucked about with the aspect ratio, so you can be watching widescreen at one point but the next you might be watching full screen. Not many people seem to be liking it.

Is that an attempt at capturing the Imax ratios?

yes, quote from a happier customer on Amazon

"The feature is presented in varying widescreen and 16:9 formats to make full use of the IMAX sequences (the latter mostly comprising the opening bank heist sequence), but whilst this may sound disconcerting you barely notice it happening due to the clever editing of the film - it certainly did not spoil my enjoyment of the movie"

Ooh didn't realise this was out this week. Asda at lunchtime, I think, to buy the Blu-Ray.

This is what the Guardian Guide says about the Blu-Ray version:

The Blu-Ray transfer is like something from the future: loads of extras, and when the picture borders open up to accommodate the stunning IMAX-shot footage it's hard to imagine the point of watching this movie on any other format.

turns out that the dude i keep talking to at the library about weird foreign horror movies is primarily employed as an imax projectionist, so come january i have the mad free dark knight imax reissue hookup! WIN, esp since i haven't seen the imax version yet.

You lucky man -- very glad I caught an IMAX showing here, might do so again if it comes back (which I assume it will).

I gave up about 3/4 thru reading this thread cos I was too fucking sick of people I thought were at least capable of watching a movie and taking it in getting ALL CONFUSED by the (apparently) labyrinthian structure of this movie and its philosophical unerpinnings, fuck it. IT'S NOT HARD. I mean you all had great ideas (I thought! Was happy would read thread again hahaha sick of internet IR DUMB shit actually) but it doesn't work with your personal take on them (no shit, you didn't make it), then there's some idiotic exchange about something you or both more or less made up, I've had enough.

THINK THROUGH, NOT AT. PLEASE?

tl, dr

That'd be great, if it was long. Tho the fucking thread, etcet

it's a paradox...you can't complain about a thread without becoming part of it! ILX is great that way. the only way to win is not to play.

seeing this on blu-ray the other night actually improved my opinion of it a bit...the action scenes made more sense on a smaller screen...and my biggest problem was always the "answer" to the prisoner's dilemma on the ferry.

I think, however, what they did was pretty clever. The longer you wait, the longer you know the other boat is waiting...and that knowledge represents an ethical pull on you--"they haven't push the button either"--which makes it harder to push the button yourself. It's forces everyone into paralysis. It's sorta far-fetched and doesnt totally fit with the rest of the movie, but it's resolved better than I thought at first.

I still love the SCARY BLACK MAN in that scene.

thats Debo from friday!

Man, I sure had a lot to say about this movie.

we all did, apparently. it was a long summer.

A more innocent time, when all we worried about was Obama's celebrity and whether Michael Phelps used drugs.

i did make this point "if Batman was on one of the boats he wouldn't have had any trouble pushing the button."

and me from a few months ago makes me think now: i wonder if this is true? Batman claims to be able to make the decisions others can't make (like SCARY BLACK DUDE does..SCARY BLACK DUDE = Batman? or would batman push the button?)

oh im sorry "SCARY BLACK MAN", that is.

Man, I sure had a lot to say about this movie.

And it turns out I was right after all, as usual.

I really seriously doubt Batman would push the button.

yeah probably. the only way "out" the ethical paradoxes the Joker creates is to make the "impossible" decision, which is Batman's role, and i guess why he's banished "outside" where decisions like that are possible, and it's the same place as the SCARY BLACK MAN claims to come from before he tosses it out the window.

im really sorry. im an english/philosopher major and geek out over this stuff.

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2048300.ece

The Beverly Hills Cop star, 47, has been signed up by British director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN to reprise the role played by JIM CARREY in 1995’s Batman Forever.

The surprise move follows speculation linking Pirates of the Caribbean star JOHNNY DEPP to the part.

The film, set for a 2010 release, is being developed under the working title Gotham.

Execs have also signed up rising Transformers star SHIA LABEOUF, 22, to play Robin.

CHRISTIAN BALE will return as Bruce Wayne, while MICHAEL CAINE will again play Bruce’s assistant Alfred.

Meanwhile, Brit RACHEL WEISZ is said to be up for the Catwoman role.

Insiders also revealed to The Sun the flick will end on a cliffhanger over whether Batman survives a blast at Wayne Towers.

Nolan had been tight-lipped about the future of the Batman films after being rocked by the January death of HEATH LEDGER — tipped to receive a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker in Batman Returns.

A film insider said: “Chris wasn’t sure if he wanted to do another movie but as soon as he decided to, he got the wheels in motion.

“Eddie’s a fantastic addition. Everyone’s excited to see what he does as the Riddler.”

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/thumb/a/aa/Foreigner.jpg/275px-Foreigner.jpg

Hmm, hopefully the addition of Murphy and Robin means the third movie will be more playful and not so gritty and serious. We've already had two movies of that, so maybe third one could be a bit different?

the playful batmans outnumber the 'gritty and serious' ones by a healthy margin

batman forever was awful, only thing good about it was the seal song on the soundtrack ^_^

Well, I've said it before and I don't really want to go to that debate again (see the Batman Begins thread), but since superheroes are by their very nature a fantasy/non-realist idea, if you take them too seriously the results will be either silly or morally questionable. Superheroes stories tend to work best if you treat them as modern fables rather than serious, realistic stories. Burton realized that, and I think he found a nice balance between "dark" and "playful". Nolan hasn't quite made it yet, but at least Dark Knight was an improvement over Batman Begins. I liked how he treated Joker more like a symbol than a "real" person with "real" psychological backstory. Though Two-Face didn't really work exactly because they tried to give him a "proper", credible psychological reason for becoming a villain, and it sounded ludicrous.

I hope this is bullshit. Em's gonna be distraught if Shia Leboeuf's in it.

I guess re; Eddie Murphy, that people were "wtf" at Heath ledger to start with.

YESSSSSSS @ Shia, that's such awesome and inspired casting (just watched Disturbia the other night!)

Well, at least Eddie as an actor seems to fit perfectly to the chosen role, which wasn't what people thought about Ledger when he was announced.

Or would someone really want a grim and gritty Riddler?

Oh well, this new franchise was a good run while it lasted.

Or would someone really want a grim and gritty Riddler?

― Tuomas, Thursday, December 18, 2008 4:01 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i wonder if that was the logic behind the jim carrey selection

Eh?

both of these castings are intriguing at the very least - but does murphy remember how to act while not wearing a fat suit? i wonder if he'll show up to the first day of casting as a fat, woman riddler out of habit

Batman Forever was before Carrey became a "serious" actor, right?

(x-post)

ok you know what y'all are totally allowed to play along with whatever else you like but if anyone takes the following bait you will all get nothing but coal

"Though Two-Face didn't really work exactly because they tried to give him a "proper", credible psychological reason for becoming a villain, and it sounded ludicrous."

Everybody good with that?

xxxxpp

so what exactly does it take to write for the Sun? I just find it hard to believe Eddie starring in two such blockbusters 2010; Batman and "Untitled Eddie Murphy/Romeo and Juliet Project"

Is stating your opinion called "baiting" these days?

Tuomas, I don't know if you noticed, but while you were busy thinking Nolan's Batman films were too gritty, everyone else was out there making The Dark Knight the most popular and successful film EVER almost, so, y'know, shhhhh.

got the finn patrol on the challop patrol

Since when did "popular" equal "unassailable" on ILX?

And like I said, I liked DK more than BB, but there were certain things in it that I still didn't think worked so well, like Dent's transformation to Two-Face. Is that really a challenging opinion?

i think its a challop, unless you slept through the 90s, to imply that a wacky hijinks batman would be a good direction to go in.

Tuomas, there is no way anybody can mount a successful argument against your opinion that Harvey Dent's character arc into Two-Face seems ludicrous. You have structured your statement in such a way that is is essentially impossible to address without engaging in straw man or ad hominem fallacies (I didn't say that, why are you attacking me). Frankly you do this all the time, and for all intents, it boils down to flamebait.
So I'm giving you a fucking break and asking everybody else not to engage you in arguing about it so this thread stays open, I stay sane, you stay registered as a poster, and yellow cards are kept to a minimum.

You're pretty high up in the Suggest Ban standings. You may want to take a little bit of time and think about why that is (hint: I just told you).