Trailer Tuesday: The Dark Knight Rises (Trailer 2)

After the arguably cruel tease of the trailer for Nolan's third and final Batman outing earlier this Summer, a new, officially full trailer has arrived. Prepare to get goosebumps, people, this is one heck of an intense trailer. But first, a synopsis, for the less acquainted with the story:

"Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman (Christian Bale) to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes." - IMDb

Dim the lights, mute the TV and put down the phone. This just got interesting:
(Turn off annotations if you can)

• 0:21 - Michael Caine's Alfred gets all choked up over Bruce's care. I guess letting him dress up as a bat and risk his life every night isn't strictly speaking "protecting him". 
• 0:27 - Significance of this shot? Well it's Gotham, but what I'm looking at is the Sunrise, because TDKR is actually going to be feature a lot of day time, unlike the previous two instalments. 
• 0:39 - "Peace Time" looks to be a prominent theme for the film, somewhat insinuating that it is in fact Batman himself that brings about chaos and crime a la The Joker. This is 8 years after The Dark Knight, remember. 

And here she is in full thieving gear

• 0:43 - Finally! We get our first look at Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. While not in full thieving gear here, that masquerade mask and ears certainly does elude to a more classic Catwoman look. And her warnings of things to come definitely sounds suspicious: is she in league with Bane? 
•  0:56 - Is this the Wayne mansion being torn down by ruthless mobs, possibly Bane's mercenaries? And he just got that place refurbished!
• 1:02 - What I just want to say about the quote here, "You're all going to wonder how you could live so large, and leave so little for the rest of us", is that it may have some very political subtext. While this can be applied to Batman, it could be before Selina knows that Bruce is Batman. So is she talking instead about Capitalism and the unfairness of the rich, economic inequality? After all, her words are paired with a suited up, business type man being dragged from under a table, and these times certainly are relevant for it. I wouldn't put it past Nolan's genius to subtly incorporate such a poignant theme into the works, especially as the rest of the series has taken such a mature approach. 
• 1:06 - Prison break, or as this trailer analogises: All Hell Breaks Lose. And I swear they're chanting "This is awesome, awesome!" (More on that chant later). Anyway, I presume this is Blackgate Prison, not Arkham Asylum, for those of you familiar with the Batman Universe.

Ra's in Pit

• 1:14 - Now this place has me stumped. Lots of stone stairs with people in robes on them? And Bruce  has a beard and is in a similar get-up? My best guess: this is to do with Ra's al Ghul, Batman Begins villain, played by Liam Neeson. It may be set during those days too, when Bruce trained with him, but that's only speculation based on his beard. Anyway, Ra's is notorious in the comics for coming back from the dead, due to something called the Lazarus Pit, which heals anyone dipped in to its chemical depths. So, while the chant is still presumably going on here, Bruce's companion (is that Alfred?) tells us that it means "Rise". Now what I'm suggesting is that it's saying "Rise" as in "From the Lazarus Pit". Still following? One Lazarus Pit in the comics was in the Himalayas, where people wear those kind of robes, so...  Now take in to account the fact that there will be a flashback scene of a young Ra's, which I reckon could be him discovering the Pits, and that Liam Neeson may be doing a cameo appearance, and what do you get? Awesome, that's what. If this is true, it'll be exciting to see how Nolan does the whole "Pits of restoration thing", seeing as his films have always been sunk so deep into a gritty reality.
• 1:24 - Here we have an example of the kind of terrorism we can expect from Tom Hardy's Bane. Ra's destroyed transport systems, The Joker blew up health care systems and now Bane looks to be taking on the sport and entertainment district. Goodbye football field... Hello terror. 
• 1:34 - Bane (to a beat up Bruce): When Gotham is in ashes, you'll have my permission to die. - Making the hero watch as everything they've worked for falls apart - that's classy villainy if you ask me.
• 1:36 - Marion Cotillard reveals her pretty face as Wayne Enterprises board member, Miranda Tate. While speculation did run wild that this would in fact turn out to be Talia al Ghul (Ra's' Daughter), Cotillard has promised that her character is "a completely new creation". 
• 1:42 - Is this an assault on the "supposed" pit from earlier? We see wired up assailants drop further past the steps later on at  1:49 too. 
• 1:43 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt appears briefly busting through some doors, as John Blake (again a newbie character). He's been described as  "a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon.". What I really want though is to see his character take up the mantle, in some way, shape or form, from Batman, if he really does die/get defeated by the end of all this. It's big dreaming, but I just think JGL is such an awesome actor/guy. 
• 1:44-1:48 - Massive riots are set to take place in Gotham this time around, as these shots prove. Batman's going to be going head to head with Bane here, promising the greatest physical challenge for Bats yet. Also seen is a tank firing into the riots (and at maybe a bank?), which I believe is one of Bane's as it has been revealed that he owns a few tumblers much like Batman's Batmobile. Another interesting point is that this was filmed in Manhattan, right when all the Occupy Wall Street protests were going down. I can just smell the metaphor!

Shit storm walking...

• 1:50 - Trying to hold it together now, while geeking out insanely at this shot. Yep that's the Batplane, tailing one of Bane's tumbler. We don't know for certain whether it is actually Batman piloting, as it has been leaked that Catwoman has some fun in that at one point...
• 1:58 - And as that title hits, we're all reminded that the amazing Hans Zimmer will be scoring this undoubted masterpiece. Prepare for horns. Many, many horns. 
• 2:04 - Summer 2012. IMAX. July 20th. Be there!

Before I pass out with excitement, I'd just like to say that I think this will be perfect (in case this wasn't already clear). A lot of people have been saying they think it'll suck just because of the "Rule of 3" thing with Superhero movies (the 3rd is always a let down. See: Spiderman 3, X-Men 3, Superman 3), but I mean come on! Have a little faith in Nolan, will you! This is the same guy that brought you Inception. I now I can often be over-optimistic about forthcoming films, but this one has 0% doubt, positively. It may have a lot to live up to with The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger, but this is a seriously talented cast and crew that can surely pull this off. Roll on 2012, I say. 

ATR

Batman Live

Last Saturday I went once more to the O2 Arena in London, this time to experience the all new stage tour, Batman Live. As you can guess, the show's a Batman extravaganza, featuring an array of his iconic villains, sidekicks and gadgets in a 2 hour spectacle of stunts, acrobats and incredible special effects.

    Hot on the heels of the Superhero-Broadway flop, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, Batman Live presents a completely new stage experience of the Caped Crusader, and with not a musical song or horrible accident in site. Focusing around how Batman and Robin came to be, the show's story was surprisingly better than I thought it would have been, with some witty dialogue thrown in too. The real appeal however, lies in the incredible set pieces laid out; everything from the "Flying Graysons" elegant circus trapeze routine and a fantastic wire-worked battle between Bats and Catwoman, to the Joker and Harley Quinn's mind boggling illusionary and a real Batmobile tearing up the stage. Not to mention the epic finale, featuring a battle between Batman, Robin and Catwoman against almost all of the Dark Knight's rogue gallery!

  Naturally, I brought my camera along and took some snaps as well as a couple videos to share:

The Sunday Supdate: 21/08/11

So I've been away for some time now, and while I could just easily write it off to you as me being on holiday or something, I won't because that would be lying. And you know what they say about liars... "That they will burn in a special kind of hell reserved for child molesters and people who talk in the cinema?" Uh, no I was more referring to - you know what, it doesn't matter... So no, I haven't been training with monks in the Himalayas or assembling a team of the greatest bloggers ever known or playing Volleyball in Tanzania with Rolf Harris or even hunting down Nazi sympathisers in Finland. However, if you really want to know why I haven't been blogging lately, then you can watch this rather pointless vlog I attempted yesterday, in which I murder myself. Or if you don't want to know, save us both the embarrassment and skip past this 3 and a half minute video of awkward silences and gargantuanated "Uhm"'s.

 
It's funny, whenever I have a great month of hits (>1000), the next is always a rapid decline. Perhaps I have this subconscious fear of not reaching there by trying, so I just naturally shy away. I should really stop paying so much attention to the Stats really, and that might stop this autonomous cycle.

Alright, enough about me, here are some new (I use that term loosely) movie stills:
SORT OF SPOILERS AHEAD... BUT NOTHING MAJOR... UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE REALLY PEDANTIC FANBOYS... IF SO GET LOST... OR DON'T BECAUSE I'M DESPERATE... BESIDES, YOU'LL SEE IT ALL IN THE TRAILERS...

Henry Cavill stands... hunched as the new Superman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013). Looks like Snyder had some of the 300 costume parts leftover, with Supes' long, flowing cape. You can also see that his costume looks like the "Basket Ball" material that the new Spider-Man is sporting (The Amazing Spider-Man), which I've got no problem with (though some do). The classic S is still emblazoned nice and wide on the chest, but there's no sign of "over the tights" pants, although that could be a trick of the (utterly atrocious) lighting at work here. And hopefully his face won't be this menacing throughout the whole movie when it drops 14th June 2013...

And here with have the lovely Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.  The costume's looking very latex-y as per usual with such a character known for her tight leather duds. Seen here on the Bat-Pod, it would seem our feline friend has pinched it from good ol' Bats, either that or she's using it under his digression (perhaps he's in trouble?). Whether those goggles are part of the costume or just simply for when she's zipping round Gotham on the bike, has been the source of many an internet (read: fanboy) debate. I'm a little on the fence on this one... Although if there were alternatives for a face mask, I'd like to see them. Flowing hair's cool though, I'm down with that. For the most part, it looks like they're keeping the costume clean and simple, ditching the cleavage-y look that comes clichéd with Catwoman, and keeping Hathaway's boobs tucked away in there. (But if you happen to want to see them untucked, I suggest Love and Other Drugs). The Dark Knight shall Rise on 20th July 2012.

Yay! It's The Hunger Games! Nothing too overwhelming here, mind. You've got Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) as our hero Katniss on the left there, a headstrong girl who must fight for her life in the savage Hunger Games against 23 over kids in this dark dystopian future. Then on the right is Liam Hemsworth (Uhm... He's the brother of Chris Hemsworth (Thor (Oh snap! Double bracket. Wait know it's a triple! This is like...(INCEPTION! Que the giant horn music! BWOARRRRRRRRRR!(Okay, getting a little off topic now... So how many close brackets do I need to put to end this now?))))) (I think that's enough...) as one of two romantic interests, Gale. Now Gale is Katniss's bud from back home, the guy she used to (illegally) hunt with, and both were crack shots with a bow. So this little scene must be before the games starts in their home "District" of 12. Both are very well interpreted from the books, particularly for how I pictured them. My only issue is that Gale looks too shiny, if you know what I mean. A guy who lives in near-poverty and spends his days running through forests shouldn't look so perfect. Where's the rugged edge to him? Anyway, The Hunger Games will be in cinemas March 23rd 2012 and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Well, I'm all "stilled out" after that (not to be confused with "stooled out"). Yeah they're 3 weeks old but who cares?! They're sweet aren't they? 

Happy 99th post by the way! The next one will be celebratory of course, although I've got no idea what it might include. 5000 hits would always be nice... But so would the knowledge that you're all happily reading this and being at least an inkling amused by my internet musings. Ta-rah for now friends, but come back soon, won't cha. Cause if you don't it'll be like leaving me hanging on a high five. Just standing there for hours, hand raised waiting for a sporting clap - that fractional touch that let's me know "Yeah, we cool.". So, are we cool?

ATR

Trailer Tuesday: Games Special 2

As if I haven't said it enough already, the San Diego Comic-Con was on last weekend, and that means new game trailers to go along with it. So, like I did with the E3 ones, I've compiled a lot of them for your viewing pleasure.

First up, Battlefield 3:

Showcasing a new map based in and around the Paris Metro system, as well as tooting their own horn about awards, this trailer has me pumped for the explosive, vast and awesome multiplayer the game has to offer when it releases October 28th.

Zelda returns to Wii! Could this game make me pick up a Wiimote again after all this time?

After over 3 years in development, Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally nearing, and here's a trailer showing off the different classes the new MMO has to offer. I call Smuggler/Jedi! Hey, there should be Jedi Smugglers! *Jots down idea for future writing*

Trailer Tuesday: The Dark Knight Rises

IT IS HERE.

After debuting in front of Harry Potter this week, The Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer has finally hit the internet. Something I'm very happy of, because when I watched HP, the trailer didn't turn up (Damn you, local cinema!). So here it is in all its incy-wincy-oh-so-teasy 1 minute and 36 seconds, dissected by yours truly. There's no synopsis, because no story details have been released as of yet, so just know that this is the concluding third of Christopher Nolan's epic Batrilogy. Yes, I am coining that word now (tell your friends).

The Sunday Supdate: 29/05/11

The Return.

Yes, I'm back after a week of un-supdated-ness. Apologies if you missed me, but don't be too worried because you're in luck with this considerably monster-sized update! (Assuming that I can find enough things to talk about - I do make this up as I go along, after all.)

  Okay, so "WHERE THE CHEESE BALLING THUMPER CATS HAVE I BEEN!?!?!"?. In short, nowhere. The lack of a Supdate last week was in fact wholly unnecessary, and should be blamed solely on my shoddy, uninterested brain. In even shorter terms: CBA. No matter, comrades; I will work harder!

  Anyway, here's the first picture of Tom Hardy (Inception, Bronson) as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises:

Pretty sweet, huh? The mask design looks very contemporary and thankfully non-camp (ala Batman and Robin)and director Nolan's style is flawless, as ever. I know it's a bit old now, but absence is absence, and I really wanted to include it; especially for those of you who's eyes haven't graced its presence as of yet.

           On the topic of movies, I saw Pirates 4 (after a bit of a Hangover 2 cuffufle)  today and was pleasantly surprised by it.  Depp was as good as ever, and there was a great showcase of  recognisable faces on screen (Richard Griffiths, Stephen Graham). In all honesty, it was far more enjoyable than I had expected and reminded me a lot of Indy's The Last Crusade, what with the "hunting down of a mythical object" angle of the plot line. RE:View? Stay tuned...

  I also seem to be getting really into Joss Whedon's works at the moment. As you know, I expressed interest in his sci-fi/western series, Firefly, a couple of weeks ago (of which I am now in love with) and have since expanded into some of his other stuff. Namely: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Possibly the only good thing to come out of the writer strike of 2008, this delightful tragi-comedy musical web-series has been stuck in my head for the last two days. Here's a taster: 

Yep, it's the openly awesome Neil Patrick Harris!

You can actually find the whole thing on YouTube if you want to check it out in its entirety, which I implore you to. Seriously, you'll thank me. You may even want to buy this after:
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: The Book 

          Now I know the hits have dived this month, and you can't blame really blame the little guys. There's been very little activity and nothing new has flourished yet. But hold onto your savoury snacks, because I'd like to (try to) introduce the new WTF (What The Fridge) weekly feature. It could be a picture, video, track or generally anything that makes no sense and just makes you question humanity, the world or even yourself. Suggestions would be nice too, if you ever have anything in mind. And the best thing; it's not going to be restricted to a certain day of the week! It could be anytime! Okay, so maybe that's not the best thing, but it certainly helps me out having no commitment deadlines (Tuesdays can be a tough squeeze).

Stuff like this? I think so.

  That's all for now, so come back in the week for the first WTF, a new trailer, maybe an RE:View and if you're really lucky, perhaps a special feature. Stay safe now.  

Kapow! Comic-Con: The Full Report

 As you should know by now, I took a trip to Geeksville yesterday when I attended London's "Kapow!" Comic Convention. Here's how it went, including some razzle-dazzle photos and a few interesting new announcements:

After an... interesting train ride (which included a chubby man feasting on his nose cuisine.) and consequent tube rides, me and my Dad found ourselves here, at the London Business Design Centre. Awesome Green Lantern poster here too.

Hit the link below for the rest:

Movie Casting News

It's been a busy week for casting, with roles being designated left, right and centre. So I, being the generous type I am, thought I would share all the news with my fellow peers (that's you). First up, it's the two DC big hitters with the latest actor confirmations...

 Superman: Man of Steel, is Zack Snyder's upcoming reboot of the world most iconic superhero. Already in the role of Clark Kent himself, is English actor Henry Cavill, who you can see star alongside Mickey Rourke in the upcoming Immortals. But on Thursday, it was officially announced that the long rumoured Kevin Costner will play Jonathan "Pa" Kent in the ambitious new take on the Superman franchise. And, if you didn't know already, Diane Lane will be appearing with Costner as faithful wife and mother, Martha Kent. So that's the Kent family sorted, now how about the villain? Well, as a matter of fact it has been rumoured that LOTR star Viggo Mortensen could be in talks to play uber kryptonian baddie, General Zod, the same Zod responsible for the destruction of planet Krypton itself... I'll keep my eyes peeled for any more news on this one.

Kneel before Zod?

  Onto the much anticipated Dark Knight Rises now, Christopher Nolan's final piece of his Batman trilogy. With Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Tom Hardy already suiting up for the role of Bane, this is shaping up to be one hell of a cast, even without the newcomers I'm about to reveal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who you may remember from Nolan's mind-boggling Inception, has now been officially cast in some sort of role after months of speculation. Could he be another villain? Azrael perhaps? Or, dare I say it, Robin? Also now being "eyed" for the role of "street smart Gotham Girl" is Indie sensation Juno Temple. Let more speculation reign as fans try to decipher what this mysterious role might mean. Harley Quinn, anyone? Maybe Batgirl (unlikely)? Or, dare I dare say it, a female Robin? ... Only time will tell, but one thing you can be sure of is that Nolan knows what he's doing, so just have faith, people.

Hmmm...

 Finally, the much anticipated (well for me anyway) protagonist role in the adaptation of The Hunger Games books has been confirmed. Jennifer Lawrence is officially Katniss Everdeen, the young penniless girl who must enter into a brutal tournament where kids are pitted against each other in this dystopian future sci-fi thriller. As a fan of the books myself, I was rooting for True Grit star, Hailee Steinfield for the role as I felt her look much more suited the novels description. However I will settle for Lawrence, as it seems she's quite the actress after her many nominations for her performance in Winter's Bone. But we'll have to wait until 2012 to see if it's any good. I've got my fingers crossed.

 That would be all for now it seems, but I'm sure to be doing something or other quite soon. Plus, only 5 more hits until the big 1K! Could this article pull it through to the first thousand views? Lets hope, now hit your F5's people! See you soon.

**********************UPDATE***********************

Hot off the press; the new villain for the Spidey reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, has been confirmed as Lizard and is being played by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans. The news comes after an actor in a minor role in the film dropped a few too many hints on a radio show this morning.

Think "The Hulk", but with scales and sharper teeth...

 The minor actor, C.Thomas Howell (who may be in a bit of shit right now) revealed that *SPOILERS* he plays a man who's son gets caught up in between a battle with Lizard and Spider-Man on the Manhattan Bridge. Spidey then saves the boy and returns him to his father. However, Howell also said:

    "There is some payback there at the end of the movie. Spider-Man is kind of hurting. I help him when all of the other people won't. Part of the story is, the nation thinks he might be a bad guy. They don't know what to think. Because of my experience on the bridge with my kid, I know he is a good guy. I pitch in and help out at the end. That is the best way."
  
A few beans too many were spilt today, I fear... Oh well, it's always good to get some accidental but official leaks on what's coming up. The new Spider-Man comes out July 2012 in 3D with The Social Network's Andrew Garfield as the famous web-slinger, and by the sounds of it, it's going to rock.


********************************UPDATE******************************


  Joseph Gordon-Levitt's role in The Dark Knight Rises has now been officially confirmed. Robin? No. Riddler? Not quite. Azrael? Nope. Mafia and crime boss Alberto Falcone, ladies and gentlemen. 

Hold onto your seats, because this movie's going to be a hell of a ride!

Son of the infamous former mafia leader, Carmine Falcone, (who you may remember for Batman Begins), Alberto will be another "realistic" villain for Batman to face, and could potentially take the trilogy full circle as it was Carmine who initially triggered Bruce Wayne to go and train. So a nice little battle between the two would tie things up nicely in terms of overarching narratives. Well played, Mr Nolan, well played...