well, i REALLY look forward to the next batman movie... not sure about Dark Knight though...
I posted this at the Extralife forum and I will here too.
Somebody already photoshopped a pic of Ledger and made him the Joker. I must say if the makeup is as good....He will make a gooooood, creeepy Joker
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m197/Westrnphlyr/DeFett-Joker-1.jpg)
Wait, the first Batman movie was about the joker, how is this gonna work?! I'm so confused.
check out this website... it's a promo site for the new movie.. if you wait a few seconds the picture changes and it shows you a picture of Heath Ledger in his Joker make up... it's very creepy.
http://www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com/
Wicked......definitely looks like they are going for the "lunatic" aspect of the JOker....which is a VERY GOOD thing. I always enjoyed the comics in which the Joker was portrayed as a complete and utter homicidal psychopath.
He does look very creepy, and not in a comic book way either.
oooooo creeeepy!
Looks like he put his lipstick on during and earthquake.
:phone
Hmmmm the page is down . . maybe to many people accessing it.
I did manage to find a picture of it.. so here he is.
Here is the explanation for the website.. it's all part of the plan.
The Joker Will See You in December!
The new image of Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight has now been removed from IBelieveinHarveyDentToo.com. It's been replaced with red text that gives the error, "Page not found." If you highlight the entire page, however, you'll see a ton of Ha Ha Ha's with some letters here and there that don't belong. String those letters together and what do you get? - "See you in December."
We assume you'll get a first look at The Joker in a trailer for the sequel at that time. Warner Bros. has both Nicole Kidman's The Golden Compass and Will Smith's I Am Legend opening in December, to which the teaser could be attached to.
So who is behind all this? It looks to be 42 Entertainment, the company which previously created the "I Love Bees" promotion for "Halo 2" and "Year Zero" for the Nine Inch Nails album "Year Zero." The company just registered SeeYouinDecember.com yesterday, so stay tuned.
In the next Batman film “The Dark Knight,†the capped crusader will get to tool around on some sporty new wheels thanks to his Batcycle dubbed the “Batpod!†Kudos to the LA Times, here’s your first-look at Batman’s mini-chopper.
The new Batsuit. I like it....
Quote from: Riskygodfather on August 10, 2006, 07:52:24 PM
Wait, the first Batman movie was about the joker, how is this gonna work?! I'm so confused.
There are currently two
Batman movie continuities.
BATMAN CONTINUITY #11989: Batman
1992: Batman Returns
1995: Batman Forever
1997: Batman & Robin
BATMAN CONTINUITY #22005: Batman Begins
2008: The Dark Knight
Batman Begins is the start of a separate
Batman film series, so
The Dark Knight's Joker story is not connected to the 1989
Batman movie.
You can see a Hi Res version of the above picture of Batman's new suit without all the text... it looks awesome.
http://www.comingsoon.net/images/batmannewsuit.jpg
I will reserve final judgement until after I see the movie but a first impression for me....I don't like the suit. It seems a bit too industrial-ish or a bit too......I dunno......HALO-ish....does that make any sense. It looks like something out of a futuristic first-person shooter.
All that said, I do like the fact that he will be able to turn his head....finally....only took them 23 years. ;D
We'll see I guess.
Here are some new posters for the Dark Knight.
One more.
Saw the new trailer with "I Am Legend" today. Looks very, very good. This movie looks to top even "Batman Begins." I'm very impressed by what I have seen so far. And as a long time Batman comic fan that is saying a lot.
I agree, I thought the trailer was way cool. The joker was really creepy. Nice.
Wow, Joker does look creepy even in that "bad" picture of him. I'm looking forward to this movie. I loved the first one a lot.
King Linksr
have you seen this? How does it look?
http://www.atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm
Oh, shoot! I made a new posting for the Dark Night trailor and didn't see this one. I did look before posting I just missed this one.
Wow.. that looks pretty good
Official Trailer is up now in a variety of formats....
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=15813
Looks pretty cool. The new Joker is going to take some getting used to, but the movie looks like it is going to kick butt!!!
Now this is looking really good. Cannot wait for it and It's the film I'm looking forward to the most.
http://www.atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm
Sorry for posting again. I also looked but couldn't find it. Oppps.
I have always been a bigger fan of the "psychopathic" Joker and this looks to be what Heath Ledger and everyone was going for. The first time I heard him do the laugh it sent chills up my spine. I cannot wait!
I really get the feeling that Ledger will surprise me like Daniel Craig did when he put in his Bond performance. I remember critics saying that Craig did not have what it takes to play Bond, but he put in a stunning performance. My first thought on Ledger playing The Joker was "Oh, Heath Bloody Ledger???" I hope he can equal Craig. :bond
Harvey Dent is the Backbone of Dark Knight
Source: Los Angeles Times
January 15, 2008
The Los Angeles Times talked to The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan, who says that "Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is a tragic figure, and his story is the backbone of this film."
The Batman Begins helmer also mentioned that The Joker, played by Heather Ledger, "sort of cuts through the film -- he's got no story arc, he's just a force of nature tearing through. Heath has given an amazing performance in the role, it's really extraordinary."
He added that you shouldn't expect a lot of laughs. "It's a dark and complex story and the villains are dark and complex as well."
The Dark Knight opens in theaters on July 18.
Harvey Dent; that's Two-Face, right? Looks like they are already setting up Batman Begins III! ;D
In case you guys haven't heard, Heath Ledger has died.
Does anyone know if his part the film was finished?
We have an entire thread on this topic.. check it out.
Quote from: space_invader64 on January 22, 2008, 07:03:33 PM
In case you guys haven't heard, Heath Ledger has died.
Does anyone know if his part the film was finished?
They filmed this movie quite some time ago. Mainly last summer.
Here are some new photos...
Some new photos
here are some more pictures of the upcoming movie.
Batman Begins was awesome and this movie looks awesome but I still have the same complaint with the movies that I have had since 1984....Batman still looks too....mechanical, I guess would the word. Now I realize that this time around there is the explanation as far as the suit development and Lucius Fox etc but to me.....still to mechanical....Batman wears a cowl, not a helmet. Anyway just the Batman nerdy fanboy in me comin out. I cannot wait to see this movie ....pretty soon now.
New "Dark Knight" Official Synopsis
By Garth FranklinSunday, April 6th 2008 12:50am
Warner Bros has released a new official plot synopsis for "The Dark Knight", here it is below:
The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan with star Christian Bale, who returns to continue Batman's war on crime.
With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good.
The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.
Interesting
Test audiences don't like one Dark Knight scene
Preview screenings of the much-anticipated Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight are underway according to sources ContactMedia.com. The film is winning rave reviews from test audiences except for one scene.
In the movie, Heath Ledger's character of the Joker is seen alive in a body bag as part of a nefarious plot. Audiences have reacted negatively to the scene given Ledger's death earlier this year.
The response has been so overwhelming that Warner Brothers is considering cutting the scene from the final film when it debuts in July.
Few details on how the scene impacts the narrative of the film are available.
Other than the one scene, it's reported that test audiences are responding well to the film and in particular to Ledger's much-anticipated performance as the Joker.
The Dark Knight opens later this year in theaters and on IMAX screens.
Rumors, Rumors and more Rumors...
Ledger's Knight Scene Intact?
Moviehole.net reported a rumor that Warner Brothers won't be cutting a scene from its upcoming Batman sequel The Dark Knight featuring the late Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Earlier, Cinema Blend reported its own rumor that viewers in test screenings reacted negatively to the scene, in which Ledger's Joker character pretends to be dead and is pictured in a body bag. Executives reportedly considered excising the scene altogether.
But Moviehole reported that the scene is intact. Citing an anonymous source, the site said that nothing of Ledger's performance will be cut from the movie, including the body-bag scene.
Ledger died Jan. 22 in New York from an accidental overdose of painkillers, anti-anxiety pills and sleeping pills.
The Dark Knight, which features one of Ledger's final film performances, opens on July 18.
Good, I am glad to hear that. I can't see cutting a scene from a movie because it made some people feel a bit "uncomfortable". I don't like the new "captivity/torture" genre of movies but I wouldn't want people to miss out on them because I don't like them.
I'm glad they havn't messed with it. Keep a film as it is meant to be.
Meanwhile, The Dark Knight is reported to have an initial running time of close to three hours. However, it's unlikely the film will be cut down much despite Warner Brothers desire for a running time of closer to 150 minutes.
The Dark Knight's longer running time isn't expected to create much of an issue. Batman Begins ran 140 minutes. And initial reports from screenings indicate that director Christopher Nolan has created a cut that justifies the longer running time.
Nice!!! Lots of Batman-y goodness. I have NEVER minded a really long movie as longs as the the story is good enough to warrant it.
check out the new Batman Poster.. pretty cool..
Check out the new Batman Trailer.. it's a bootleg copy so check it out soon before it's removed.
http://www.rfjason.com/article/dark_knight_trailer_2
Here's another poster. Very cool and clever.... :batman :joker
Dark Knight may top Spiderman 3 with 6am show.
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Just call him the Crack of Dawn Knight.
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Movie theaters are adding 6 a.m. opening-day showings of The Dark Knight to meet demand created by sold-out midnight and 3 a.m. screenings.
"It's normal for movies like to this start at midnight," says Chad Hartigan, a box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co.
But 6 a.m. screenings?
"That's not normal," Hartigan says.
There are no hard numbers for how many theaters will stay open as the witching hour turns to the rise-and-shine hour at 6 a.m. on July 18, when The Dark Knight debuts. Overall, Hartigan says he expects the movie to play at 3,800-3,900 theaters during its opening weekend.
According to Ted Hong, vice president of marketing for the online ticket service Fandango, the unusual 6 a.m. show times are indicators of unusually strong interest.
"The Dark Knight is our fastest selling film in wide release this year," Hong says. "It trumps Iron Man, Sex and the City, Indiana Jones [and] WALL-E at the same point in their sales cycles—and it's even outpacing last year's Spider-Man 3 and Pirates [of the Caribbean: At World's End]."
Per Fandango, The Dark Knight will bow dark and extremely early in midnight showings on more than 1,500 screens. (Fandango and E! Online are both owned by Comcast.)
The service says "many" of those 12 a.m. screenings are sold out in cities both expected (New York, the model for Batman's troubled Gotham City) and not (Boise, Idaho; Council Bluffs, Iowa; etc.). MovieTickets.com, another online ticketing service, reported a total of 140 Dark Knight sell-outs as of today.
In a summer led by the $311 million-grossing Iron Man, The Dark Knight has been regarded as the blockbuster to beat. A sequel to Christopher Nolan's hit franchise reboot, Batman Begins, the new movie is receiving ecstatic early reviews—Variety called it "enthralling"—and Oscar buzz for the late Heath Ledger for his performance as the seriously unhinged Joker.
As early as two weeks ago, three weeks before the July 18 debut, Fandango was reporting "dozens" of premiere-night sell-outs. As of 10 a.m. this morning, still a good eight days before B-Day, The Dark Knight was accounting for 51 percent of all tickets sold by the service. At MovieTickets.com, the film was doing more business than six of that company's Top 10 all-time hits, including The Passion of the Christ and the second Star Wars prequel, Attack of the Clones.
Says Hong: "All indicators point to [next Thursday] as a very busy night at theaters across the country."
Rick, whaddya up to Friday morning ?? :D
Our local TV movie critic Gary Cogill has seen a prescreening of this film. He says that Dark Knight is one of the best films he has ever seen. It's certainly the best of it's genre. Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker is the best villain on film ever. He equates it to movie going experiences he has had like the first time he saw Star Wars, Raider of the Lost Ark, Lawrence of Arabia. I respect Gary's opinion on movies in general and if he says Dark Knight is one of the best films ever made I believe him. I was on the fence about seeing this but I can't wait to see it now.
Kevin
All these great reviews.. this movie is going to have a lot to live up too...
Can't wait to see this, wish it would come to theaters this week.
King
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on July 16, 2008, 04:41:30 PM
All these great reviews.. this movie is going to have a lot to live up too...
Kenny,
Gary said that he went into the film with extremely high expectations and was blown away. The movie far surpassed what he had hoped.
Kevin
Midnight stampede to 'The Dark Knight' sets record
By RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer 12 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - Nothing dark about Batman's first night at the box office.
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"The Dark Knight" lit up cash registers during its midnight debut, stealing away with a record $18.5 million from 3,040 theaters, distributor Warner Bros. said Friday.
That bested the 2005 performance of "Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith," which took in $16.9 million during its midnight debut in 2,915 venues.
"The Dark Knight" figure did not include any of its 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. showings.
And while Batman only strikes at night, all indications are that "The Dark Knight" will keep landing blows: Advance ticket sales were booming.
The early numbers mean "The Dark Knight" will likely join the ranks of 10 other films that debuted on non-holiday weekends and cleared more than $100 million from Friday to Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC.
"There is an unbelievable demand for this movie," he said. "The Heath Ledger factor is a major part of this. Beyond that, the movie is so good, it's worthy of all these accolades."
The movie directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman cost $185 million to make, excluding money spent marketing, Fellman said.
Critics have heaped praise on the movie — especially the late Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker, which has already generated whispers of a posthumous Oscar nomination.
"We're very proud of the film," said Dan Fellman, Warner's head of distribution. "It's the magic of the movie business, how one film just stands out above the others."
Wow, although it isn't the top movie I've seen this year, (Pixar's Wall-E), This movie is TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME. Depth and storyline, drama, it was just absolutely GREAT. I cannot say anything more other than GREAT.
King
King,
I didn't think that Wall-E quite lived up to the hype. It was great, but it wasn't quite at that Incredibles/Nemo level for me.
So, I was nervous going into Batman, because its hype was equally huge, but I thought that TDK was even better than I was anticipating.
Still, I saw two great movies this week. This has been a great summer for movies.
To me, Wall-E lived up to its hype. I loved it. But hey, its your opinion. And yes, Batman exceeded my expectations too.
King
Just got back from "The Dark Knight." Really, really enjoyed it. Very well done movie. It's just great to see comic book based films getting treated so well and done right. And Heath Ledger was incredible! I'll talk more about it on the podcast tomorrow but the simple fact is - this is a great film!
I really enjoyed this movie as well. Though I did feel watching it, that I may have seen to much in the trailers and previews, as some of the Jokers best moments I felt I had already saw. The movie was long, but never dragged, and lots of great performances. I guess my only disappointment may have been with Harvey Dent, as Health Ledger did such a great job, that it over shadowed a performance that I felt was equally as strong to me. I would have preferred they saved him for another movie.
Saw this on Friday and loved it! Heath was so good in it! So was everyone! Might go again soon. :)
I have not seen this yet and to be honest, I doubt I'll be able to get to the cinema to see it. Looks like a DVD viewing to me. An interesting topic over here is that its being suggested that Heath Ledger should get a posthumous oscar for his performance. Now my question is...
Is he really that incredible, or is it because the poor guy died just after completing the movie? I ask because I cannot remember a film in this Superhero genre being up for a "serious" oscar. However, I think Ledger was pretty good and his role in Brokeback Mountain was amazing. That film took a controversial subject and brought it to mass recognition in a way that had me in tears by the end of the film. So, is Heath Ledger worth a "best supporting male" Oscar?
My simple answer is --- YES - he deserves it. And I would have said that even if he hadn't had the terrible accident happen to him that took his life.
Was he really a best-supporting actor in Dark Knight ? He seemed to have more camera time then Bale. In the scene where Alfred explains to Bruce "some men just want to see the world burn" - Ledger captured that concept better then I could have imagined. We'll have to wait for the Oscars - but at minimum there will be a tribute/postumous award for him.
Quote from: Trekkygeek on July 20, 2008, 02:14:40 PM
I have not seen this yet and to be honest, I doubt I'll be able to get to the cinema to see it. Looks like a DVD viewing to me. An interesting topic over here is that its being suggested that Heath Ledger should get a posthumous oscar for his performance. Now my question is...
Is he really that incredible, or is it because the poor guy died just after completing the movie? I ask because I cannot remember a film in this Superhero genre being up for a "serious" oscar. However, I think Ledger was pretty good and his role in Brokeback Mountain was amazing. That film took a controversial subject and brought it to mass recognition in a way that had me in tears by the end of the film. So, is Heath Ledger worth a "best supporting male" Oscar?
Go see it and judge for yourself!
I'm going to try and see it this week.
Quote from: moyer777 on July 20, 2008, 03:24:30 PM
I'm going to try and see it this week.
Same here. I usually try to avoid opening weekend crowds.
Definitely go rent or buy "Batman Begins" and watch it. A great movie as well and it does a very good job of introducing the character of Batman.
Wanted to chime in as well. Saw it Sunday morning 7/20 at 11:20am. Theater was filled to capacity. Barely anyone spoke though the film everyone was ingrosed. Great script involved and interesting. Great action and they managed not to look too "CGish". And of course, great acting. Ledger did a great job, will be interesting to see who they pick to continue in future films. Gary Oldman was also great as Gordan. Film was long, one of those films when you think you seen enough, it comes along with more. A great film to see more than once there is some much going on you can miss details. Will be a great rental and cable rerun which that time comes.
Finally without giving too much away, I love the Jokers take on what he thinks is the Hypocrisy of civialized society and his efforts to expose it!
WHY SO SERIOUS?!?!?
When he said "you compete me" I belly laughed.
Very recomended!
I finally saw it this past Saturday, it was outstanding. If you haven't seen it yet or even if you have, Do see it in Imax.
The Dark Knight's Final Tally? $158.4 Million!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety
July 21, 2008
On Sunday, Warner Bros. Pictures estimated that The Dark Knight had earned $155.3 million its opening weekend. Turns out, that was low! The final figures show that Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins follow-up took in a record-breaking $158.4 million over the Friday-to-Sunday frame, easily beating the $151.1 million opening of Spider-Man 3 in May 2007.
One of the big reasons for the lower estimate was that the studio expected the movie to do about $39.4 million on Sunday but in actuality it received about $43 million, again beating Spider-Man 3's previous record of $39.9 million for the day.
The film earned a record-breaking $67.8 million on Friday alone. Of that, $18.5 million came from midnight shows, besting the previous midnight record set by Fox's 2005 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which grossed $16.9 million from 3,663 theaters.
It also set the record for an IMAX opener, earning $6.2 million from 94 IMAX theaters.
The studio estimates that The Dark Knight, which opened in a record 4,366 theaters, could gross as much as $220 million in its first week. That's more than the entire domestic gross of Nolan's Batman Begins, which earned $205 million domestically and $166 million overseas.
The big opening allowed the box office to take in a record $250 million in ticket sales total. The previous weekend record was $218.4 million, set in July 2007 when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opened to $135.6 million.
I'm aching to see this film. Will wait for a week though just to let it die down a bit and then i'm there. I won't comment on the possible oscar nomination for Heath until i have seen it, then i'll throw my opinion in. Seriously, seriously looking forward to it.
Andrew and I went tonight to see the film. It was pretty amazing. I was really surprised by Heath's acting. I mean, I heard so much hype about it, and it lived up and surpassed it all. I was pretty much stunned at his portrayl of the Joker. I liked the special effects and the movie never really dragged for me at all. Two Face was excellent. It was nice to see the guy from Dead Zone and Richard from Lost. I liked this movie a lot, but I also liked the Batman Begins movie as well. Good stuff. :batman
That movie was AWESOME!!!! I saw it twice during opening day, including the midnight showing! And I plan to see it in again in IMAX
It opens today over here in slow mo England. Going to wait till next week because its hard to get tickets for the showings i want. SOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED.........................................
This movie was outstanding. If some of you haven't seen it, then you must. It's really good and you won't be disappointed.
OK, finally saw this at IMAX. Wow. Amazing movie. Having a nihilistic character like the Joker was very bold. Heath Ledger was very impressive. The only weak spot I felt was the Rebecca character, although I don't think much of her I thought Katie Holmes did a better job, and Bale's Batman voice was a little odd.
Quote from: Bryancd on July 30, 2008, 11:29:49 AM
OK, finally saw this at IMAX. Wow. Amazing movie. Having a nihilistic character like the Joker was very bold. Heath Ledger was very impressive. The only weak spot I felt was the Rebecca character, although I don't think much of her I thought Katie Holmes did a better job, and Bane's Batman voice was a little odd.
Those were my exact same issues with the movie I had. It sounded like Batman had Laryngitis and Katie Holmes definitely did a much better job. However aside from that this was an amazing movie. Much much better then Batman Begins (if that's possible).
I guess he figured he needed to disguise his voice. Maybe he's not so good at it. :)
Quote from: moyer777 on July 30, 2008, 11:53:31 AM
I guess he figured he needed to disguise his voice. Maybe he's not so good at it. :)
LOL! For sure, I get the "why" of it, it just sounds funny.
Quote from: billybob476 on July 30, 2008, 11:40:28 AM
Quote from: Bryancd on July 30, 2008, 11:29:49 AM
OK, finally saw this at IMAX. Wow. Amazing movie. Having a nihilistic character like the Joker was very bold. Heath Ledger was very impressive. The only weak spot I felt was the Rebecca character, although I don't think much of her I thought Katie Holmes did a better job, and Bane's Batman voice was a little odd.
Those were my exact same issues with the movie I had. It sounded like Batman had Laryngitis and Katie Holmes definitely did a much better job. However aside from that this was an amazing movie. Much much better then Batman Begins (if that's possible).
I actually liked Dark Knight's Rebecca better. Everytime Katie Holmes appeared in Batman Begins I couldn't help but think that I was watching a teenager.
No to sound overly nitpicky but the character's name was actually Rachel. And after finallly seeing the film Friday night I can honestly say I am not sad her character was killed. I am not a huge fan of either Katie Holmes or Maggie Glynnhall (sp).
Other than that the movie was FANTASTIC! I have yet to see Iron Man or the Hulk this year but The Dark Knight is, so far, the best comic book hero movie hat I have seen. There may be a bit of bias since I have been a fan of Batman (in all his incarnations) since I was a child. My favorite was always the darker '80s version of Batman that Christopher Nolan seems to have captured perfectly. The Joker was exactly as he ought to be...a hyper intellegent, pyshcopathic, homicidal maniac. The special effects used to create Two-Face were OUTSTANDING....exactly how he ought to look and Aaron Eckhart's potrayal was great. Also I think if they want to bring Two-Face back they could easily explain his survival away. On a sadder note...because Heath Ledger did such a fabulous job portraying the Joker, I really think they need to write the character out of the Batman world (in the films) because I am not sure anyone could play him as well.
Excellent movie that I will most definitely buy on Blu-Ray when it comes out.
Here is an article on Batman's voice- hehehe.
What's with Batman's voice?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/index.html)
NEW YORK (AP) -- Though "The Dark Knight" has been a bona fide cultural event, boasting rave reviews and boffo box office, it hasn't been immune to criticism. Some have quibbled with its political undercurrents, and others have criticized a muddled theme.
As Batman, Christian Bale's voice is deeper and raspier than his voice as Bruce Wayne.
But here's the critique most widely held: Why does Batman talk like the offspring of Clint Eastwood and a grizzly bear?
Donning the costume for the second time, Christian Bale has delved deeper into the lower registers. As Bruce Wayne, his voice is as smooth as his finely pressed suits. But once he puts the cape on, the transformation of his vocal chords is just as dramatic as his costume change.
Particularly when his rage boils over, Bale's Batman growls in an almost beastly fashion, reflecting how close he teeters between do-gooder and vengeance-crazed crusader.
"The Dark Knight" hauled in $43.8 million to rank as Hollywood's top movie for the third straight weekend, fending off "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," which opened a close second with $42.5 million. It has earned $394.9 million in just 17 days, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Though much of the voice effect is Bale's own doing, under the guidance of director Christopher Nolan and supervising sound editor Richard King, the frequency of his Batman voice was modulated to exaggerate the effect.
Critics and fans have noticed.
"His Batman rasps his lines in a voice that's deeper and hammier than ever," said NPR's David Edelstein.
Reviewing the film for MSNBC, Alonso Duralde wrote that Bale's Batman in "Batman Begins" "sounded absurdly deep, like a 10-year-old putting on an 'adult' voice to make prank phone calls. This time, Bale affects an eerie rasp, somewhat akin to Brenda Vaccaro doing a Miles Davis impression."
Before the similes run too far afield, it's worth considering where the concept of a throaty Batman comes from.
In his portrayal on the '60s "Batman" TV series, Adam West didn't alter his voice between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Decades later when Tim Burton brought "Batman" to the big screen in a much darker incarnation, Michael Keaton's inflection was notably -- but not considerably -- different from one to the other.
But it was a lesser-known actor who, a few years after Burton's film, made perhaps the most distinct imprint on Batman's voice. Kevin Conroy, as the voice of the animated Batman in various projects from 1992's "Batman: The Animated Series" right up until this year's "Batman: Gotham Knight," brought a darker, raspier vocalization to Batman.
Conroy has inhabited the role longer than anyone else and though animated voice-over work doesn't have the same cachet as feature film acting, there are quarters where Conroy is viewed as the best Batman of them all -- certainly superior to Val Kilmer or George Clooney.
The animated series are notable because they drew on the DC Comics of Batman as envisioned by Frank Miller, whose work heavily informs "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight." (Bale and Nolan were unavailable to comment for this story.)
As Batman has gotten darker, his voice has gotten deeper. As some critics suggest, Bale and "The Dark Knight" may have reached a threshold, at least audibly.
Just got back from this film-
INCREDIBLE!
I agree that the Bat-Voice was a little over the top, but I guess it's understandable. Bruce Wayne is a fairly famous public figure/celebrity. If he spoke with his normal voice, the typical resident of Gotham would probably recognize it... "Batman? You sound just like that Bruce Wayne guy!"
I liked the wierd background hum that was used in the Joker scenes. It really enhanced the feeling of unease and anxiety that the character is supposed to inspire. Speaking of the Joker, Ledger owns this character. This is the scariest, most realistic version of the character I've ever seen on screen. Good luck to the guy who tries to take on the role in the inevitable sequel film.
I can't imagine they would try and bring the Joker character back with a new actor. I think the Joker is over fort this Batman series and I think that would be the right call. There are plenty of other villans to explore.
Quote from: Bryancd on August 06, 2008, 04:58:20 AM
I can't imagine they would try and bring the Joker character back with a new actor. I think the Joker is over fort this Batman series and I think that would be the right call. There are plenty of other villans to explore.
True; there are a ton of villains in the Batman 'verse, but none have the combination of mainstream recognizability and potential for scariness that the Joker has. I think you are right, though; it would be folly for the producers to try and recapture the magic they got with this film. Any attempt to duplicate Ledger's impact would unfortunately fall short.
Maybe they could figure out a way to bring back 2-Face? In a way, the film was as much his as it was Jokers.
Agreed, Tow Face was very well done and it was a shame to use him as a secondary villan in DK.
I finally got around to seeing The Dark Knight today while my car was in the shop. All I can say is that movie was totally awesome! Heth Ledger was great as The Joker. I'm gonna' have to see it again.
"The Dark Knight" In Top 3 Films of All-Time
Christopher Nolan's second Batman film, "The Dark Knight" reigned as box office champ for four straight weekends in a row and now holds its place as the third most successful film in movie-making history, and creeping up to the number two slot.
The movie topped the charts in the U.S. this weekend and is estimated to take in another $26 million, bringing its four week total to a little over $441 million, making it number three in box office sales, right behind "Star Wars" with $461 million and the mega-hit James Cameron film "Titanic," still the heavyweight champion sitting on a boat-load of cash at a record-setting $601 million.
However, if you adjust the figures for inflation, then "The Dark Knight" makes it into the Top 50 at number 49, just a little shy of topping "Gone With the Wind."
Ok i saw this last night (first time we've had teh chance since returning home). Great film BUT way too long. I would have cut a good 15 maybe 20 mins out as there was no need for it to be that long. Heath was fantastic as the Joker, i could see the Nicholson version in him and for that i praise him. I do however feel that someone else could portray the Joker again, if you are a good actor there is no reason why you can't play a character that has been played before. Golden statue wrothy??? i'm undecided.
Two face was amazing, rubbish ending to him though why, why, why do that. Bale was great as Wayne but the voice ruining it for me, one i couldnt help but think of the Batman parody posted on this forum but second it took the drama out of the Batman being on screen, shame.
Rachel was i thought pretty good, better than Holmes version for certain.
All in all a great film, i enjoyed it, my wife was "Not as good as Begins" and my friend Niki hated it. Quite a wide response then really. I look forward to watching it again.
"Niki hated it."
WOW?! I haven't heard of anyone saying that yet. I'm curious if that might be partly due to hearing so much about the movie before seeing it. I would also be interested in the reasons for hating this movie.
I guess the Joker's specific form of insanity and sadism could rub you the wrong way. Also the Bale/Batman voice I found a little funny. There are other things to dislike about this movie but to me the goodness far FAR outweighs them.
I think it is fair to say it could be a little too long. Although it never seemed to drag, it was a lot of material and could have been a little tighter. I still think they should have saved the Two Face storyline for a 3rd film and used this one to set it up.
The thing I liked about Two Face as they did him here is he never truly was evil. He was just very very emotionally scarred. I like that they made him a bit more complex.
Oh, there are certainly nasty people in this movie but to hate a movie usually takes more than that. The Bale/Batman voice is a bit funny (especially after that YouTube video) but I know why they did it. I think they went a bit far with it too.
One thing I have been wondering about is how much of this movie's huge success is due to Heath Ledger's death? I really do think people have been more drawn to see it and his performance due to that - especially people who don't usually go see this type of film. I mean my wife's mother went to see this movie?!?! I found that very surprising. And she liked it too!
I think that certainly did drive some of the box office but then the performance delivered, increasing positive word of mouth among people who would maybe not normally go and see a movie like this.
OK OK right. Now i put Niki "Hated It" today she said "It was OK". Her reasons were i think because she had just had an accident in the gym and badly hurt her coxis (lower back bone) and so sitting through the film gave her quite a bit of discomfort. Plus she also said the voice of batman put her a bit off the film and of course the over hype. Today, feeling a bit better she simply said "It was OK". Now I believe a lot of people did go and see this because of the death of ledger, the same that loads of people went and saw The Crow because of Brandon Lee's death.
For me as i said it was too long, 15mins could be justifiably cut out. Saying that though i heard a rumour (and this is just a rumour ) that there is a four hour version that could be released on DVD. I don't buy that but you never know.
I'm such a comic-film geek, I was glued to my seat for the entire film; it didn't feel too long to me. A four hour DVD version? BRING IT ON! ;)
Quote from: wraith1701 on August 19, 2008, 11:28:49 AM
I'm such a comic-film geek, I was glued to my seat for the entire film; it didn't feel too long to me. A four hour DVD version? BRING IT ON! ;)
4 hours? Come on Wraith, it's a good movie but it's no Lord of the Rings! ;)
Oh Eric, your are a serious comic film geek, and good on yer. I think in my nice comfy living room i would really enjoy a 4 hour version but not in the cinema. At home i would happily put on the white face make up and have a huge red smile on my face.
lord of the rings............. drooooollllllllll
I'm a lifelong Tolkien fan; over the years, I've owned multiple copies of The Hobbit and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy... I'd read the things so many times, they'd fall apart!
With that being said; please forgive the following bit of heresy-
I loved the Lord Of The Rings films, but I liked The Dark Knight more.
** ducks to avoid thrown objects ** :unsure ;)
Quote from: wraith1701 on August 19, 2008, 11:40:20 AM
I loved the Lord Of The Rings films, but I liked The Dark Knight more.
** ducks to avoid thrown objects ** :unsure ;)
Wow.. I use to like you Wraith :)
some one get the big sack so we can put him in it and tie him up. Kenny get the rocks.
;)
TAR AND FEATHER HIM!
:)
I heard he doesn't like kittens!!!
Quote from: Bryancd on August 19, 2008, 11:58:41 AM
I heard he doesn't like kittens!!!
I
love kittens...
They taste just like chicken. ;)
LOL! Hobbit hater.... ;)
Heretic........ take his furry feet away. ;)
The Dark Knight Updates
Source: ComingSoon.net
August 29, 2008
Counting inflation, Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight has now officially surpassed Spider-Man to become the biggest comic book movie of all time. The Christopher Nolan sequel has reached $492.689 million domestically while Spider-Man hit a total of $491.952 when you look at the inflated number ($403.7 million without inflation).
Looking at the worldwide numbers, Variety says The Dark Knight will reach $900 million this weekend:
Crossing the $400 million milestone will place "The Dark Knight" in a club with only 29 other films. What's equally impressive about the sixth Batpic is that it's first in the series to generate a blockbuster number outside the U.S. "Batman Begins" generated the previous high number with a relatively modest $166 million.
The U.K. has led the way for "Dark Knight" with $86 million, followed by Australia with $40 million, Mexico with $25 million, Brazil with $19 million and South Korea with $18.6 million. With Germany in its second weekend and France in its third, and worldwide grosses going past $900 million this weekend, the Batpic may have enough firepower to become only the fourth film to hit $1 billion in combined foreign and domestic box office (after "Titanic," the third "The Lord of the Rings" and the second "Pirates of Caribbean").
And did you participate in the viral marketing campaign for the movie that was created by 42 Entertainment? If so, you'll enjoy this interview with the company's CEO Susan Bonds and CCO Alex Lieu.
I finally watched "Dark Knight" last night and was expecting the best film of the year. Boy was I disappointed. It wasn't a bad film but there has been so much hype for this movie that I thought I was going to be glued to the screen. In my opinion the film was too long and not tight enough. I didn't like the character of Rachel and when Joker fawned over her beauty, i wondered if he was in need of spectacles, or perhaps he was..... joking.
Heath Ledger was without doubt the best thing in the film for me. What a performance and the introductary scene with the pencil magic act just set his character up nicely. Two face was okay but I just felt sorry for him really, and perhaps he should have been used for a third movie.
I thought the action scenes were few and far between and the Bat Bike was just a silly Idea, no practicality and his cape would soon get caught up in it.
All in all I was quite disappointed with "Dark Knight". In my opinion it was far inferior to "Begins" and suffered from way too much hype. I believe that if Ledger hadn't died, the film would have opened to far less fuss and expectation. For me, "Ironman" is the best comic book adaptation I have seen this year probably followed by "The Incredible Hulk". "Dark Knight" limps in at third place.
Put it this way. I have seen "Begins" three or four times since buying it, I doubt I'll watch this film too many more times.
It's always a problem when hype slips into and invades your opinion. One of the reasons I try very hard to see things as soon as I can - especially big movies like this in the theater. Oh, and I think you will lose a lot just watching this on your TV at home and not in the theater. It will lose a lot of it's impact.
I thought it was a solid movie. Length in films never really bothers me if I think what they are showing adds to the story and the characters. But, I will say while I think this is a very good film it wasn't (at least for me) quite as incredible as some people seemed to say. I will say I think Heath Ledger was incredible.
It's funny you mention hype Rico and hearing others opinions. I had heard this was a great film and although I didn't think it was terrible, I was a little let down. Now, on the other hand, "Kingdom of The Crystal Skulls" was pretty much panned by the critics and I was expecting to hate this film, I thought I was going to get another "Temple Of Doom" but I got another "Last Crusade". I really enjoyed this 4th installment even though it was a cheesefest. It was so much fun and I came away really satisfied.
I also don't have a problem with lengthy films, It's just that "Dark Knight" was overly long, the film could have a
had 15 ins cut from it without suffering. Indeed, it would probably have tightened it up somewhat. It's such a pity Ledger died. What a performance.
Yeah the hype or chatter around a movie can work both ways. I agree on Indy - it's not nearly as bad as many critics and others said - at least in my view. And "The Dark Knight" is the reverse for many. Was called the second coming by some, and it's just a darn good film. At least for me.
With you there Rico. I'll probably give it a couple of weeks and try again.