Why did he keep talking like he had strep throat?

Thinking about Batman’s voice while filing paperwork

Not Normal

1. One rumor I have heard is that WB is writing the script around the return of Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. I have repeatedly read where Bale said he is done with the Character and not open to playing him again unless Christopher Nolan is involved. Christopher Nolan is involved with the JL movie but Nolan has stated that his Batman trilogy was a stand alone franchise where other Superheroes do not exist.

2. Another rumor is that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was hinted at becoming the new Batman at the end of the Dark Knight Rises, will have a cameo at the end of the new Man of Steel l movie as Batman. I think this is just wishful thinking on the part of fans. Marvel followed this tactic in their individual movies leading up to last years’ Avenger’s film. I really have not heard anything official from WB that they are going the same route that the Marvel Studios have done.

3. Another rumor is that Batman will be a complete reboot with another actor in the role and it will be completely unrelated to the Nolan trilogy. Plus this new Batman movie will not come out until after 2015 and the release of the Justice League movie. It seems that the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, will be the first and only movie leading up to the Justice League movie and it will set the tone for all the subsequent superhero movies. Henry Cavill is slated to reprise his role as Superman in the Justice League movie.

I think this third rumor is the most plausible and likely scenario. Those who follow my blog know I have a bit of love/hate thing going on with the Nolan Batman trilogy. While I like Batman Begins the tone of this trilogy is a bit too serious (Why so serious?) and takes some of the fun out of the movies. I think the Marvel movies have struck the right tone for Superhero movies. Man of Steel, even though it is produced by Nolan, seems to follow the tone that Marvel has set. While grounded in realism it also seems more of a fun action adventure movie.

I wouldn’t mind Christian Bale returning as Batman/Bruce Wayne but I really do not feel it is essential. There are other actors who could pull off this iconic dual role. Armie Hammer is playing the Lone Ranger this summer and I could also easily see him playing the part of Batman/Wayne. I am also open to another unknown playing the role. If a new series of Batman movies does come out after the Justice League movie it will have big shoes to fill. I think it can be done and I would like to see some Batman movies more in line with the tone of the Marvel universe.

Copyright © 2012 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

As I’ve said before, I love the Dark Knight films that Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. created.  I love the gritty atmosphere, the intense characters, and the thrill of watching a live-action Batman pitted against intelligent foes.

But the third film, The Dark Knight Rises, is not so close to my heart.  I know there was some confusion after Heath Ledger’s death if the Joker was meant to star in it, but I don’t think he would have been necessary.  Still, as interesting as the plot and the cast is, I can’t help but think it could have been even better with a few tweaks.  Mostly by cutting out the financial scheme subplot, the nuclear reactor, Miranda Tate, and some of the third-act developments.

Act One: Dark Knight Falling

Eight years have passed since the Joker’s arrest and the death of Harvey Dent.  To preserve Dent’s legacy, Batman has become a fugitive from the law and cut ties with Commissioner Gordon.  But with the old mob in ruins, new gangs and “themed” criminals are taking their place–criminals like Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nygma, and Jervis Tetch.  Despite the new powers given to the Gotham City Police with the Dent Act, the criminal underworld soon reasserts its dominance.  Corruption is at an all-time low, but bank robberies and urban violence are at an all-time high.

Our story begins with an attack on the Iceberg Lounge owned by crime boss Oswald Cobblepot, who is himself abducted.  When the smoke clears, it isn’t the Dark Knight who’s come for him, but a different masked man.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is hosting a charity ball at his mansion to support the city’s orphanages.  However, he finds that his date for the ball, Selina Kyle, is in fact a professional thief who steals his mother’s pearl necklace from Wayne Manor.  Against Alfred’s objections, Bruce leaves the party early to pursue Selina all the way back to the Narrows, where he fights her on a rooftop for the necklace.  To his surprise, she returns them and drops a hint about his true identity.  Batman has no time to reflect on this when his police scanner picks up the report of the Iceberg Lounge attack.  There, he shadows Gordon and the police, picking up evidence without drawing attention to himself.

In the daytime, Bruce Wayne tracks down Selina Kyle and “breaks off” their relationship before getting down to business: they know each other’s alter ego.  Before Selina can cover her tracks, Bruce offers her a job as his “deputy,” promising her a substantial income in return for policing the Narrows and spying on the Underworld.  Being the kind of girl who can’t resist danger–and who takes care of her neighborhood with the profits from her crimes–Selina agrees and receives her first assignment: to track down the mysterious brute known as Bane.

Later that week, Gordon learns that one of his best police officers, John Blake, is resigning from the force after too many reports for reckless behavior.  After a meeting with Blake, Gordon sees something in him that reminds him of Batman (with whom he’s had no contact in eight years).  But then the police uncover a warehouse full of executed gangsters, after which a taped message is broadcast over the airwaves: a new vigilante has emerged.  Bane, leader of Las Ruinas.  He promises Gotham he’ll be everything that the Batman has failed to be, and to “assist” the police in their war on criminality by becoming the thing criminals fear most.  To prove his point, he kills Oswald Cobblepot onscreen.

Act Two: The Broken Bat

With Selina Kyle policing the Narrows and shadowing members of Las Ruinas, Bruce Wayne receives a call from Commissioner Gordon, who asks him to give John Blake a job, as Blake came from an orphanage sponsored by the Wayne Foundation.  He finds that Blake has the same strength and raw passion that Bruce had when he started training with the League of Shadows and hires Blake as a “security consultant” for Wayne Manor.

Alfred later has a heart-to-heart conversation with Bruce following a checkup (which details all the scars and injuries he’s sustained after almost a decade of crimefighting).  He tries to get Bruce to consider his legacy and when his quest for vengeance will finally end.  Despite the looming threat of Bane, Bruce sees that he’s already handed some responsibility over to Selina Kyle and thinks Alfred might be right about finally retiring.

Meanwhile, while Bruce is at a shareholders’ meeting, Bane launches an attack on Wayne Tower.  From there, he takes the shareholders hostage, announcing their “guilt” of failing to save Gotham from corruption with their wealth and prestige.  When John Blake intervenes with a vicious attack on Bane’s thugs, Bruce slips away to his secret compartment to don his Batsuit.  He returns as Batman, driving off Las Ruinas while Bane escapes into the sewers.

In an underground chamber, Bane welcomes Batman as “Mr. Wayne,” revealing his own origins.  He was originally a loyal soldier of the League of Shadows; after the death of Ra’s al-Ghûl, he reformed the remnants of the League into a paramilitary organization dedicated to overt acts of terror against dictatorships, crime families, and political corruption.  He hopes to do the same with Gotham and replace Batman as “the face of justice.”  They fight, but Batman has slowed down and moves too recklessly.  Bane beats him and breaks his back.  He prepares to deliver the finishing blow, but Selina Kyle intervenes and gets Batman to safety.

Act Three: Dark Knight Rising

The next day, Commissioner Gordon leads the police against Las Ruinas and their new recruits from Gotham’s citizens, but he finds that law and order are crumbling.  Even a messenger from the New Gangs offering a “truce” to join forces against Bane proves to be not enough.

Alfred summons John Blake to Wayne Manor, where he is shown into the caverns below.  There he finds Bruce and Selina waiting for him and learns the truth about Batman.  Now crippled and reliant on medical devices provided by Lucius Fox, Bruce can’t carry on the fight, but Blake and Selina might have a chance if they work together.  To that end, Blake needs to train hard and fast if he has a shot at going up against Bane. Over the course of a week, Bruce drills Blake day and night, passing on the same lessons that Ra’s al-Ghûl taught him.

The fight between Bane’s forces and the Gotham City police reaches a tipping point during a vicious confrontation outside City Hall.  Gordon sees it as his last stand and rallies his men to stay true to their oaths to serve and protect.  However, Batman himself appears, striking Bane from out the shadows and getting the upper hand by disabling his mask.  While Bruce has taught Blake to spare Bane’s life, Bane refuses to go quietly.  He attempts to kill Blake, but Selina finishes him off with the Batpod’s guns.

Meanwhile, the last survivors of Las Ruinas attempt to demolish Wayne Tower in a final act of defiance.  The bombs are set to go off and guarded by Bane’s thugs.  While Selina and Blake are on their way, Bruce goes himself despite requiring a specially-designed back brace and cane to move.  He still has enough fight in him to dispatch a few thugs, but loses to the rest.  Only a last-minute rescue by Blake (as Batman) saves his life.  Selina disarms nearly all the bombs, though Wayne Tower is all but ruined.

Days later, Bruce Wayne (while publicly recovering from injuries sustained during Bane’s attacks) announces that Wayne Enterprises will sponsor the reconstruction of Gotham City.  To Alfred’s satisfaction, Bruce has retired as Batman, leaving John Blake to carry on the fight with Selina’s help; Bruce and Selina are also now a couple, having grown beyond a purely professional relationship.  At the end, Bruce meets with Jim Gordon, who thanks him for his help, especially when Bruce tacitly reveals his identity as Batman and the friendship they’ve had all along.

—

While I still enjoy Bane’s performance, Selina Kyle’s banter, and Bruce Wayne’s rehabilitation, there’s a lot more to Dark Knight Rises that keeps me from loving it as much from the first two films.  But it’s still decent and it does a decent job of finishing off the trilogy.  Even so, I hope that future films adapting DC Comics stories will focus a little less on spectacle and a little more on drama–real, honest, and un-contrived drama.

And if you’re interested in other rewrites of this film, feel free to take a look at my Flash Fiction story “The Dark Knight Reborn.”

Today only at Amazon.ca get:

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises) on Blu-Ray for $22.99 OR  on DVD for $17.49

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The train ride from DC to Pittsburg was quite lovely.  Rail travel always makes me think of some bygone era where the elites would ride the rails and everyone else would walk or travel by horse.  The “steel horse” changed modern travel just as the airplane and jet plane did in more modern times. There are still glimmers of the greatness that once was rail travel, but AMTRAK can’t compete with modern air travel in terms of speed or luxuriousness.  If you wish to go slow and steady and to see parts of the country you never have, or never would, rail travel in definitely the way to go.  If you’re trying to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time, and you can afford it, hope that plane.

I quickly realized once aboard the train that I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since the juice I made Sunday morning.  The opportunity to grab a bite at Union Station never came as I was delayed with trying to get Andie on board with me.  Fortunately for me there was a dining car on the train, and I had an unremarkable salad, some white bread and an entrée plate of “roasted/baked” half chicken with yellow and orange carrots, string beans, red bell peppers and a four rice pilaf that included brown and wild rice.  The best thing on that plate was the rice and I eat all of it and the vegetables.  The chicken was pretty dry so I stayed focused on the leg and thigh.  Not the greatest meal I have ever had and far inferior to what is offered on most overseas flights, but for $16.00, I wasn’t complaining.

I left the dining car to return to my seat and decided to watch Les Miserables, which I have had on my iPad for a month now.  I got a warning that they were going to erase it if I didn’t watch it by today.  I have to say, I am no fan of musicals, and I find them incredibly tiresome.  Every time something climactic happens, people breakout into song.  It’s ridiculous.  Nonetheless, since having seen The Dark Knight Rises, I am a fan of Anne Hathaway.  I don’t put much stock in the Oscars or Emmy’s or award shows in general, and couldn’t understand for the life of my what all the fuss was about Anne Hathaway.  Some were praising her others had nothing but contempt.  Anyway, I came at the film with an unbiased and open mind and absolutely, LOVED it.  What a wonderfully sad, heroic and uplifting story.  Anne Hathaway truly deserved that Oscar for her performance.  I rewound that scene near the beginning when she has her solo singing, I Dreamed A Dream.  My, God!  She brought me to tears.  Five times.  I rewound that clip five times and EACH time I was moved to tears.  She put so much feeling, emotion, pain, hurt, shame and passion into it; I couldn’t help but feel it…viscerally.  Yeah, I cried.  Tears streaming and everything, and I LOVE Ann Hathaway.

After all the water works, I had to watch something much lighter and less, emotional.  I watched some fluff of a movie called Erased with Aaron Eckhart.  I’m not going to get into it, but look it up on IMDB if you’re curios.  By the time that movie was down to its last 10 minutes, we had arrived in Pittsburg.  I quickly repacked my phone, iPad, cables, charger, helmet and pedals and got off the train.  I immediately went to the ticket counter and inquired as to where I could retrieve my Andie, er, bicycle the next day.  I was smart enough to book a hotel very close to the train station so that I only had a 5 or 6 minute walk to get there.  Once at the Courtyard Marriot, I asked if I could get the same room for a second night at the same rate.  That rate is, $39.00.  Yeah, you heard me, $39.00.  My buddy Ian Persons came through like a champ and got me the friends and family rate.  Anyway, I also needed a refrigerator for my juices that I packed for the trek and those are currently chilling in the fridge.  I managed to push all my hotels; B&B’s and guesthouse reservations back a day as well as my massage appointment so I am squared away for the trip.

My only concern or rather question was what to do with this extra day in Pittsburg.  I mean, I could sightsee and walkabout, but I wanted to do something truly unique that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do easily on another trip.  I think I figured out JUST what to do.  I’m not going to say much more as I want to give a full report later, but, I thing my design, art and architecture friends will be the most impressed.  I’m going to have breakfast, rent a car, investigate my route to get to the Great Allegheny Passage and then begin my quest to this special location.  I will give another clue, which is, the FLoW of water defines this place.  If you think you can figure it out, please reach out and let me know.

Should have another update in about 6 hours or so.  Stay, tuned.

My Dad is 84 and, over the past few years, has provided more than enough scares to keep the family on its toes and been fitted with the kind of body upgrades that were in the realms of Science Fiction when he was my age. A pair of Titanium hips and a Nuclear-powered pacemaker plus, when he chooses to wear it, a tiny hearing aid that is too fiddly for his sausage-sized fingers to manipulate. The next step on his journey from human to cyborg is improved vision, the replacement of Cataracts with synthetic lenses. I know none of these changes are going to enable him to lift an engine block with one hand but to me it’s bionics. It’s magic. So it is, on this particular Monday morning, I find myself accompanying him to the local hospital for the second of his cataract removal procedures.

Hospitals are no-one’s idea of a fun destination. As Leslie Neilsen’s character quipped they’re big buildings full of sick people. Long corridors and white walls, that smell of disinfectant and hand cleansers every 20 paces. We’re nervous before we enter, we misread the signs, become lost and found until we stumble into the on-site shop. Minutes spent wondering what entertaining gift to buy there can turn into hours worrying in the Costa concession. We fret. We mope. Sometimes it all works out for the best, other times it ends with tea, tears and a plate of stale biscuits. I’ve been there, I don’t really want to go back.

Today is a routine procedure however, nothing to worry about (even for for a glass-half-empty person like me); with one eye already repaired, a new lens in place that ups his vision from “I think I can just about read the third row of that” to “The neighbours across the way, they’ve got new curtains up”, we both know what to expect (as such I’m prepared for a long wait, armed with a paperback in my coat pocket).

The Eye Department is all the way across the other side of the hospital from where we enter but, after several visits for tests and previous post-op check-ups, we know where we’re going. We even know that the Eye Department where we go for the checks and tests is not the Eye Department that does the operations. No, that’s just around the corner, past the vending machine, down the corridor by the other reception. This knowledge is useless when neither Eye Department is open for business. Eye poking doesn’t start until 0800, no entry before then, so our journey is temporarily halted outside some locked double doors.

For obvious reasons security in hospitals is paramount. You don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harold moseying onto a ward pretending to be a Doctor. Whilst most of us have seen enough episodes of ER and Casualty to recognise a dramatic appendicitis at twenty paces there’s no way we’d know a real one if it were to slap us in the face.  Medicine is best left to those fully trained, so if the Eye Department is off limits until 0800 then that’s fine by me. A cough behind us makes us both turn, a nurse skirts through, swipes open the door with one hand and beckons us through with the other. No need for Jedi Mind Tricks or Psychic Paper, if you want to enter into a secure area all you have to do is wait outside long enough.

In short order I present the paperwork at reception whilst my Dad finds a seat, a few moments later I’m sat next to him and, seconds after that, a nurse appears with the first of his pre-op eye drops. Over the 18 months or so since we started making appearances in the Eye Department (the one around the corner I mean, not the one we’re in now) my Dad has had all manner of odd concoctions pipetted into his eyes. Drops that numb. Drops that stain the eye orange. Drops that make the pupil the size of dinner plates. Drops that really bring out the green of the grass.

With the first drops administered the nurse leaves, allowing us to become acquainted with the other folks in the waiting room. A metre away, on the other bank of uncomfortable chairs, sits a middle-aged man sporting the woolly hat from The Two Ronnies‘ Four Candles sketch atop his head. Next to him is a man soon to be identified as his brother, and they introduce themselves to us accordingly. The guy in the woolly hat is called Johnny, the elderly chap next to him is his older brother Larry (obviously these aren’t their real names).

Johnny is here to provide moral support and cups of tea for his brother as required, so he’ll be sitting on the same side of the curtain today as I. He’s ready and armed with a sheath of letters bearing the health authority’s letterhead and a litany of complaints should they try and cancel Larry’s operation again. Again. Larry, I’m informed, has a ‘coma, which caused the operation to be cancelled previously and explains the monologue Johnny delivered to the harried Nurse who just applied his brother’s eye drops.

To be honest I’m fairly certain that Johnny is also here to translate his brother’s mutterings; Larry has a deeper Pompey accent than Johnny, it’s thick and heavy and not helped by a mumbled delivery. I have to strain to understand what he’s saying, until I realise that Johnny immediately translates and repeats everything Larry says. He not only repeats everything his brother says, Johnny repeats everything Johnny says.

It’s only whilst he’s telling us a tale of the golden halcyon days that I fully pick up on his delivery; he doesn’t repeat what he says verbatim, he’s not a scratched record, instead he tells a short burst of story then, almost immediately, repeats it with the words subtly changed or in a different order. Like someone learning another language from cassette, he says a phrase then repeats it as he thinks it should be. Then continues the story a little, then reseeds it. His brother listens, nods, mumbles in the affirmative.

Johnny, Larry and my Dad get on like a house afire and in no time at all are conversing on how things used to be, when a job was for life, when this was all fields, how youngsters don’t know they’re born these days. I try to nod in all the right places but, compared to the three of them, I’m tenuously one of the youngsters who doesn’t know they’re born. Of the four of us I’m easily the youngest, quite possibly even the youngest person in the waiting room (who isn’t employed by the local health authority that is). After ten minutes putting the world to rights, enough time for the eye drops to work their magic, both my Dad and Larry are led off for their procedures, with Johnny again commenting on the Doctors who cancelled the previous outing due to the ‘coma.

The paperback has been resting on my lap the whole time, unopened, but I don’t really want to pick it up. Johnny is in the same boat as me and, despite my usual anti-social tendencies in these situations, he’s entertaining company. Before our respective charges had been led away he’d been in the opening stages of a ripping yarn concerning The Ferrari Phonebox Thief, and with them gone he continues.

Years before, when Johnny was working for the GPO, his job required him to visit all of the phoneboxes in the county to ensure they were up to snuff. This is how he came to know the story, stumbling across the tell-tale signs of the villain’s crimes. Our nemesis prowled the railway stations of towns and villages from Southampton to Waterloo, plundering the famous red boxes for loose change. It had all the hallmarks of an inside job, the phonebox bandit knew just when to strike for maximum return and he had the keys to the cash boxes. As Johnny tells the tale the early start catches up with me, my imagination kicks into overdrive and I start to wonder how the tale will end; the bad guy throwing 10 pence pieces in his wake to impede the Rozzer’s progress perhaps, a full moon in the sky casting a moody light over the denouement. No. Nothing so cinematic. Fate took an interest in the bandit’s efforts.

The score for plundering phoneboxes was enough to keep the thief in a comfortable lifestyle, with a fancy Italian sports car to get him from his hideout to the scene of the crime and back again. Of course he was pulled over for speeding, unrelated to his other nefarious activities, by a policeman who unfortunately recognised him as someone of form from his old beat. Fate smiled. The cogs of justice whirred in the PC’s head, solving the crime. You’re nicked my beauty. It’s a fair cop guv, here’s my trench-coat with a trick pocket sewn into it.

With his story told Johnny apologises for keeping me from reading, insists I pick up the tome and crack on. I respond that it’s OK but, I think, he’s reached his limit and needs some quiet time. The League of Friends wheel their unwieldy trolley into view and announce the availability of tea and biscuits, leading Johnny to lick his lips and stand. I try to read but there’s an unwelcome presence in the room that I’d not picked up upon previously.

On the wall behind me is a flat-screen TV for the benefit of those waiting. Much like Bane tormented Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Rises, by tuning TV in his cell to bad news from Gotham City, the NHS have set their screen to ITV1 and hidden the remote. My position in the waiting room is such that I can’t see the screen but, unfortunately, I can hear the voice. Jeremy Kyle and guests. Oh. Dear.

I look up at the clock. Time has moved on whilst Johnny was talking and the waiting room has filled with those waiting to be seen and those who can now see. Yet while other patients have taken seats there’s no sign of mine. Jeremy Kyle barks social commentary at his guests and I make a concerted effort to return to my book. It’s no use. The fall of Nazi Germany is not enough to block out the shouting and verbal finger-pointing that’s filling the air. The background noise of arguments between returning guests gives way to a family divided by real or imagined infidelity, nudging the words on the page out of my mind as soon as they pass into my brain. Concentrating I just about manage to block out Jeremy and friends, only for his whining voice to be replaced by something infinitely more sad and depressing.

In detuning from Jeremy’s diatribe I’ve instead tuned into a heartbreaking conversation occurring behind me, between a mother and her son, that spins on Johnny’s repetitive speech. A repeated question and answer session, always the same question and always the same answer. She doesn’t know who her son is, or why she’s there. He tells her that they’re waiting and for why. She affirms her knowledge of the procedure, and all goes quiet. A few minutes pass and she queries again where she is and why, with her son calmly replying with the same answer he gave previously. And so it continues. I sit there, with a book in my hands, not wanting to listen, not wanting to intrude on this moment. This depressing situation continues for minutes that feel like they stretch out longer than they actually do.

A familiar voice makes me look up, guided by a nurse my Dad totters into view; he’s wearing a transparent eye-patch, the oldest cyber-pirate in town, and clutching a fresh batch of eye drops that I’ll be tasked with administering for at least the next few days. Already he’s proclaiming the difference the operation has made to his vision, relishing the stack of books at home that he’ll be able to plough through. We leave, bidding Johnny goodbye and good luck, though the decision on whether to turn to see the forgetful Mother and her stoic son is running through my head all the way to the door.

Death, taxes and one side of the curtain.

“The Dark Knight Trilogy,” co-written and directed by masterful filmmaker Christopher Nolan, is a brilliant achievement in comic book films, but also a large step in the development of Transcendentalism through popular culture.

Who would have thought that the Caped Crusader could have valuable ties to a philosophy involving Thoreau and Emerson?

But it’s true.  Not for Batman himself though, but the foes that he butts heads with throughout the trilogy exhibit Transcendental traits that help form the basis for their characters.

In the origin film of the trilogy, Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne/Batman (portrayed by Christian Bale) faces off against a villain named Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), who intends to terrorize Gotham City using a microwave omitter.  Ra’s’ character preaches about restoring balance to the world by ridding of it’s corruption.  This ties into Transcendentalism because Ra’s believes that the source of corruption is society, and that to become whole again as a city of justice, the city must be torn down and rebuilt.  Ra’s thinks that his instincts and decisions are righteous because in his mind, these actions must be committed.  But the fault in Ra’s al Ghul’s master plan is that he believes his actions are right, because others, like Batman, believe that society has corrupted him, and they want to stop him so his corruption does not kill their individuality.

Liam Neeson in Batman Begins

In the thrilling 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, Batman must face his internal struggles as he battles his deadly and chaotic nemisis known as The Joker (portrayed by Heath Ledger.)  The Joker lives in a world built around chaos, and is completely opposed to materialism.  This is where Transcendentalism plays it’s part.  The Joker makes a deal with the mob in the beginning of the film, agreeing to take half of the pay where the job is concerned.  But while he slides down from atop his pile of money, he tells The Chechen that this is his city and burns all of the money, since he strives for chaos, not materialism.  The character of The Joker traces back to the philosophy of Transcendentalism because he believes that money causes people to place artificial and false value on certain objects.

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

Set eight years after the events of it’s predecessor, The Dark Knight Rises stands as an epic conclusion to the trilogy.  After Bruce Wayne/Batman assumes responsibilility for the crimes and death of District Attorney Harvey Dent (portrayed in the previous film by Aaron Eckhart), he lives in hiding as a recluse in the rebuilt Wayne Manor.  Now, with Gotham at it’s most peaceful point in years, the city has turned it’s back on Batman.  But when terror strikes at the heart of Gotham with a more skilled and powerful mastermind known as Bane (Tom Hardy,) Batman must don his cape and his cowl once again to save his city from this monstrous foe.  Bane reveals that his intentions are to fulfill Ra’s al Ghul’s destiny from the first film, and to ultimately destroy Gotham City.  Bane’s intentions relate to Transcendentalism in two ways.  One way, just like Ra’s al Ghul in the first film, shows that he believes that society has corrupted the citizens of Gotham, and that his decisions are righteous in his mind.  The second way, like The Joker in the second film, shows how he despises the materialism in the city of Gotham, and that striving for material gain only corrupts the city and must make the city start over again.  Once again, the fault in Bane’s master plan is believing that what he is doing is right, since Batman fights for the individuality and freedom of the city.

Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises

5. The Hulk vs. Abomination 

Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Say what you will about the movie. Like many, I didn’t enjoy it’s story all that much. However, you simply can’t deny the entertainment value of the climactic, brutal battle that rages throughout Harlem. Both The Hulk and Abomination level their share of buildings, all the while pummeling each other. These two nearly indestructible monsters just go at each other for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, and it’s just brutally fun to watch, especially since the movie’s effects are so good.

4. 300

Movie: 300

Zack Snyder did some pretty absurd stuff with the movie, but, on the whole, the movie is a lot of Spartans and Persians cutting each other down, just like Frank Millar’s graphic novel. Unlike most comic book movies, the scope of this brawl is incredible. The slow motion and music add a lot to the entertainment value, but really, Gerard Butler’s Leonidas is the reason you watch this movie. Along with his fellow Spartans, he just cuts down any and all Persians that stand in his way, in ways that are entertaining, yet disturbingly brutal as well.

3. Iron Man vs. War Machine

Movie: Iron Man 2

Oh man. This brawl is both funny and brutal at the same time. And it’s funny in a really ridiculous way. I mean, Tony Stark and Rhody go at each other with dumbbells, of all things. And after that, they pound on each other with fists of iron. The battle builds fro, that point until the end, in which they both fire their lasers at each other, and create a massive shock wave that destroys a part of Stark’s mansion. It is really, really awesome.

2. Batman vs. Bane (Both Times)

Movie: The Dark Knight Rises

Forget all the quotable lines in these two fights. Both Batman and Bane seem to have some pretty awesome stuff to say while beating each other to a pulp. Of the two times they face off in the movie, I’d have to say I like the first one better, just because of how brutal it is. Both of the combatants just pound on each other. Sure, while Batman’s pummeling him, Bane sort of just stands there. But what he gives to Batman is brutally cool, especially that spinning punch. The second time, the fight is still brutal, but, because Batman has the upper hand, it’s not as cool to watch, because Bane was just far more brutal.

1. Batman vs. Superman

Movie: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2

I don’t think any other battle, even in comics, can even compete with this. Maybe Doomsday vs. Superman, but this brawl at the end of the Dark Knight Returns Part 2 answers the age old question: Could the dark knight take down the man of steel? The answer is a resounding yes, as Batman, in full power armor, beats Superman into the ground with Kryptonite and his fists. And at times, Superman gives as much as he gets, beating Batman down as well. Needless to say, it’s great fun to watch.

Here at Popcornography we feel it is important to teach. Often cinematic wisdom goes unnoticed or overlooked and it makes me sad.

With that said, Popcornography introduces its latest and most enlightening category – The Entirely Arbitrary but Painfully Obvious Life Lessons of Film. It is thus, with great pleasure, that Popcornography presents 15 lessons that may have been overlooked when watching some of these classic  films. I made a list. I love lists. Ahem;

1. Blair Witch Project

Don’t forget the tissues when you go camping. Nobody likes Mr Sniffles. Especially when taking distressed selfies with a camcorder.

2. Lion King

Always be wary of creepy and disfigured relatives.

3. Brokeback Mountain

Always be wary of your husband’s “fishing” buddies.

4. Beauty and the Beast

Rose maintenance can be difficult. Try soil and water.

5. Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Be wary of EXTENDED director’s cuts.  It will feel like YOU are taking the ring to Mordor.

6. Dark Knight

If you want to be taken seriously, remember to enunciate. Muzzled villains repeat after me; “How now brown cow”.

For the full Dark Knight Rises review, click HERE

7. Star Wars

Never be afraid of over-the-top hats. Fabulous.

8. Scream

When indulging in flirtatious phone calls with strangers, remember to lock all doors. Drew forgot.

9. Twilight

Why are you even going to Kristen Stewart movies? Stop that.

10. Inception

This spinning top does not validate your intelligence. Does it fall? Does it continue spinning? No one cares.

11. Kill Bill

It’s rude to interrupt weddings. There will be consequences.

For the review of Kill Bill: Vol 1, click HERE

12. Se7en

Sometimes postal service will let you down. Chin up!

For the full review of se7en, click HERE

13. Dirty Dancing

Avoid painful/unnecessary surgeries. Jennifer Grey learnt this the hard way. Nose jobs put Baby in the corner.

14. Bridget Jone’s Diary

Never be caught in THAT pair of underwear.

15. Titanic

Never trust old people with your valuables.

Photos by Mike G Media

Check out these great photos sent in to us by our Good Friend Marcio who lives in Brazil. In that part of the world they have a Fast Food Restaurant called HABIB’S and right now they have these 6 different figures you can collect promoting THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Film!! There are toys of Batman, Bane, and Catwoman! Actually, it’s 2 different sets of 3 figures each. One set is more realistic looking while the other set is very cute. ( Thanks Marcio! ) I also found the original TV Commercial for these that are airing on Brazilian Television, check it out!

Last night, there was a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas – a small town about twenty miles to the north of Waco.  Hundreds of people were injured, and at least a dozen are dead.  That number will likely increase.  The authorities have been quick to deny any suspicion of the fire having been started deliberately, though of course they are still investigating, but the timing (and the proximity) are extremely troubling.  The Waco siege ended in a bloodbath twenty years ago tomorrow.  This week began with the senseless bombing of the Boston Marathon, proceeded on to ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and a senator, included another bomb threat at the federal courthouse in Boston, resulted in spectacular dysfunction in Congress when it came time to pass the gun control bill – and now this.

It’s all incredibly upsetting, and scary, to feel that the likelihood of your being in the wrong place at the wrong time is increasing every day.  Other people around the world have to deal with that feeling all the time, of course, but we Americans are simply unused to it.  As the “news” of the explosion in Texas came in last night, I felt sheer terror.  I hope it was an accident.  I really, really do.  If it was otherwise, the implications are horrifying.

I found myself thinking of the admittedly not-as-good-as-its-predecessor Batman flick, The Dark Knight Rises (2012). (Hey, I was upset and scared, and it was nearly one in the morning.  Give me a break.) And I am very likely an alarmist, and paranoid, and about half a step away from wearing a tinfoil hat, but I keep thinking of Bane.  As much as I love the Joker, Bane is much scarier, in my opinion.  He has acolytes willing to do anything for him.  He has a meticulously laid out plan to ensure that “the fire rises.” He wants to decimate Gotham, make “the people” think he’s giving it back to them, but really raze it to the ground.  He delights in raising and dashing hopes.  The only thing he likes better than physical torture is psychological torture.

When the film came out, there was quite a bit of hullabaloo about Bane’s post-revolutionary Gotham and its parallels to the Occupy Wall Street movement.  Within the film, there are several references to the French Revolution – including a comparison between Batman and Sydney Carton, of all people.  But the clear predecessor was, at least as far as I’m concerned, the Russian Revolution.  From a society with a huge disparity between the upper and lower classes to a mess of nothing but peasants; from culture to chaos; from promises of a new world order from a suspect revolutionary to the sad reality of no guarantee but death and hardship; from hope to despair; from a justice system with its share of flaws but with some sort of code, at least, to show trials (as Ninotchka says: “there are going to be fewer but better Russians”).  Bane, like the Bolsheviks, succeeded in tearing down absolutely everything that had once stood tall.  And then – darkness.  Decades of darkness, in Russia, but at least a sort of Hollywood ending in Gotham.

Yes, I am an alarmist.  All right.  I’ll admit that.  But do you think that the privileged in Russia, or in France, or in Germany, or in Egypt, ever suspected that their lovely and comfortable world would come crashing down all around them?  Even as the fire rose outside, do you think they ever suspected it would singe them?  I rather doubt it.  Of course I’m in favor of a good rebellion, being a native of Massachusetts with ties right back to the Mayflower and ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, but I worry that the climate has turned deadly and unstable indeed.  Very vaguely, I remember a lesson from one of my high school science classes about equilibrium states.  It’s something to do with thermodynamics, so I’m even more out of my depth than usual here, but it’s the idea that a system is in a state of equilibrium if its conditions are such that it’s not likely to change all of a sudden – if the temperature and pressure are stable, etc.  Every system has its happy little equilibrium state in which it can exist in stability and security.  It seems to me that conditions are changing here in the U.S., so that our little system is straining at the boundaries of its equilibrium state.  It seems to me that someone like Bane – or even someone less clever, less organized, less thoughtful – could come in and do a lot of damage.  And I am, to be blunt, fucking terrified.

Don’t get me wrong, Tim Burton hasn’t been rendered invalid; Michael Keaton is still the first actor to bring a proper Batman to the Silver Screen; and Jack Nicholson‘s Joker stands among the best comic book villains ever. However, blind loyalty to one franchise over another is inane in this comic book fan’s opinion. If you like Burton’s interpretation, I understand perfectly; I do too. But it doesn’t mean you have to absolutely dislike Nolan’s or dedicate whole blogs/articles to sandbagging whichever one you abhor. Respect each view as an evolution of the character, not a detriment.

With that said, I want to focus on the literary and contextual strengths of Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. I don’t think it is necessarily superior but it did pay more attention to detail and did not fill the holes with camp or take too many liberties (with the material). The last line may irk comic book purists but face it: movie portrayals are never going to be exactly what the comic/graphic novel displays; the medium, casting, resources, and artistic vision will always be deciding factors. Now onto the meat of my review…

‘A’ Caliber Casting:

Nolan’s casting decisions were easily a welcome change in how seriously comic book movies should be taken. Each role was given to an Academy Award Winning or Nominated Actor/Actress or otherwise accomplished in their own right; also to those who he had previously worked with, comfort level established. Ultimately, each part was conveyed in a realistic manner, each character was fallible albeit relatable to the audience, even the villains (who weren’t grandiose or flat). In turn, this cast brought us (the audience) into the story without much of a fight. I’m not saying other films have not done this (Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, for example) but not to this degree.

Dark Rises Trilogy mirrors Monomyth:

Any writer or reader who has read Joseph Campbell’s ‘A Hero’s Journey‘ or seen notable 80′s trilogies such as Star Wars or Indiana Jones (Kingdom of The Crystal Skull doesn’t count), has seen its structure and knows its effectiveness.

Here’s the structure: http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00212/monomyth.html

Stage 1: Departure = Batman Begins

Stage 2: Initiation = The Dark Knight

Stage 3: Return = The Dark Knight Rises

These elements made every nuance succinct and purposeful.

Foreshadowing as a cog:

foreshadowing - the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand; the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future)

While I won’t telegraph each line or instance the literary element was utilized, I will indicate its importance. Nolan told his audience plot points and the climax before it even happened and… it still worked!

To be continued…in Part 2

Bye for now, KS.

On Marathon Monday in Boston, I thought back to Bane and his takeover of Gotham during a football game. I wasn’t in Copley Square, but instead in my kitchen about a mile away from downtown. Cryptic text messages from my mom and a friend alerted me to the bombs at the marathon; phone service was down.  My stomach turned with the proximity of the danger, and then again at the sickening familiarity of what has now become a sort of regular occurrence of life in America: unnatural disaster in some form, a shooting, a bombing, a tragedy. Earlier this year, the city was shut down for Nemo, and before that, Sandy. In order to most effectively live in America now, should we cautiously expect random acts of terror much in the same way that we anticipate inclement weather? Bring an umbrella;  get ready to sprint from a crowd?

And within minutes of the news breaking, texts pour in from friends and relatives, close and long-lost, neighboring and the farthest-reaching. Far from the scene but close enough, the events themselves are experienced almost exclusively in digital format: the ever-tactful Huffington Post with their sans-serif shout BOSTON MAYHEM, controversial tweets and well-meaning but ultimately useless hash-tags (#prayforboston: thanks or something).

In my crude search for some semblance of a live feed, I accidentally, regrettably, listened to footage from the first blast. A pop, a beat, then the screams: I’ve seen this one before. We’re so inured to such scenes that it becomes nearly impossible to discern the simulacrum from the original.

Mayor Menino recommended that everyone stay inside for the evening. Never before have I been unable to leave the house for fear of my own safety in the wake of a disaster that doesn’t involve three feet of snow, which is indeed a luxury. From inside the house as the sun set, I listened as the birds chirped almost perversely, and reggaeton returned to the street in the usual passing blurs. Tweets turned back to regularly scheduled selfies and hopefully we can leave the house again tomorrow.

I personally always found reading to be a great way to relax.  With all the work piled onto our shoulders most books are a challenge to pick up.  There are too many words cluttering a page even if it’s a silly young adult book or whatever is your heart’s desire to read.  Besides the fact that I am a comic book fan, I always thought comics were an easy way to blow off some steam.  An easy way to escape the world is to kick back with a comic because they’re action packed, usually have great friendships or romances or are just fun and simple to read.  Therefore, I thought I would share my personal favorite stress reliever titles that help offer me a peace of mind during absolute insanity.

The Incredible Hercules

A lot of people probably had no idea that this was a series.  But I would never pause to consider re-reading all of The Incredible Hercules.  The story takes place after major events involving the Hulk.  One of his little friends, Amadeus Cho, starts to travel across the United States with Hercules only to find themselves in series of adventures (or misadventures).  One of the arcs, Love and War, the characters find themselves involved in some madness in Washington DC.  The lighthearted friendship between Hercules and Amadeus is fantastic.  Their constant jokes in addition to each plot is a great way to forget momentarily that tomorrow is another huge day involving university work.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Captain America 2 recently started filming, and will eventually make its way to Washington DC to film some scenes.  Even if you weren’t a fan of the first one, I have a feeling that the sequel will be better.  The reason why?  It’s based off one of Ed Brubaker’s arcs for Captain America.  If you’ve never picked up a comic about Captain America before then you’ll be fine.  To be honest, I never really read Captain America until I picked up this collection.  Now I always admit that this one is my favorite.  Steve Rogers’s past is starting to haunt him as an assassin starts to make his rounds.  He’s haunted in his sleep and cannot thinking about the moment where his friend, Bucky Barnes died.  The plot involves the typical action of a comic series, spies, nostalgia of WWII flashbacks and every bit is pulled together by a nourish mystery.  Just read it.

Batman: No Man’s Land

If you saw The Dark Knight Rises then you’re already familiar with some of the basic elements of No Man’s Land.  The movie is based off a different Batman arc, Knightfall.  But I honestly believe this series involves a little bit of something for everybody since most Batman characters are involved.  The first issue begins days after a cataclysmic earthquake destroys all of Gotham City.  Some people were able to leave, but the story follows those left behind in the everyday struggle of Gotham.  Already citizens of the city have faced the worst, but what happens when the city knows only chaos without Batman to save them at first?  Even when Batman returns, he’s too late and does not understand the new world that most people live in.  One of my all-time favorite Batman characters is introduced in Volume 2.  Cassandra Cain enters one of the stories, and she eventually becomes my favorite Batgirl.

Secret Six

Are you the type of person who always found the villains more interesting than the heroes?  Then Secret Six is the series for you.  The story follows a group of villains are brought together to handle their own problems in a tough world out there.  Thought heroes had it bad?  Then you have literally no idea how hard it is to be a villain.  Imagine having to live among all those other villains.  The dark humor of the series is wicked and hilarious.  The plots are fascinating as you struggle to understand who is good and bad in a world of superheroes and supervillains.  Back to summer blockbusters, did you see The Dark Knight Rises?  Well, Bane is one of the main members of the Secret Six balancing his endearing and caring side with his vicious mentality.  The series has a strong start with Secret Six: Unhinged, which I would highly recommend to everybody.

Fatale

Just because it’s a comic book doesn’t mean it’s about superheroes.  For horror fans, Ed Burbaker and Sean Phillips’s Fatale series is an interesting piece to pick up.  Both volume 1 and 2 are waiting for you at any comic or book store.  A man visits his father’s funeral only to discover a secret manuscript involving horrific past events he found himself lost in back in the 1950s.  Each issue is addicting featuring excellent work from the writer and illustrator.  The series recently was nominated for a handful of Eisner Awards.

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If my room were a library then I would love to let people barrow my comic book copies.  But it’s not.  The Arlington Public Library has a wonderful graphic novel selection.  They even have several copies of Maus, which is a gorgeous literary masterpiece, but not the best for distressing.  I have plenty of other novel and movie suggestions along with little quirks to help chase away all those anxiety/stress pangs during this wonderful time of the year.

A permanent charity called Aurora Rise is now in place to help those affected by the tragedy get ongoing support. The name has intentional echoes of the title of the Batman film that was playing when the mass shooting happened — “The Dark Knight Rises” — and it’s expected the charity will be popular among comic book and superhero fans.

One of the people behind the effort is Tom Sullivan, is the father of Alex Sullivan, one of the 12 who were killed.

CBS4 spoke with Sullivan on Tuesday at All C’s Collectibles, a comic book store that holds a lot of special memories for him. It’s a place he used to visit with his son.

[worldnow id= 8782990 width=420 height=278 type=video]

“This is where we used to come every week,” Sullivan said.

Jason Farnsworth owns the store and says many of his customers were affected by the tragedy. That’s why he and Sullivan, with the help of some others, decided to form the nonprofit.

“With the theater being six blocks from our store, probably half the patrons in that theater, if not two thirds of them have probably come in in All C’s at some time or another,” Farnsworth said.

Jason Farnsworth (credit: CBS)

Farnsworth and Sullivan hope to help others in the community still suffering. Their mission on the organization’s website describes their mission as follows:

Aurora Rise is an ongoing fundraising campaign to help Aurora shooting victims and their families offset the millions of dollars in medical expenses. We’re here to do everything in our power to provide direct assistance and aid to the victims and their families.

“We have a lot of bad days and to have a good day really means something,” Sullivan said.

The two men say that while Aurora Rise won’t pay for large ticket items, it will help out with things like a bag of groceries, tank of gas or child care.

“Whatever we can do to help you get through tonight, that’s what we’ll do,” Sullivan said.

The charity is also teaming up with comic book artists who are creating sketch covers to auction off at the upcoming Denver Comic Con, which takes place at the end of May.

Sullivan says Aurora Rise is a way to make sure no one is forgotten and a way to keep the comic book world that he and Alex loved alive.

“The things I try to do from here on out is just to make sure that Alex is proud,” he said.

LINK: Aurora Rise

After watching your favorite scenes in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES movie you will probably want this brand-new DC Direct BATMAN VS BANE Statue! This hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue will be packaged in a 4-color box.It measures approximately 16″ tall and was sculpted by Dave Cortes and Paul Harding. Look for it to hit retail stores around November, 2012. It will also have a Suggested Retail Price of $324.95.

DC Comics’ BATMAN AND ROBIN Comic Book Artist, Cameron Stewart, was recently very inspired by Anne Hathaway’s performance as Catwoman in the recent DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie ( who wasn’t? ) and after seeing the film he created this awesome pin-up art! Hey, if you’re a big fan of Cameron’s artwork then check out his website, CLICK HERE!

OK, This is one of those glass cubes you usually see at Truck Stops and Flea Markets where it’s a glass cube with some mysterious 3D artwork that is inside. It always amazes me, “How do they do that?” Apparently they use lasers… it’s a total mystery but a very cool effect. Anyway, around December, 2012, DC Direct will be releasing a special one that features “THE BAT”, Batman’s Flying Vehicle from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie. It’s gonna measure about 4″ high x 4″ wide x 4″ deep and will have a retail price of $29.95.

2013 MTV MOVIE AWARD WINNERS:

Movie of the Year: The Avengers
Male Performance: Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Female Performance: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Breakthrough Performance: Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect
Best Scared as Shit Performance: Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi
Best On Screen Duo: Mark Whalberg & Seth MacFarlane, Ted
Best Shirtless Performance: Taylor Lautner, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2
Best Fight: The Avengers
Best Kiss: Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Best WTF Moment: Django Unchained
Best Villain: Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers
Best Musical Moment: Pitch Perfect

CEO Christopher Dodd announced the tweaks in Las Vegas Tuesday at the annual movie-theater convention, CinemaCon.

The White House has called on the movie industry to give parents better tools to monitor violence in media since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.

Dodd did not address the shooting directly but spoke generally about the need to help parents control what their kids see.

The new ratings system will include descriptions about why a movie received its ratings.

For example, the rating might cite “strong carnage” or “war violence.”

In July of 2012, 12 people were killed in a shooting during a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)