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About this Ben Affleck/BATMAN YEAR ONE rumor of Liz Smith's...
Hey folks, Harry here real quick.. in the midst of holiday shopping, wrapping and celebrating.... but figured I had to chime in on this. Liz Smith has apparently 'scooped the world' with this rumor about Ben Affleck being up for the part of BATMAN in the Year One scenario over at Warner Brothers. I've been getting deluged with emails with "SCOOP: BEN AFFLECK IS BATMAN" stuff seemingly non-stop.
Well, let's go back in time to October 21st, 1999 here on AICN. Hmmmm... Wow... there it is. This is a true story. I've had it confirmed for quite some time. Now... if Warners had a script, a screenwriter or a pitch that they were moving ahead with... that'd be something to start talking about.
Meanwhile, I've been hearing leakage of words that our boy, Lorenzo has been trying to put a halt to the WBTV series entitled BRUCE WAYNE which the execs at WBTV are extremely high on. I was recently contacted by some folks at DC that told me that I should begin supporting this television series over whatever The Big L at theatrical had, cause it rocks. Ahem... Hellooooo! I need to see the script! So... if you work at Warner Brothers Film, Television or at DC and have the pilot stuff for this BRUCE WAYNE thing... Send it our way. IF it rocks as hard as the word has been leaking... then we'll really get behind it. If it sucks... well then... I'd hide it in the deepest darkest pit of the Earth you can find (much like most of Lorenzo's ideas).
As for what is going on with BATMAN YEAR ONE and BATMAN BEYOND at the moment? Well, Lorenzo and the other execs at WB have been taking pitch meetings on the franchise. And they are really searching high and low for the writers. Top names, new names and unappreciated names have all been in there. However, we'll just have to wait and see... I haven't heard any rock solid names yet.
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It doesn't matter who's going to play Bruce Wayne. It seems to be apparent that the role of Bruce wayne could go to any pretty white boy actor in Hollywood and it wouldn't change the way the story works. Out of the last what three guys in te role each of them worked in different Mike Keaton I thought was the best just because the movies were the best of the series. Val worked because he was gloomy and that must be how Wayne is. Clooney well I'm willing to give Clooney another chance with another script. On to the TV show. I think it would work if don't right. Look at why we watch buffy and Angel and don't make it for that market. Find out why I'm waking up at 8:30 every saturday to watch the Animated series and go with that. Of all the different forumns that Batman has( Movie, Comic book, Old TV series and Cartoon) I still love the Cartoon the best. Give Dini the writing and directing job and let the man work. Next job go out side that streets of LA throw a dart and which every non-blonde guy it hits give him the Title role. Give me a new Villian every one or two weeks and I'm happy. WB has the next big thing with Bruce Wayne lets get down on our collective knees and pray to the gods that they don't F*ck this one up.
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"We'll" get behind it? Does that mean the AICN staff, or *all* of us? No offense meant to Harry, but I'd want to see more about it before I "get behind it."
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Jimmer -
I don't think that Miller would do it, even if you asked him. I just think he's disenfranchised with the whole state of Hollywood. They hacked up his stuff so badly in his last two attempts, he seems to disdain filmmaking, just about any time I've ever heard him talk about it. -
I think that The Iron Giant should play Batman. Think about it, at the end of The Iron Gaint, the Gaint is blown up. We also see that he is pulling himself back together, so we know he will be back in tacked soon. But the Giant is now differnt, Why? Because he was blown up by a nuke and was radiated. He is Radio Active now! And i tell you this, when he goes back to try and see Hogarth and kills the boy by giving him leukemia, it could envoke the Giants Batman nature. Because of his guilt The BatGaint will be born. I mean the Superman thing was done in the Giants first movie why not this? Also WB owns both characters, so in my mind it is a perfect match. Ofcourse i hear voices in my mind too that tell me to buy New Kid on the Block CDs. Got to go, my feet are talking.
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It gives them a fresh start starting the whole series over again. They can bring back the Joker, Two-Face, and all the other characters that they can. Couple of casting choices, Affleck or Boreanaz as Batman. Vince Vaughn or Boreanaz or Affleck as Dent/Two-Face. Director could be the guy that directed "Sixth Sense" (forgot his name). I love the way this guy set up the mood, atmosphere, and environment in the movie. It was really dark but still PG-13, and man the way he directed the movie you could really feel that kids fear big time. "Sixth Sense" was budgeted at $40 million and was a lot better then the $70-80 million movie "The Haunting." And get that kid from "Sixth Sense" to play young Bruce in a flashback in Y1. If going with Batman Beyond I say get Clint Eastwood as the older Bruce Wayne and Jeremy Irons as Derek Powers with Inque as like CGI.
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Well, yeah, and his whole gang could play, too. Matt Damon's killer chops for the Joker, Gwyneth as Batgirl and Anthony Minghella to write and direct. They could call it The Talented Mr. Wayne.
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Batman Year One is not just an excuse for them to replace everyone with fresher faces. Ugh. That's a horrible idea. It's an entirely separate storyline, and it would be bad to bring back all the villains that we've already seen, except making them younger.
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insert actor of the week here......
What has this world come to. -
Well as far as sequels go they can't do much because not too many good villains are left. There still is Bane and Scarecrow, but other than that nothing really good. Also for a sequel your casting a 4th actor for a continuing series which has majorily had changes from the 1st to 4th movie. Also having an actor committ to a series of Batman movies in a sequel may be hard because no actor may want to do that. Same could be said for Y1, but I also believe that maybe Affleck or Boreanaz aren't the best choices but rather a young unknown who will committ. Now doing Y1 they can start it all over again and set things right because its a fresh start. Dent was a the same age as Bruce so he needs to be young, but that doesn't mean he has to be Two-Face right away. Introduce Dent in Y1, develop his character and have him in a subplot for the first 2 movies and then show him as Dent by the 3rd movie. You can show that he was a good man that was Bruce's friend, but turned out the opposite. That's the tragedy of the character that now Bruce has to stop his best friend at all costs by any means necessary in order to protect Gotham and its citizens. But Dent needs to be young. Now for Joker my choice is someone like Nicolas Cage (think Castor Troy) or Jim Carrey for this role, they aren't young or that old but just right age wise. You could have Y1 as crime/mob drama type of movie with a crimeboss as a villain. Sure Joker wan't in Y1, but involve him in a subplot as the Red Hood maybe and kind of develop that character to jump into a sequel as the main villain. Most of the villains don't have to be young, but Dent is Bruce's age. The Joker could be someone like Cage or Carrey, Riddler doesn't need to be young either. These ages are flexible a bit for the villains.
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In the column where I re-read about the Affleck rumour it also stated that Matt Damon was being lined up for Robin. How crap would that be? Apart from for all the young girls that would like to see them in rubber. Can Denise Richards be cast as a mute cat woman? Just a thought for the boys.
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On balance I think I would rather see the TV series than the movie franchise dragged from it's shallow grave...especially as AICN's favorite auteur Joel Schumacher (hallowed be thy name...) is still making noises about "going back to Batman...doing a darker version for the fans..." Be still my heart.And if Bruce Wayne is half or even one third as good as "Buffy" then I think we would all dig it,big time.Cool....
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Some of the rumors surrounding David Fincher's possible involvement with "Spiderman" seems odd to me. If Fincher were to direct a comic book movie, he would be perfect for Batman. Batman is the darkest of comic book characters, and Fincher makes movies that are as dark as they come. It is a marriage made in heaven, or hell mabye. Anyways, having another pretty boy like Affleck playing the Caped Crusader is a scary thought. Cast someone who will make Batman/Bruce Wayne interesting, like say, the best young actor on the planet, Ed Norton. God, that would be perfect. Of course we know that Warner Bros would never want to make an edgy Batman movie. I think Tim Burton scared the hell out of them with "Batman Returns", and now they want the 'Batman' material as light as possible. They will play it safe again with another horrible Shumacher movie with a bunch of pretty faces and a bunch of fucking neon colors.
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Well Superman#1, I won't blame you if you didn't see it, but Batman and Robin had Bane. He wss killed in an instant (or rather "returned to wussy-skinny-ass guy" quickly) so he's out. Before B&R I thought a knightfall storyline would be PERFECT! Had GREAT Batman characterisation, BRUCE WAYNE AS AN IMPORTANT CHARCTER and cool villians. Oh well, "take two of these, and call me in the morning!" Ha! PS - I also think this site is MUCH less "cool" then it used to be, though I admit I wasn't here in the "way" beginning. I hope you get real rich and forget everyone who liked you from the beginning Harry! You'll show them! No, wait... then no one will remember you when you're a nobody again... and as a Hollywood-site reporter, you DO know how quickly the strong can fall and be the butt of jokes, right?
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You know, before he was cast as Supes, I always thought Nic Cage was the perfect Bats. Who else is crazy, cool, and goofy all in one? There's more to the character than a chin, after all. As for a young actor. . . Affleck ain't bad, but I like Tim Olyphant, the drug dealer from GO.
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Russel Crowe is perfect for it.
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I was waiting for the Fincher/Norton joke, and it turned out to be a serious post. Thanks for the laugh; too bad Batman was made 10 years ago, because Fincher would be perfect to do it now. Unfortunately, the whole mystique of the character is now tainted with Michael Keaton's puffy faced superhero and his even less-fitting role as a millionaire. "Ya wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts!" Bruce Wayne isn't a wild-eyed maniac, he's a cool, dapper guy with a secret. Val Kilmer was too weird as well, Clooney better but too rugged. Does this guy have a tattoo of a five o'clock shadow on his face? I'll agree with the above poster that Russell Crowe would have been perfect if they were making it today. He might be able to play an older Batman, dye his hair somewhere in-between The Insider and the darker B.W. tones. Give him a less nerdy pair of glasses, and there you go. This guy has the class and poise that I don't think the previous ones did. As for a younger Batman, your guess is as good as mine. But my argument with the casting will always be about the look of wealth, which is really hard to find. Alec Baldwin was soooo close in The Shadow. What younger actors have it that don't look like prissy boys? I'm thinking maybe Paul Rudd, but the guy just seems a little too nice, maybe too short as well Might be a cool change of pace for him though if he could work out. Doesn't have to be bulky though, isn't Batman supposed to have mad gymnastic skills? Whatever...
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Ever read his draft of ROBOCOP 2? No? Let me sum it up for you: it stinks (apologies to POD PEOPLE & MST3K!) Much as I love DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, the guy is old news. Y1 might work, but they need me to write it. Failing that, David Halberstam. Still, WB is pouring all their dough into STEAM! THE MOVIE; so, I doubt this project will ever leave the planning stages.
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Ok, I wont comment about the BW tv. show or the next Bat-flick.
I want to complaint a bit. I want to say what I think makes the Batman movies so dull and boring.
Inh my opinion, the biggest mistake about the Batman movies was getting Tim Burton to direct the first one. OK, I know some wont agree with me, but Burton's weird cityscape and the general look of Gotham city of his movies we're just too much.
This setting made it impossible for the audience to connect to the world inhabited by Batman. It was far too Burtonesque for the audience to care about what happens there.
And when Burton made it clear that he wouldn't come back for the third movie, it was evident that the person who'll get the job to fill Burton's shoes couldn't give us the same atmosphere as Burton had created.
It broke the "franchise", if they had chosen someone else. Or if Burton had situated Gotham city in a "normal" environnement. Batman movies would not be so annoyingly bad.
Another thing that bothers me about the Batman movies is the costumes. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Burton tought that Adam West looked pathetic, but keaton looks like a ridiculous Sadomasochist.
Come on, I'm not the only one that hates this robocop suit, it was a mistake to have this sort of suit in the first film, and all subsquent films followed the same annoying Pattern, How do they fit all those gadgets in that minibelt? Then we have the Joker. No iI won't complaint about that one. He's great. For Batman returns we have the Penguin, he looks like a monsterish version of the 60's version of the Penguin. Come on, how could a freak like that dream of being elected? And we also have Catwoman, she's worst then Batman, her costume is getting worst throughout the film, it looks like the cheapest home-made costume ever! And Batman got a armadillo armor, it's getting worst, in the first film they made it look like muscle now he truly looks like the twin brother of Robocop.
I Batman forever, Two-face's costumes we're great, but his make-up was very lame. and the riddler looked like a ballet dancer, I would have prefered if he wore a suit instead of those ridiculous thigts.
And we have Robin. First I think having a Twenty something guy to play Robin was the biggest mistake of the entire movie. So I'm not going to complaint about it. I simply really hate it!
And Batman got two new extremly ugly suits with nightvision and jet boots, it's so stupid, I can't believe I wrote that.
And in Batman & Robin.
Mr. Freeze, he looked like a drugged butterfly dyed blue. Come on, he had lights on him. Poison Ivy had so much costume, the only one I loved was the first green one, all the others we're all bad!
And we have Bane, he looked like an angry wrestler with is big button on his chest. It's a shame the actor who played died because he pumped himself to much to get that role (steroids). And we have Batgirl, Robin and Batman in all they're rubber glory!
I'm not through yet.
I also hate the titles, why do they have those stupid sub-titles!
Batman this, Batman that!
ENOUGH ALREADY!
They should have come out with some Bond-like titles, example, the first one should have been called: The laughing man, Batman returns could simply have been named after it's tag-line: The bat, the cat and the bird, Batman forever: Double questions, Batman & Robin: Venom & Ice. I know it's abit silly, but it's less annoying.
And why Batman had to be so Gadget heavy?
All in all, I hope the current Batman "franchise" is dead, but I hope a new BETTER, and I repeat BETTER franchise rises from it's ashes.
Sunsleeper:) -
Yeah I have seen it, but hey they can always bring back Bane. What made Bane is the venom serum so find another way to have that serum to some other guy and you have another Bane. I too like the Knightfall idea. I thought of it as a trilogy of movies. 1st movie introduce Bane and Azrael, Bane breaks Batman at the end. 2nd movie Azrael takes the mantle of the Bat and fights crime with Robin. Bruce goes through recovery and instructs Azrael not to confront Bane, of course he doesn't listen and Azrael is killed by Bane at the end of the 2nd movie. In the 3rd movie Bruce uses an exo-skeleton suit to help him take down Bane and there is a huge fight at the end and Batman barely makes it getting Gotham back, the end. But I think that's pusing it...
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They Need to start over!!!!!!! The all sucked!!! Who kills off the Joker??????and every other villan!!!!!! Who lets every third person find out who Bruce Wayne is??????????(He takes his mask off infront of Max Schreck?? Fuck That!!!) Who lets Batman watch and do nothing as an Innocent woman gets pushed off of a ledge????????? Who lets the hero who's first apperance was DETECTIVE COMICS go for 5 movies with out doing a LICK of Detective work. Can anyone tell me the Ultimate goal of ANY of the major villans?????? Burtons movies looked nice but were a snooze. Schumacher.... I dont think Adam West could get away with driving the Batmobile up a 150 foot statues arm!!!!!!!!! The best comic to any other medium EVER has been the animated series!!! Get the writers from that series to adapt YEAR ONE!!!!!!!!!!! Gritty urban and filmed in New York City!!!!!!!! The first four sets seemed like plays. Get some true urban grittynes in there. And picture him in a tux and then picture his chin in the mask. Dont cast Affleck..... BRUCE CAMPBELL!!!!!!!! Tag Frank Miller in as a consultant not a writer.(Sorry I saw Robocop 2)This would fix the franchise.
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Dec 22, 1999 11:44:15 PM CST
No matter who you cast, it probably ain't gonna be that good
by brodiebank
Affleck could pull it off. He's got the stature and imposing presence to be a menacing Batman and he can also do the playboy Bruce Wayne bit. I know many people out there think he's cocky and arrogant, but he does have the chops to do this role.
However, it would not matter because this film is just not going to be what everyone would like it to be. If Clooney's Batman was the one that supposedly killed the franchise, then this has to be the one to resurrect it. With that kind of burden placed on whoever makes it, there's no doubt that studio executives will have their hand in every aspect of the process. They will try to make it pleasing to all audiences, which we all know results in a mediocre film.
Perhaps they should try a low-tech approach. Lower that budget, concentrate less on effects and gadgets. Instead of a big villain, do a more Detective-ish storyline. -
Call me shallow, but I might actually go see a Batman flick if Affleck is in it. And yeah, I'd be down with seeing Damon playing Robin. As Mike put it in an MST3K episode, "are we finally gonna see some horizontal mambo?" >:-)
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After seeing L.A. Confidential, can anyone argue that the only choice for the next Batman is Russell Crowe?
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Hey Todd, thanks for fucking ruining The Iron Giant for anyone who hasn't fucking seen it. I sure appreciate it, I just rented it and it's sitting upstairs in the Blockbuster Video case but now I don't even need to watch it. Thanks pal!!! Asshole.
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Not that it has a damn thing to do with Batman: Year One...but a buddy says he saw 'The X-Men Movie' trailer in San Antonio last weekend at the IMAX theatre across from the Alamo! Anyone else seen it? Nothing on AICN about it so far....just curious. He says Wolverine looks pretty cool but he's not an X-Men fan so he doesn't really know what this movie is all about.....HELLO? ANYONE LISTENING IN SAN ANTONIO? GO CHECK THIS OUT, PLEASE!
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how can someone say there are no bad guys left catwoman never died eiter did toface there still scarcrowe dont forget about freez and ivy what about a clone of the joker made by harly i mean they can still save the franchise fuck ben and fuck skinny bold ed northon and fuck cloony and shumacker fuck them bring back keaton tim and no noens please
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hmmm...I guess I should apologise for that mental image to anyone who knows who ron jeremy is...sorry!
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It's simple. Ok actor, good script, equals hit. Great actor and bad script equals another loser Batman product. Lets be serious for a moment, look back at the first Batman movie with Keaton. OK actor, Fair script (too gadgetty for my taste) equals a major hit. Other Batman movies, aside for some bits in forever, SUCKED BIG TIME. Now the rumors of a TV show sent shivers of the old Batman TV show, fighting at 60-degree angles and really bad villains, down my back. (Liberace as a piano villain or something of the sort).
BUT imagine if they could do it right. A minimalist Batman i.e. Smoke, Stealth, Brains and Strength, in a mob ruled city with lunatics crawling out of the filth and corruption that is Gotham. Enter, The Dark Knight DETECTIVE, a man with the will and the ability to make a difference. Enter Lieutenant James Gordan, brash young cop from Chicago who can -
Isn't it about time for a new and totally improved Batman TV series? I mean like a well done gritty and realistic (as realistic as a man in a bat costume running around a city) Batman series. On HBO or a similar type station where the violence and physiological drama of a good Batman story would come out. Imagine, if you will, Batman year one done in a
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I like Robocop2. The only thing that really sucked about that movie was the blue tint to the suit, the lighting, & the music.
I love the story, even though from what I hear, it was changed from Miller's original version. I would
love to see a Batman TV series. Fuck the Bruce Wayne series. That is a lame idea. We want to see Batman. Start with year one and keep it going for 7 seasons. Translate the best of the comics & graphic novels & come up with some new stories. Let people like Tarantino, Frank Miller, & Stephen King write episodes, & get the Animated Series people involved since they've proven they do Batman best. Put him in the Batman suit, not a thick rubber suit you douchebags! No fake muscles!!
Grey & Black cloth!! -
To all you WB Execs... I'm just as big a Bats fan as anyone, but you already HAVE a young, handsome, dark-haired brooder who fights crime at night - his name is Angel. Why not do something a bit different - and make your series more accessible to a broader youth market - by basing your series around not only young Bruce Wayne, but also young Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), and young Clark Kent, perhaps all students at the same college? They'd become friends, or you could even play up a love triangle between them, keeping the tone humble enough to spotlight their unique personalities/backgrounds, but obviously showcasing their talents that both help society and alienate them from it. Kind of like "Felicity," but with super-abled (albeit emotionally insecure) young adults - the alien, the amazon, and the orphan.
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It can't help but stink out the cinema if this film goes ahead with the suggestions I've been reading about. Only one thing can save the franchise and that is to make the character cool agin. I actually thought the Tim Burton movies were quite lame, but he got one thing right. He made Batman look cool on film (even though Frank Miller did most of the groundwork for him). Enough of this PG rated nonsense!
Batman 5- Directed by David Fincher. Starring George Clooney (yes, I know. But he can act the part given a decent script). James Woods as The Riddler. Anthony Hopkins as The Joker.
Make it dark and nasty and make it a detective story, Batman is suppose to be the world's greatest detective, dagnabbit! -
Is Year One just a buzzword, or do they really want to adapt that story? That'd be fine with me, but Year One has no super villains, very few special effects, no love interest, and two leads - one of which is Lt. Jim Gordon. It's a crime/noir picture with street thugs and mobsters as its villains, and a guy in long underwear as the hero (not yet "super"). Can you really see WB getting behind that?
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I am a big fan of the Batman movies, all 4 of them. (yes even Batman and Robin) Script wise it was terrible, but visually it was great.
The thing is, that none of the Batman movies have captured what batman is like, its only the animated series that has, but the movies show different interpretations of Batman.
Over the years he has been written and drawn in a variety of different ways and has been re-invented, and the films show this. Yes the films should capture the comics the way that the animated series does, but they dont, neither the burtons or the schumachers. For the fifth film to be a success they need to have a mixture of all the films. Burtons were dark and gothic and stronger storywise, but werent action packed enough, Schumachers were, but the storylines didnt come through enough. If you wonder why I say action packed enough, its because thats what the films need to have. They need a strong storyline but they also need some action, because these are superhero films, and when you adapt something from say a comic into a tv series or into a film, it has to change to fit the formate. "Stories like Arkham Asylum" or "Blades", are great batman stories, but if you want to make a two hour film like these you need to give the audience something exciting whilst at the sametime telling a great tale.
I really hope that they dont go back and restart the franchise as it will ignore the other films, and whats the point in that? We will never get to see some new Batman stories as they will just be retreading over parts that we have seen in these movies!
Make Batman 5, get Paul Dini to write it, and have the scarcrow as the villain! -
You know, I liked Clooney as Batman. The guy's a good actor,he's been in two of the coolest movies of the last couple years (Out of Sight, Three Kings) he looked the part of Bruce Wayne, and he really could have done something with the role. But that script was so rancid nobody could have come out looking good. At least he had the good sense to drop out of Jack Frost and Wild Wild West before they got made.
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I'm not even going to comment on Affleck, Batman, Miller, or anything to do with the subject matter. What I have to say is, why the hell would you people EVER listen to anything that dried-up old bitch had to say about ANYTHING??? I read her column every day just to piss myself off (kinda like reading Family Circus) and see what kind of faded has-been stars' names she drops. Her favorite people continually seem to be: Liz Taylor, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Sharon Stone, Tina Brown...you get the idea. "Society" types or wash-ups that only some old hag-queen would give two fucks about. She always carries on, "Oh, had dinner with" or "bumped into so-and-so at this party"...bullshit! I doubt anyone REALLY talks to her or takes her shit seriously. She seems to think she is living in the old days, when cunts like Hedda Hopper really could affect careers. She can't affect her own elderly bowels! PLEASE do not take anything this hag says seriously. She's more full of shit than my ass after Thanksgiving.
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I once spoke to Frank Miller about Robocop 2 and it transpired that he had about the same dismal experience with the director, Irving Kirshner, that the SF novelist Michale Moorcock did ("Tales from Hollywood"). I see no reason in the world why Miller wouldn't do a bang-up job as scriptwriter, save for the fact that his Ronin has recently been greenlit. As for acting, Crowe would be splendid, but after so many raves for The Insider he's not going near a superhero flick for love or money. Afflewck would be cool, but just an idea: cool, suave, intelligent, brooding, tall and classy as hell...Rupert Everett anyone? Oh, and a merry Christmas to all of you guys and girls.
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Affleck comes off cocky, but if the script reads like the Miller masterpiece, Wayne is cocky in his early days. He almost gets killed on his first night out of the gate. When he truly becomes Batman, though, is when ass starts getting kicked. And the best Batman movie without question is the second animated movie. Return of the Dark Knight should never be considered unless it's animated. The WB cartoon has already touched on it, and it was done brilliantly.
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Dec 23, 1999 1:10:30 PM CST
You're all living in a world of make-believe, with flowers and b
by dolfanar
It had to be said...
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Alec Baldwin! He is the perfect actor for the part of Bruce Wayne. Get Jeff Golblum to play the Scarecrow and John Malkovich or Steve Buscemi to play the part of zsasz. Also if you need a big name but Sly Stallone in the role of Killer Croc and have him be a type of Frankensteins monster character being used by Scarecrow.... or..... Just do that literary epic the Killing Joke. Cast Edward Norton as the young Joker. Christ give me Warner Bros number and Ill write the damn thing!
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The best possible Batman would be David Duchovny! He looks like a rich guy (like Bruce Wayne) but he also has that mysterious dark side to him. And he looks like he could kick some ass.
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Sorry about the earlier blank post - I really shouldn't smoke dope on weekdays. Actually, every film maker to date has failed to capture the true essence of the Dark Knight on screen. Even Tim Burton, the director widely acknowledged to have made the "best" of the Batman series, has pretty much missed the mark on this one. No one has yet touched on the real spirit of this enduring character: his stealth, his intellectual brilliance, his detective skills, and, most importantly, his relentless and dangerous edge. Yes, dangerous. Batman may draw the line when it comes to killing, but he will physically break every bone in your body if you cross him or stand in his way. Batman is a creature of night and shadow. He does not rescue cats stranded in trees. He does not help the starving homeless. He does not
collect toys for orphans at Christmas. The Dark Knight is a ruthless predator patrolling the corrupt waters of Gotham City. He is not a Boy Scout or a politically correct community relations team. If you're a criminal or chronic street scum, he will bring some hard fire down on your ass, no questions asked.
Cinematically, Batman is more akin to the creatures that inhabit the ALIEN movies than he is to, say, Superman. Ironically, the films that come closest to capturing this character's real essence are not the execrable Batman movies, but THE CROW and THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS. The hero (or, rather, anti-hero) here is swift and deadly as a rifle shot - the CROW films are hot and kinetic, not the slow and clunky like the shite Warner Bros. insists on inflicting upon us. Will we ever see such a movie as I've described, one with the real Batman onscreen? No chance. the studio would have a stroke if it saw its cash cow careening through the streets of Gotham, breaking bones, loosening teeth and being, well, scary. Batman, above all things, should be scary as hell - a real Batman movie would send kids under twelve shrieking out of the theatres and plague them with nightmares for a week. But, hey, you can't sell happy meals when your movie hero is as terrifying as the devil himself. Still, my fellow geeks, we can dream!
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Dec 23, 1999 3:48:04 PM CST
Why Schumacer wanted a "lighter" Batman: YA'LL BETTER READ THIS!
by sexualchocolate1
I've heard rumors from friends, which probably isn't true(but I can still see it happening), the reason Schumacer wanted a "lighter" Batman was because he thought Burtons' version was FAR too dark for a comic book character.(That which we already know) But the REASON for this is, which my friend said, is because he was scared shitless once he saw the Penguin death scene at the end of "BATMAN RETURNS", and ran out of the theatre. Now guys, this is obviously bullshit, but it kinda make sense since, in result of making a "lighter" Batman, turned the Batman franchise into a crock a' shit! Sorry fella, should've kept Batman dark the way it should be, and make even GORIER death sense. That instead of having Batman make some corny speech that makes Mr. Freeze ball his eyes outat the end!
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Somehow, no matter what we say here, or what we wish there is never going to be a Batman that does the character justice again. The animated series is a fluke. Bruce Timm and Paul Dini (two people that love comics) got the series and made it great because they understand both formats. They know that comics cant be made into TV directly, some corners have to be cut and they got those corners right. If there is ever another Bat movie, get Alex Proyas of the Crow to direct it and get a new Batman (ie an unknown) and develop him as a character for god sakes. Then above all, get Paul Dini and Alex Ross to conceptualize and write the thing. I can deal with celebrity guest villains and what have you but Batman (at least the first in a new series) should be able to stand on it's own two feet on the word alone. Batman. No big names in the first film, just a nice urban (doesnt even have to be Year one) gritty gotham city with a great story.
Sory I ranted, but as a Batman lover and hopefully a future Batman artist (we can all hope right?) I want the character treated properly so when I get to him he doesn't have a horrible image like Superman did/does. -
"The Crow" movies (or the first one anyway) put WB to shame, cuz they were so much better than the "Batman" flicks, on a much lower budget and without any big stars. Once again, I`m mainly refering to the first "Crow". I think NONE of the "Batman" movies are very good. Burton`s are kinda cool, but overlong and pretty boring. And the last two were just plain crap, that goes without saying.
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Dec 24, 1999 12:58:07 AM CST
Batman: year one hopefully better than Batman 5 if you know what
by redball
I hope if Warner is going to to do Batman year one it would be better than Batman 5. I mean let's face it if WB does Batman 5. The only villans left are all pyschological i.e. Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter. Unless people like see that sort of thing. Anyway, it would be kind of cool to see how Batman started unless the costume looks like crap. The chracter I want to see is Harvey Bullock. You know the GCPD Lieutenant that works under Gordon. I think that guy kicks ass. Anyway I much rather see a mini-series from DINI&CO about Gotham City being destroyed by a earthquake and then exiled from the rest of the country. Now that would be an ass kicking mini-series don't ya think. This series is called No Man's Land. I highly recommend it to any major fan of Batman comic books. Anyway I could care less if its on tv or on celluoid. Let's care about them getting the franchise right.
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Alright hold on a second. Scarecrow and Mad Hatter are good comic characters, as are Clayface and even Bane has potential. The only thing is, what is stopping the next script from having an original villian? It worked in the mask of the Phantasm. I mean think about it- John Q. Public didn't know who Poison Ivy or Bane were before that crap came out. I don't think that anybody will argue over changing the formula of this franchise. I don't think the Mad Hatter has much potential, and I think that Clayface would be pretty costly as a main character. "Year One" doesn't have any fancy effects, (maybe the cloud of bats) so it is a perfect primer at least for a great script. I used to read comics all the time, and I know how hard it is to be satisfied with the treatments of characters that you like. I almost want there to be no more batman movies- although I think the Wachowski (sp?) bros. should be given a green light...
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Ben Affleck as the caped crusader? You've got to be joking he's a twenty something wuss. You need a real action hero (ie Bruce Campbell, Christopher Lambert, Scott Bakula) who can actually kick butt. Also I thought it would be important that Batman could act and Affleck definitely can't, I mean I've seen Armageddon. Oh how I long to see Adam West to make a comeback
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Any talk of a low budget Batman movie is about as likely as Martin Landau winning a Miss Teen America pageant. Hopefully whomever is cast will be some low-rent bad ass like Bruce Campbell, on second thought he would make a better Superman. They should just get a nobody and save the cash for the villians and explosions. If they do year one I don't see how Frank Miller could be passed up. He is bar none the best writer in comics and one of the more original artists (300 anyone) he also wrote the fuckin' thing.
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Know who should be Batman? Me :)
HOHOHO, anyway the next Batman movie should be the Dark Night Returns and should be faithful to the original.
If this doesn't happen, then the next Batman movie should just wipe the damn slate clean, have the Joker return, played by some unknown who basically looks strange but could match Batman at the punch, like on Batman: The Animated Series. Michael Keaton should return or they should get some other guy who can be a psycho as well as a mild mannered gent.
If Bane is to appear, make him reasonably intelligent, he's a bloody assassin, they're not known to be overly dumb. Forget Jim Carrey unless he can pull off serious and psychotic for the Riddler, who should be smartly dressed, not some circus freak. Scarecrow is a good villain, put him to good use sometime, his tricks could show the darker side of Batman very well indeed, I'd have Kevin Spacey do the voice for him but I don't think he's really tall enough, maybe I'm wrong? Two-Face should be played by Tommy Lee Jones but seriously, like the animated series, also well dressed and intelligent.
The Penguin was fine in Batman Returns, so leave him that way. Catwoman could be played by Catherine Zeta Jones, or a white woman that can look sexy, do stunts and act (I can't think of anyone either, maybe that woman off Spin City and Snake Eyes?).
Finally, Ben Affleck would make a great Nightwing or an early Batman, nothing else.
Anyway, I should be Batman and Anakin Skywalker and any other good parts, hehe. -
The Dark Night Returns is the best Batman story ever, close behind is The Killing Joke (which is more of a Joker origin type deal),but if they were to make it into a movie Clint Eastwood or even Jack Pallance would have to play Batman because he is a Geriatric in that story
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Great points!
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Joss Whedon ..would be perfect to write and direct Batman .. if any of you saw last weeks ep entiled hush where he crafted almost an entire ep without having the actors say a word, and scared the daylights out of me and many others. Every week he blends humor, horror, along with terrific writing on not one show but 2 ...Buffy and Angel are the best of tv (yeah i'm biased so sue me :)) .. but seriously Joss loves comics and wrote a good version of the X-men which the suits stupidly jettisoned. If any of you watch Angel you realize that Angel is the ultimate Batman. There are even in jokes in pratically every ep refering to the similarities (always with tounge hilariously in cheek) some examples: his car is refered to as the Angelmobile by a foe and he tries to use the infamous batman type grappling hook, and the beam it wraps around promptly falls .. if you don't believe me ask Moriarty (I've read he's a big fan)... I'd bet he'd agree.
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Dec 25, 1999 11:30:22 AM CST
Why Year One when you can do The Dark Knight Returns?
by thecrawlingchaos
Why a young Batman when you can do an older Batman?
This would make an incredible movie. I originally thought about this a long while ago and my picks were Micheal Keaton and Christopher Reeve. Unfortunately, the latter had to go and fall off a horse. MK is still my first choice for Batman and I haven't thought about who would play Superman...
But this is a terrific, brooding, psychological-action movie just waiting to happen. Especially before the 50-year old Bruce Wayne decides to un-retire. If it's done well, the audience can get to know how obsessive Batman really is. Something that was show only slightly, in the first movie.
Why hasn't this already been done? The graphic novel is pretty much already a screenplay. You want gadgets (a.k.a. excuses for special effects)? You got 'em: the new "batmobile", Batman's chopper with the cloak and his metal suit that he uses to beat the living crap out of Superman. You also have extreme coolness oozing from the story in the form of a one-armed Green Arrow and a peppy, strong and female Robin. And even some modern themes like if superheroes existed would they just fall in line and become tools for the military-industrial complex and would they be effected by politics?
You also have included within the book some great questions that go unanswered. These we've seen before but never really, seriously directed at a superhero: does the ends justify the means? In the book, Batman's feelings on the subject are obvious, but the audience would be allowed to question him.
This movie must be made. Oh, and if you haven't read the graphic novel then buy it. For a measly 12$ you can understand what I mean about this potential blockbuster. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563893428/qid%3D946138820/103-2284244-2631868 -
And by the way, Joss Whedon is overrated. Two words - "Alien Resurrection".
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Don't believe me? Watch "Switchback" (Bravo, if you've already seen it.) He almost WAS Batman for the first half hour! His long black coat even looks cape-like at times. It's great.
There's also traces in his current "Any Given Sunday." -
You want dark, its big budget so hes gotta be good looking and vaguley known (he is going to after all be the lead) Joaquin Phoenix. My only reason for this suggestion is 8mm, which in my opinion is a great film.
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The chowderhead that was killed in Scream 2 that all the fanboys wet their pants over. The dorky one. Make HIM Batman...and have Jennifer Lopez play Assgirl...she's stops dem playas and dem hoes in dey tracks with the junk in her trunk. Thank you, please drive through.
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David Duchoveny kicks ass? DD as Batman? What alternative universe is this? Sure, he's a prettyboy with a bit of a mysterious side, and he would have detective skills, but his biggest asset would be the brooding, angsty poses, certainly not his "fighting" ability. He just doesn't have the physical presence to wear the cape and cowl, scrawny little girlyman body that he has...
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Dec 28, 1999 2:10:33 PM CST
Latest rumor on CINECON.COM : GWENETH PALTROW as CATWOMAN!!!!!
by sexualchocolate1
On Cinecon and Cinescape.com, it's rumored that BEN AFFLECK WILL sign on IF girlfriend GWENETH PALTROW signs on as CATWOMAN! Sucks huh?
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first off, i'm all against the idea of a year one movie. wb would just butcher it just like they did the last 2 batman movies. with batman beyond, you'd know that paul dini (who i know call god because he's amazing), would have some say in the bb movie. either keanu reeves or timothy olyphant would be perfect to play an older terry mcginnis/batman. carrie ann moss would look great as the shapeshifter inque. either russel crowe (w/ a little make up of course) or clint eastwood would make a good mean old aged bruce wayne. as for derek powers, sean connery would be great. and as for terry's girlfriend, a black haired reese witherspoon would be good.
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Wesley Snipes? Samuel L. Jackson? Densel Washington? Puff Daddy? Will Smith?
Why has no-one considered these people? They got the 'tude.
Morgan Freeman could be Alfred. -
Dec 29, 1999 10:29:56 AM CST
Rich Hilliard should write the screen play and Gleem Held should
by johnny walker
Richard Hilliard is an amazing, artist and writer and has worked for warners in the past, his love for the batman character would bring the best visual and most complete story to date. Gleem held with his physical prowess, would also be a perfect fit for the year one batman.
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and they could call it Blackman and Robbin'. The Blackmobile could be an old Caddy, hell it already has the big fins....
Hell I'm still pissed that Billy Dee 'Lando "Colt .45" Calrissean' Williams wasn't Two-Face. He was good enough to be Harvey Dent but not 2-Face....
Seriously though, get a good script, do a good movie/ TV show use a mostly cloth costume (no gay nipples, no butt shots, NO HOMO JOEL " I ruined Batman" ASSMACHER.
AND DON'T KILL THE JOKER THIS TIME AROUND!!!!!!!!
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