Devon's Top 15 Movies of 2008

Yesterday Random Villain shared his Top 10 of 2008 list with us, and I promised to have mine up today, so here it is. You'll notice it's not really anywhere near the same as his, even though I saw most of the same flicks. Also, I did a Top 15, because I couldn't really fit them all in to 10. There were a lot of good damn movies in 2008! I based my list off really one sole thing, and that was how much the movie entertained me. I judged the entertainment based off of how much I enjoyed the different aspects of the movie. So it's not about direction, or acting, or anything like that, it's just about how much I enjoyed the movie. With each selection I've included the short IMDB summary, and my own thoughts. So here we go:

15. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. Caspian isn't my favorite of C. S. Lewis's books, but it's up there. I definitely think I enjoyed this more than Wardrobe.

14. Jumper.
A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them. I'd say off of the Star Wars movies, this is probably Hayden Christensen's best work, but its the story of the movie that I really enjoyed. Being able to teleport anywhere you wanted is an awesome fantasy. Oh, and Rachel Bilson is smokin.

13. Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Devastated Peter takes a Hawaii vacation in order to deal with recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex ... and she's bringing along her new boyfriend. I saw this movie on a really bad date, so I didn't quite get to enjoy it the first time, but upon seeing it again on DVD I really enjoyed myself. Never mind the over abundance of dick swinging on screen, this movie is really funny and charming. Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis are both gorgeous and this movie serves to showcase it. Peter Segal in his writing debut is very, very funny.

12. Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls. I reviewed this movie back in May, and as I recall I really liked it. It's definitely not my favorite Indy movie, but it was one of my favorites this year.

11. Wanted.
A frustrated office worker learns that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities. What is more awesome than finding out you're the son of the world's greatest assassin, and now that he's dead you have to take up his mantle? Probably the most action packed movie I saw on DVD this year, I know my surround system was about to explode off the walls.

10. Cloverfield.
During a surprise leaving party, the lights go out and the ground begins to shake. With explosions happening everywhere, the party-goers decide to leave the apartment. Accompanied by a hand-held video camera, Hud manages to capture on film the terrifying incidents that occur. The hype leading up to Cloverfield had me captivated, and when the movie came out people were pretty much 50/50 over liking it. I was in the 50% who really did like it.

9. Sex and The City.
Four beautiful female New Yorkers gossip about their sex-lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in 2008. The big screen version of the hit HBO comedy. I was always a fan of the show. No problem saying it. It was funny, sexy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm came on right after it. The movie was actually a lot better than I expected, hence it being on my list. It's funny, and sexy, of course... but it's also a real look at how people cope with what's going on around them.

8. Quantum of Solace.
Seeking revenge for the death of his love, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country's valuable resource. I'll be honest, I just finally this movie like a week ago... but it was damn sure worth the wait. It's not as good as Casino Royale, but it's close. The women are better looking, the explosions are a little bit bigger, and M is a little bit older... but it lacked some of the passion of the first film. The plot's a little weak in parts too, but overall it's better than anything starring that dude from Beautician and the Beast.

7. Funny Games.
Two psychotic young men take a family hostage in their cabin. I chastised RV yesterday for not including this on his list. Easily the most vicious movie I've ever seen. I honestly felt sick at the end of it, and that goes to say something. I've seen a lot of fucked up movies, but something about this one felt so much more real and evil. There's one weird spot towards the end that kinda leaves you scratching your head, but you forget all about it immediately after. Not for the weak at heart, if you ask me.


6. Pineapple Express.
A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder. It's not just the name of some bomb ass weed, it's also a really funny movie. Typical Seth Rogen behavior can be expected, but it's James Franco and Danny McBride that really shine. If you're a fan of the smoke, or just a fan of good buddy movies, this one is for you.

5. Iron Man.
When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil. IM has always been one of my favorite superheroes, because not only is he is BAMF, but Tony Stark is also one of the richest dudes in the world. Stark Tower was always the shit in the comics, when everyone would gather there to discuss taking on villains. I can't wait to see that come up in the next movies.

4. The Incredible Hulk.
Fugitive Dr. Bruce Banner must utilize the genetic accident that transforms him into a giant, rampaging hulk to stop a former soldier that purposely becomes an even more dangerous version. Edward Norton is one my favorite actors and can usually no wrong by me, but it's not even right how awesome he is in this movie. Forget all about Eric Bana and that other Hulk movie, this one is the shit. Featuring like one of the longest CG fight scenes ever, and just a really better version of the story, The Incredible Hulk one of the most incredible movies this year.

3. Mamma Mia.
The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA. I'll probably catch shit for this one, but whatever. I saw the stage show a couple years ago, and it was so awesome, so I was excited to see this movie. I'm a fan of ABBA, I'll admit it. Always have been. Mamma Mia is not just a musical, it's a really funny and charming movie. The singing didn't seem as refined to me in this movie as the stage show, but what can you expect out of Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep? Plus it's one of those movies you can watch with your Mom or your Nana and everyone enjoys it the same.... that's normal, right?

2. Step Brothers.
Two spoiled guys become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get hitched. I had a hard time with this and the number one movie, and really went back and forth on which one would be the top. In fact, on my written version of this list, Step Brother IS number one. This is definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, the funniest movie I have ever seen. No lie. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly were born to make comedy together. You ever laugh so hard that you lose control of the laugh and for a second you get scared that you're gonna run out of breath? Everything goes bright white, and your eyes are squeezed shut so hard? That happened to me THREE TIMES watching this movie. True, I may or may not have been under the influence of the herbal supplements, but irregardless. This movie is non stop hilarious. I've got in on DVD and have already watched it 3 times. It doesn't get old at all! Sonofabitch it makes me wanna slap somebody.

1. The Dark Knight.
Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an anarchist mastermind known only as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits. I wrote probably my longest review ever about this movie back in July. I announced that instantly the 13 year old record Braveheart held as my favorite movie was shattered, and now 5 months later I still feel the same way. The Dark Knight is the greatest cinematic masterpiece I have ever seen. It feels weird to say that about this movies, considering it's about Batman.. but forget all about that. It felt like a classic gangster movie, or it reminded me of Heat. It's the complete package, and was so fortunate to be the last complete role played by Heath Ledger, who will go down as a legend for his portrayal of The Joker. When it came down to it, I argued over whether this or Step Brothers entertained me more, to earn my #1 spot... and when I really think back about it, The Dark Knight left me breathless, and made me feel alive. What other movies really have that ability? I watched it again on DVD last week, and it was just as good as the first time. It makes me want to cheer out or clap for it, sitting in my own home. This is a movie lovers film, but it's also a film for people who like movies. 2009 has really big shoes to fill.

The Dark Knight Returns

No, that is not the title of the next Batman movie, I don't think it is anyway. It is just my clever way of letting everyone know this strange news...

Warner Bros has decided that The Dark Knight needs some Academy Awards. I don't disagree. So Warner Bros will be putting The Dark Knight back into theaters come this January, which is the height of the Academy Awards voting season. I find it kind of strange that yes, I loved the shit out of The Dark Knight like any other human on the planet with half a brain, but why would I go to the theater and fork over 20+ dollars to see it, when I will have already owned The Dark Knight on Blu Ray for almost a month? (It comes out on DVD and Blu Ray December 9th.) But of course, knowing me, and knowing how other people are about this movie. We will all head to the theater with the thought of seeing some other movie in our minds, then saying, aw fuck this let's go see The Dark Knight. Thus the reason I have yet to see Tropic Thunder. Went to the theater, even had Tropic Thunder tickets in hand, then saw The Dark Knight was starting at the same time. Sorry Downey.

The Dark Knight is pretty much unstoppable.

The new Batman movie keeps on making money along at record paces!

The Dark Knight took in an almost unheard of $24 million at the box office in the U.S. on Monday.

Thats' on a Monday!!!!

The film has already made a massive $182.9 million in less than a week of release.

Spider-Man 3 had only $10.2 million on the Monday after it opened and that movie went on to make $336 domestically.

The Dark Knight looks poised to easily make $400 million.

And, with 64% of Dark Knight fans saying they plan to see it AGAIN, the movie could take in upwards of $500 million in America.

Click here to check out my review of The Dark Knight!

I'm going to see it again this weekend!

DEVON'S MOVIE REVIEW: THE DARK KNIGHT

For 13 long years Braveheart has sat atop my list of all-time favorite movies. Last night, at 12:01am, that 13 year old record was shattered, when along with thousands of others I sat down for what I'm sure will be the first of several times and watched 2 hours and 35 minutes of pure brilliance, entitled The Dark Knight.

I'm almost at a loss for words when it comes to describing how actually awe inspiring this film is. Over the last few weeks I've read several reviews from various magazines, i.e. Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, AICN, etc. All of those sites more or less gave the same review. They recommended Heath Ledger for a posthumous Oscar nod, they compared the movie to the Deniro/Pacino classic Heat, and they all bawked at the movie's length, stating that it gets a little slow in the middle and lags. To say I went in to the movie with certain expectations would be a bit of an understatement.

So where do I begin? How about where this film began: Batman Begins. I do enjoy Batman Begins. I enjoyed it when I saw it the first time, but found that when I went to rewatch it, I would often skip the first couple chapters that find Bruce climbing mountains and fighting old dudes on ice rinks. The Dark Knight pretty much picks up where Begins leaves off, but I don't see myself ever skipping any chapters when I rewatch it.

I'll be honest, I'm really at a loss for words for this movie. I don't want to follow suit like all the major movie review outlets. I will agree with them that Heath Ledger would deserve an Oscar. I'll address his performance in a minute. I would agree that the film has the feeling of an intense police drama, reminiscent of a film like Heat, but at the same time it had a very... almost Godfather feeling to it. However, I completely disagree that the movie lags in the middle. Not once did I ever feel bored, restless, or uninterested. I would even go as far as to say I was on the edge of my seat from the word Go. The movie starts off with an awesome, fast paced bank heist, wrought with double-crosses and twists and turns, and it never really strays away from that feeling. There are a few touchy-feely Bruce/Rachel scenes, but they're short and far between, so it's bearable.

Speaking of Rachel Dawes, Maggie Gyllenhaal steps in to the role, replacing Katie Holmes. The role itself isn't all that revolutionary, but Gyllenhaal does a good enough job to help us forget Katie originated the role in the first film. You could say Gyllenhaal brings a slightly more masculine approach to the role. She carries a certain confidence that Holmes lacked as her predecessor, and has no problem standing up to Bruce, The Joker, or her fiance Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart.

I've always been kind of so-so with Aaron Eckhart, but in The Dark Knight he finally showed to me that he can play a character with depth and emotions. In fact, he does it so well that I'm really shocked he hasn't been cast in this sort of role sooner. Harvey Dent is supposed to be the great White Knight (notice the play on words there), the anti-Batman, who will bring Gotham's criminals to their knees. Behind the scenes he needs Batman's help though, and it's that beautiful play on their characters interaction that makes you grow so attached to Dent. Wayne/Batman sees him as his way out of having to hide under a cape and cowl, but The Joker refuses to let Batman step aside while Harvey Dent takes all the credit for his hard work. In Begins, Rachel Dawes told Bruce Wayne "the day that Gotham City didn't need Batman, was the day they could be together" and Bruce sees Harvey Dent as being the only way to reach that day... too bad Harvey wants to marry Rachel.

Christian Bale reprises his role as Gotham City billionaire by day, masked vigilante by night Bruce Wayne. Gone are the days of Bruce's shattered past and angst-ridden decision making. There's nothing "Begins" about The Dark Knight. The movie's centripetal plot is the inner turmoil Bruce must face, as he attempts to catapult his competition for the love of Rachel in to the city's spotlight. He knows he has to do what's right by helping Harvey Dent, but at the same time does it for selfish reasons, thinking it will bring him closer to Dawes. As Batman, he's faced with his biggest challenge ever, in The Joker. Never before has a villain or an obstacle faced been this much of a challenge for Wayne, and as the story unfolds you see him more as a man, than as a superhero. How does Batman react when the entire city he loves is falling to pieces around him? Does he abandon all hope for a normal life, or does he delve deeper in to himself than he ever has before, and become something entirely different and disturbing? It becomes evident that Batman will have to dig in to a deeper side of himself to get the job done, but at what expense?

The man causing Batman all of this turmoil is the film's villain, played to an art form by Heath Ledger, The Joker. I found myself often looking on Ledger's presence in this film with such despair and anxiety, because I was seeing not just a marveling tour de force performance, but I was seeing a great loss to the world of Cinema. Heath Ledger, to me, was always just one of those run of the mill guys. I'll be honest and say none of his performances ever really stood out to me enough that I would've thought the guy could be capable of such depth. I enjoyed some his roles when he was younger, The Patriot, 10 Things I Hate About You, and a couple years ago Lords of Dogtown. However, Heath had never really shown me before that he had this in him.

Everyone knows the stories about how he couldn't sleep at night from performing this role. He had a difficult time with reconnecting to this world, with stepping out of that character, and returning to his own personal innocence. To me, that comes as no shock. I've seen many villains in my day, and it's always kind of been my nature to root for them in my own way... but never before have I witnessed a performance that actually made me loath the character I was watching. Heath Ledger did not just portray The Joker. He revolutionized this character. He took the role to a place only seen in select graphic novels. He turned what had originally been designed as a gag in the early comic books to a place rarely seen on film. Ledger portrays the Joker with such brilliance, that you actually develop feelings of disgust and hatred for this person. Every nuance and idiosyncrasy is played to such perfection, that you would think he was born in to this role. I assure you you will forget all about Jack Nicholson, or anyone else to ever don the purple suit and face paint. This Joker is just as dark and psychotic as he was in the graphic novel, killing without a thought, destroying entire buildings without flinching, and bringing the entire city of Gotham to their knees without ever really getting his hands dirty.

We see The Joker not just as an enemy to Batman, but as an enemy to everyone. No one is safe from his madness, and I think it was there, in that unbelievable darkness that Heath Ledger fell apart. Whether the actor took his own life, or died of an accident may never be known, but coming in to this film, and having now watched it in full, I could honestly see where a person could have trouble coming to terms with the level of evil they had to tap in to, in order to play this role to such magnificence. If Ledger is given a posthumous Oscar nomination, it will be completely deserved. If he were to win it, it would be completely deserved. I simply can not imagine that anyone else would have been as good in this role. The Joker was truly the part Ledger was born to play, and whether or not he died due in some part to having done so, I feel he would not have died in vain. You want to see this film for his performance, if not for anything else. Believe the hype, it IS that good.

Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy all reprise their roles from the previous film. I would say Oldman's character, Lt. Jim Gordon goes through the most change in the film, and Oldman plays the character with such ease it's remarkable. I didn't know if I'd ever love him as a character as much as I loved him as Sirius Black, but as Jim Gordon he reminds us that honest men do still exist in the world. Michael Caine is still wonderful as Alfred Pennyworth, and as I've remarked before I still wish he was my granddad or something. Freeman plays his part, but it's nothing special. He's more of a tool of the story if anything. Murphy doesn't stick around long, as we had more than enough of him in the first film.

As I started to write this review I wasn't sure how I could possibly explain or convey how I felt about this movie. To say it changed my life would not necessarily be an understatement. Films have been known to do that before. It's just that this film is so much more than just another comic book movie. I said yesterday after seeing the trailer for Watchmen that The Dark Knight may not remain the best superhero movie ever, but now in hindsight I could be wrong. The Dark Knight is not only the greatest comic book adaptation done to date, it's one of the best films as well. Forget that it revolves around a caped superhero, and forget that the villain wears the makeup of a clown. Go in to this movie with an open mind, and expect nothing more than to enjoy yourself while watching an expertly done film. Christopher Nolan deserves more props than I've seen him getting in other reviews. He did what many directors have done and failed at. He made a Batman movie that leaves you wanting more.

I think I just might go see it again.

WATCHMEN TRAILER.

Prepare to have your ass handed to you courtesy of a movie trailer.

The Dark Knight is going to be awesome, but by no means do I think it will be more amazing than the live action version of the acclaimed graphic novel, The Watchmen.

Now excuse me, while I pick my jaw back up off the floor.

Oh yeah, click HERE for the link!

The Dark Knight; Taking a look at the Reviews

With the latest film in the Batman saga only 5 days upon us, most if not all of the major entertainment news sources have put out their reviews. Compiled for you here are some of the more prominent ones, spoiler free. Have a look at what everyone is saying about The Dark Knight, and then sound off in the comments to let us know what you expect out of the film.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Verdict: 3 of 4 stars
''Christopher Nolan's film is indeed an epic that will leave you staggering from the theater, stunned by its scope and complexity. It's also, thankfully, a vast improvement over his self-serious origin story, 2005's Batman Begins.'' — Christy Lemire

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Verdict: Positive
''Batman flies around the skyscrapers of Gotham and Hong Kong, rips through any number of villains with his martial arts, tears through streets in his armor-clad, two-wheeled Bat-Pod, and has more tech backup than James Bond. While all modern movie action is visual-effects driven, the stunt work in Dark Knight looks like it's happening on the streets and not in a computer.'' — Kirk Honeycutt

NEWSWEEK
Verdict: Neutral
''There's not a touch of lightness in Bale's taut, angst-ridden superhero, and as the two-and-a-half-hour movie enters its second half, the unvarying intensity and the sometimes confusing action sequences take a toll.'' — David Ansen

ROLLING STONE
Verdict: 3.5 of 4 stars
''I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker. Miles from Jack Nicholson's broadly funny take on the role in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, Ledger takes the role to the shadows, where even what's comic is hardly a relief. — Peter Travers

TIME
Verdict: Positive
''With little humor to break the tension, The Dark Knight is beyond dark. It's as black — and teeming and toxic — as the mind of the Joker. Batman Begins, the 2005 film that launched Nolan's series, was a mere five-finger exercise. This is the full symphony.'' — Richard Corliss

VARIETY
Verdict: Positive
''One of the few action filmmakers who’s capable of satisfying audiences beyond the fanboy set, Nolan honors his serious themes to the end; he bravely closes the story with both Gotham City and the narrative in tatters, making this the rare sequel that genuinely deserves another.'' — Justin Chang

What trailers we can expect with The Dark Knight.

As most of you know, the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, hits theaters on July 18th. That's a little over two weeks away, and as excitement builds, many are speculating and wondering about what trailers we could get before the movie. I for one am much more interested in the movie itself, but once I heard about the trailers they're potentially releasing, I did get a little excited.

First round spec was that the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince would be debuting, but at this time it's looking like that could be held for a release with the newest Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars on August 15th.

What you can expect instead is the trailers for Terminator: Salvation (starring Christian Bale) and the big screen adaptation of Zack Snyder's hugely popular graphic novel, Watchmen. I know I am definitely excited about Watchmen, and as the early buzz surrounding the movie's Mar/2009 release grows, so does my excitement. Also, you can probably expect to see the trailer for the new Ridley Scott film, Body of Lies, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.

You can be sure that when these trailers make their online debuts in the coming weeks, we'll be bringing them to you here. Until then, stay tuned to devonlohan.com for all your Dark Knight updates and news.

Sneak Peek: The First FIVE minutes of The Dark Knight!

Just a quick post for all you Batman / Dark Knight fans.

THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF THE DARK KNIGHT ARE ONLINE.

^Click that link, chuckleheads.... while it's still available.

Trivia: The Dark Knight

Found a couple different resources for interesting trivia about The Dark Knight. Wanted to share with you readers. Some real interesting stuff, to continue on towards the release of The Dark Knight on July 18th. In lieu of reviews and rants about other stuff, you can expect me to focus most of my posts in the next two weeks on my most anticipated movie of 2008. Here's some trivia:

- Before the release of "Batman Begins," screenwriter David S. Goyer wrote a treatment for two sequels introducing the Joker and Harvey Dent who would become Two-Face. Originally, the Joker would scar Dent during his trial in the third film however that event was moved up to the end of this film. Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent's friendship and rivalry Nolan claims to be the "backbone" of this film.

- After much research, his brother and co-writer Jonathan Nolan suggested the character's first two appearances be their influence. Nolan chose not to give the villain an origin story and simplifying the character's chemical-based origin to wearing make-up was a way of not dealing with the character in depth.

- Nolan described the sequel's theme as escalation, continuing how Batman Begins ended, with "things having to get worse before they get better." The director indicated that the film will continue the themes of justice vs. revenge and Bruce Wayne's father issues, but it would also show more of Batman as a detective, as "[they]'re trying to move the story forward."

- For its IMAX release, Nolan had four major action sequences, including the Joker's introduction, shot in the format. Nolan wished he could have shot the entire film in IMAX, as he felt "if you could take an IMAX camera to Mount Everest or outer space, you could use it in a feature movie."

- Goyer cited "Batman: The Long Halloween" as the pre-eminent influence on the storyline.

- This is the first Batman film to not have "Batman" in the title.

- As a joke, one bat suit was made with nipples. It was presented to Christian Bale as the real bat suit, but he knew instantly it was a joke, having seen a few design pictures during preproduction. He did pose for some publicity photos in the "nipple" suit.

- In October 2007 in London at the defunct Battersea Power Station, a rigged 200-foot fireball was filmed. The fireball prompted calls from local residents who feared a terrorist attack on the station.

- While filming on the streets of Chicago in April 2007, the filming was carried out under the fake movie title "Rory's First Kiss". Flyers regarding the filming carried this fake title, complete with a fake "RFK" logo for the movie and an address for the film's production offices.

- The Joker's clown make-up is minimal and made up of three pieces of stamped silicone which only took an hour to apply. In the film, the Joker is merely exaggerating his facial scarring; he never removes his make-up. During the course of the film it worsens, resembling an infection.

- Designers improved on the design of the Batsuit, adding wide elastic banding to help bind the costume to Christian Bale, and suggestive of sophisticated technology. The redesign consisted of 200 individual pieces of rubber, fiberglass, metallic mesh, and nylon was done to make Bale feel more comfortable and more agile in his performance, though the suit was still hot to wear.

- The new cowl was modeled after a motorcycle helmet and separated from the neck piece, allowing Bale to turn and/or nod his head. The cowl is equipped to show white lenses over the eyes when the character turns on his sonar detection. The gauntlets had their razors made retractable and able to be fired.

- The Batpod is a recreation of the Batcycle. Nathan Crowley, who designed the Tumbler for Batman Begins, designed six models for use. The Batpod is steered by shoulder instead of hand, and the rider's arms are protected by sleeve-like shields. The bike has 20-inch tires, and made to appear as if it is armed with grappling hooks, cannons, and machine guns. The engines are located in the wheel hubs.

- Filming took place in Hong Kong from November 6th-11th 2007 at the Central Mid-Levels escalators, Queen's Road and The Center. The shoot hired helicopters and C-130 aircraft, and a stunt where Batman jumps off a skyscraper was filmed at the International Finance Centre.

- The first six minutes of the film premiered before selected IMAX screenings of "I Am Legend" released on December 14th 2007. The preview ends with a montage of scenes from the film, many of which were shown in the theatrical trailer released concurrently in front of regular cinema screenings of 'Legend.'

- "Batman: Gotham Knight", a direct-to-DVD anime will be released early July 2008. It's set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, featuring six original stories. Each segment has its own artistic style ala "The Animatrix".

- Katie Holmes chose not to reprise her role as Rachel Dawes due to 'scheduling conflicts'. Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt were initially rumored to replace her, but Maggie Gyllenhaal ultimately won the role.

- The Penguin was rumored to be in the movie in the form of a Russian or British arms dealer and both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bob Hoskins were mentioned as candidates. Nolan later stated he had no intention of using the Penguin, claiming him to be too far-fetched a character.

- Hugh Jackman, Ryan Phillippe, Liev Schreiber, and Josh Lucas expressed interest in the role of District Attorney Harvey Dent.

- Robin Williams, Lachy Hulme, Paul Bettany, and Adrien Brody all expressed interest for the role of the Joker before Heath Ledger was cast. Sean Penn was the first choice.

Continuing Batman Week: A New Dark Knight Poster.

The Dark Knight's viral marketing campaign crew released this new poster today, to further excite fans for the July 18th release of Batman: The Dark Knight. Words can't really describe the sheer awesomeness of this poster. Click it for a bigger look.

Another new Dark Knight Trailer.

Thanks to some exclusive online video content provided by Dominoes Pizza, we have yet another Batman: The Dark Knight trailer. This one contains the most footage I've seen yet, and runs a bit longer than the rest. Be warned though, I'd say it does contain a few spoilers.

Movie News Catch-Up! GI Joe Rise Of Cobra?! Revenge Of The Fallen?! The Love Guru Sucks!

Here is the latest happenings in the movie world since I've been gone...

Transformers 2 no longer 2, it will now just be called "Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen." But we will still just call it Transformers 2. And when we go to the theater and ask for tickets, we will just say, Transformers. Subtitles are stupid.

Speaking of subtitles and stupid. Stephen Sommers latest attempt to destroy my childhood, GI Joe, will now be called, GI Joe: Rise Of Cobra. And yea, it will still just be called GI Joe by all of us.

Spiderman 4 will be headed our way May 2011. No word on who if any of the original cast will return, I highly doubt it and personally I am fine with that since Spiderman 3 was such a huge pile of shit they can all go rot in hell. And Sam Raimi needs to stop fucking around and go make Evil Dead 4 already.

The Love Guru bombed. Thank fucking GOD. I was so worried that it would be number one and make shit loads of money. Get Smart was rightfully the #1 movie this weekend. There is hope for the human race after all.

Hostel 3 is headed our way. But this time Eli Roth will not be writing or directing it. I guess that means this Hostel movie will actually be good unlike the last two. ZING!

Terminator 4 teaser trailer will be with The Dark Knight. I am still very UGH about Terminator 4, but it has Christian Bale in it and the man has yet to do me wrong. McG on the other hand, has done nothing but. We will see.

Oh and in case you didn't know, or care, a sequel to Donnie Darko is on the way, called S. Darko. Richard Kelly is not involved, which, to borrow an early joke, probably means this Darko movie will be good. Sorry but Donnie Darko is the most overrated movie of all time.

That is all for now.

Heath Ledger Joker Action Figures are Flying Off The Shelves!

Were you looking to buy Heath Ledger Joker figures at your local toy store? It turns out The Dark Night Heath Ledger action figures may be hard to find. The Dark Knight hasn't even hit theatres yet, but the fact that we know going in that this will unfortunately be Heath Ledger's only appearance as the Joker has sparked a huge interest in his newly released action figures. We've got a few reports that the figures are nowhere to be found in various big cities across the country, and they're obviously already being looked at as major collectors items. We're not sure how widespread the production of the Ledger Joker figures will be, but if they keep selling so fast, they may be really hard to find once the Dark Knight has run it's course in theatres. This is a winning situation either way, as the Dark Knight will be a bad ass movie regardless, and the Joker is always an awesome character to see in the movies, so a Joker figure is already cool to begin with, but now the hunt is on for Heath Ledger Joker figures that are going to be nearly impossible to find by the sounds of things. One of our friends said he was able to buy Heath ledger Joker figures over at Best Selling Toys, who claim they are keeping up with available Heath Ledger Joker Figures, so check them out there if your unable to find this figure from the Dark Knight in stores.

Is anyone out there finding any actual stores where you can buy the Heath Ledger Jokers? Let us know!

Thanks Heath. No Joker for Batman 3. Thats right, I said BATMAN 3!!!!!!!!!

So here is the word about Batman 3.

The Joker was originally supposed to be back in Batman 3. Somehow, someway. But due to Heath clocking out early this year, things went into a tailspin. And Warner Bros had to come up with something. And that something is The Joker has now been written out of Batman 3. Heath was due to return as The Joker, but Warner Bros decided writing The Joker out completely is a much better idea than recasting him. And I agree fully. Which means there will just be even more Two Face. And much like how The Dark Knight is based off the graphic novel The Long Halloween. The third Batman will be based off of Dark Victory. Which..... introduces Robin. So the Boy Wonder may appear in Batman 3. Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale said they would both be back for a third movie but ONLY, a third movie. After that they are putting their Batman Trilogy to rest.

New The Dark Knight Poster!

Woo look at that! I bet The Joker did that to that building, and that means the Joker and Batman are gonna fight! And they'll throw down highlander style! And fix the shit in Gotham and quit hurting Harvey Dents political party! Yeah I dunno, just look at the damn poster and get pissed that this movie is still 3 months away. But, we should be getting a new trailer for it in the coming days......

Christian Bale.... Is John Connor?!?!?!

Well, this has taken a turn for the HOLY SHIT. I have been really pissed that McG is directing the new Terminator movie, cause he sucks. Charlies Angels is fucking ass. But holy crap..... Christian Bale as grown up John Connor? I am all fucking over this movie now.

For those who knows, Christian Bale never does shit movies. He takes his work seriously and doesn't fuck around. So maybe there is something to this Terminator script that we don't know yet. Either way, Like T2 and T3, I will be there opening weekend summer of 09 for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins!

So what exactly is the plot of The Dark Knight? Spoilers!?

If you head on over to the teaser site for The Joker, whysoserious.com you will see a flash image of a pumpkin. Now many so far have been thinking its simple because its Halloween time... well not many know but the "sequel" of sorta to Batman: Year One, which Batman Begins was based on, is called The Long Halloween. Which the cover for looks like this.See the pumpkin on the cover? Yep. The Dark Knight will be a film version of The Long Halloween, although I doubt it will be DIRECT from this comic, since this comic series features damn near every baddie from Batman. So since I am lazy and don't wanna type up exactly what goes down in this series, I found it all on wikipedia. Beware as there might be spoilers ahead. Dont worry Ill let you know when you are headed into spoiler territory.

The Plot: The Long Halloween is heavily influenced by film noir and films such as The Godfather. The series continues the story of Carmine Falcone introduced in Frank Miller's Batman: Year One / Batman Begins. Set early in Batman's career a few months after the events of Year One, the story revolves around the gradual transition of Batman's rogues' gallery from simple mob goons to full-fledged supervillains. It is also the origin of Two-Face, adding along to the story in Batman: Annual 14. It follows the events in a few months following Year One and examines an entire year of Batman's career as a crime fighter, so it could be considered a "Year One"/"Year Two", in some form. This story has been accepted into continuity after Zero Hour erased the events of Batman: Year Two from the canon. The plot follows Batman's struggle to find a mysterious killer, while Harvey Dent's and Jim Gordon's marriages are strained during the process. As the story unfolds, Carmine Falcone hires "freaks" (Poison Ivy, the Riddler, the Scarecrow, and the Mad Hatter) in an attempt to stop the Batman and restore power back to the family, only to discover that the freaks are more powerful than he expected.

The Story/Spoilers: As Batman, Captain Jim Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent collaborate to legally bring down Carmine Falcone, a series of mob-related murders begins. The mystery villain (eventually nicknamed Holiday) is killing mafia members affiliated with Falcone on holidays, leaving behind related tokens as a calling card, as well as the murder weapon: a .22 caliber pistol with a baby bottle nipple for a silencer.

Valid clues are few and far between, as the killings appear to be the work of a professional. Batman and Gordon turn to another holiday-themed criminal, the incarcerated Calendar Man, for insight. The evidence and rumors eventually pile up against Harvey Dent himself, who faces mounting stress at home with his troubled wife Gilda, and in his professional life. Gilda just wants to settle down and have a child with him, but Harvey is determined to solve the mystery of the Holiday Killer before taking a rest. At the same time, Bruce Wayne attempts to have a relationship with Selina Kyle, whom he does not yet realize is also the anti-hero/thief Catwoman. His own dual identity, which he finds hard to balance between the two, is a major obstacle to any kind of romantic happiness with her.

Carmine Falcone, aware that his empire is no longer as untouchable as it once was, begins employing supervillains (referred to by nearly every other character as 'freaks') in his war against Batman. Poison Ivy is hired at one point to sway Bruce Wayne into green-lighting Falcone's attempt to launder money through the First Bank of Gotham; a move that Wayne was firmly against. The Riddler is asked to find the identity of Holiday, and Falcone also hires Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter to rob the City Depository.

As the Holiday killings continue; outrage grows on the parts of our heroes, the mafia, even the Joker who resents sharing the limelight. Falcone is devastated when his own son, the estranged Harvard-educated Alberto, is murdered on New Year's Eve and his body is lost in Gotham River. Harvey faces suspicion from all sides as the lead suspect in the Holiday murders. He continues mounting an offense on the Roman. Sal Maroni, a major competitor of Falcone's criminal empire, agrees to testify against Falcone in exchange for leniency. Vernon Field, Dent's bookish, nerdy assistant, is bribed by Maroni's men and agrees to deliver something to Maroni in court. Maroni's day in court arrives (on Falcone's birthday), and he splashes Vernon's acid in Dent's face. Dent's face is ruined, and his mind cracks in two. Later that night, Dent escapes from the hospital into the sewers, where he befriends Solomon Grundy.

While in police custody, Maroni is murdered by Alberto Falcone, as he is transported to another holding cell. Alberto reveals himself to be Holiday; he faked his own death and had been working on his father's behalf ever since. Batman is already present, disguised as a SWAT officer, and beats Alberto within an inch of his life before Gordon arrests the Holiday killer. In custody, Alberto reveals his motives for the murders; his birthday was Valentine's Day, and his father was always too busy to spend time with him. The Holiday murders were Alberto's way of 'making time' for his father and to gain acceptance into the family. Before the end of the series, Alberto is sentenced to the gas chamber. Unused pages seen in the TPB of The Long Halloween show Alberto in Arkham asylum, having been deemed insane by the courts, but these pages weren't used due to space constraints. They were instead shown in the follow-up sequel: Batman: Dark Victory

In the Halloween climax, Falcone is accosted in his home by the entire Rogues Gallery of villains, including the Joker, Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, the Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, and the Penguin (making his first and only appearance in The Long Halloween). The group is led by none other than Two-Face, formerly Harvey Dent. Batman arrives on the scene and dispatches all but Catwoman and Two-Face. Harvey murders Falcone, Holiday-style, in front of his mobster daughter Sofia Falcone Gigante. She is enraged and attempts to attack, but gets tangled up with Catwoman and ends up throwing Catwoman and herself out a window. Catwoman survives unscratched, but Sofia is not so lucky (she returns in Batman: Dark Victory and figures prominently).

Two-Face surrenders, having done what he intended to do (he killed Vernon in revenge earlier that same night). Before being sent to Arkham, he cryptically tells Gordon and Batman that there were two Holiday Killers. They infer that he meant himself, having killed Falcone on Halloween. Batman and Gordon accept that their friendship has changed, but they still have work to do. In the coda, Gilda Dent is planning to leave Gotham City forever. In the final revelation of the series, she explains to an unpresent Harvey that she was the first Holiday Killer. She also explains her reasons for becoming the Holiday Killer - she wanted to free Gotham City of its criminal menaces, so that her dedicated husband could spend more time with his family. She also theorizes that Harvey himself took the same path for similar reasons. She used his files as District Attorney to learn what she needed to know, and was unaccounted for at the time of the murders. When Alberto faked his own death on New Year's Eve, she simply let him take over and had nothing further to do with it. She disposes of the incriminating trenchcoat, fedora, and last .22 pistol by throwing them into the furnace.

Closing Thoughts: Obviously they're not having all these villains in The Dark Knight, my guess is just The Joker, Scarecrow, and Harley Quinn will be involved. Unless they kept things seriously under wraps. Either way, this movie is going to kick major fuckin ass.

Breaking: Technician dies on the set of Batman: The Dark Knight

Filming took a tragic turn on the set of The Dark Knight in the UK on Tuesday when a special effects technician died after a horrible accident.

A special effects technician on the new Batman movie has been killed after a 4×4 truck hit a tree.

The man died when the vehicle, which was carrying a camera platform, crashed on a test run while following a stunt vehicle, which is thought to have been the Batmobile.

A spokesperson for the film released the following statement:

“The entire cast and crew of The Dark Knight are deeply saddened by this tragedy and their hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased.”

I give you......The Joker! And The Dark Knight Teaser!

So all the fan fuck boys goin ape shit over shitty far away fuzy pics can now ograsm on their hands...... Here is the first official clear as day still from The Dark Knight featuring, The Joker getting ready to slice poor Maggies neck wide open.

As for the teaser trailer, well its out there in the world, only problem is its kind of a bitch to get too since everyone on the planet is invading it, so if you wanna give it a shot, you may find the teaser

Right Here!

Oh and if its a bitch to get to the site from there, right click, save as, enjoy. Or go HERE. And see that weird little box on the right thats flashin and shit next to the word HANDED? Click it.


Wanna see this pic bigger? Then click to enlarge!

Buffy to turn into Harley!

We have learned that the very hot and lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar will be dropping the Buffy suit and slipping into hotness.



She has been rumored to star as Harley Quinn, The Jokers right hand hot babe who goes gaga for Mr. J. Now even if this is only a rumor is fine by me. As just the fact that Harley Quinn will be in the next Batman movie kicks major ass, for Harley Quinn is very hot.



Anywho....

Catch Batman (Christian Bale) taking on The Joker (Heath Ledger) and Harley (Sarah Michelle Gellar?) and Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) next summer in The Dark Knight. And for those that are stupid, The Dark Knight = Batman Beings 2. Sheesh. And yes there will be people out there saying "Dude wtf is The Dark Knight?"