Aaron Eckhart

‘The Dark Knight’ Bestows Role of a Lifetime For Heath Ledger, Epic Proportions For Itself

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:01:00 -0700

CHICAGO – With only three short words comprising the film’s enigmatic title, “The Dark Knight” also boasts three epic claims to fame: the role of a lifetime for the late Heath Ledger as the hauntingly deranged Joker, one of the best films of 2008 and one of the greatest superhero films of all time.

In a year when Hollywood has the superhero woody comparable to when westerns where the greatest thing since sliced bread, “The Dark Knight” not only fares well against blockbuster competition with films like “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” but also manages to rise above chartbuster status into a whole new league of undisputed justice.

FULL REVIEW
Read Adam Fendelman’s full “The Dark Knight” review.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERIES
View our exclusive Chicago red-carpet slideshow.
View our full, high-resolution “The Dark Knight” image gallery.

RELATED READING
Read our comprehensive news on “The Dark Knight”.
More film reviews from critic Adam Fendelman.

Rating: 5.0/5.0
(rarely perfect)

Though a decidedly dark and outcast Batman is the heart behind the marketing machine for “The Dark Knight” from writer and director Christopher Nolan (who also directed the film’s first iteration in 2005 entitled “Batman Begins”), Christian Bale in the seminal role has his show stolen by Ledger’s villain.

While to some it may be surprising to classify Bale’s performance as “B” list and Ledger’s as “A+” list, you almost feel modesty in Bale’s screen time to honor the true man of this film’s 142 minutes.

While “The Dark Knight” completed principal photography prior to Ledger’s death, Bale delivers an intricately muted role as compared to Ledger. While entwined with the power inherent in his superhero marauding, Bale’s also humbled from working with another man who was delivering the culmination of his life’s work.

Health Ledger disappears so convincingly and completely into the Joker that you struggle to remember him in anything else.

This is a telling testament to an illustrious – albeit too short – career of an actor who memorably broke free in transformative roles in films including “Brokeback Mountain”. Nolan – who for this film was significantly influenced by the 1995 film “Heat” – says he selected Ledger for the focal Joker role based on his “fearlessness”.

Ledger’s Joker is developed to the finest of details even down to his unruly tongue action and the sounds of his excess saliva. Moreover, Nolan and co-writing brother Jonathan Nolan (David S. Goyer was also integral in the film’s story) deliver to Ledger the best profundities of any talent in the star-studded film.

“The Dark Knight,” which is directed by Christopher Nolan and features Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall, Colin McFarlane, Joshua Harto, Michael Jai White and William Fichtner, will open everywhere on July 18, 2008 in traditional theaters and in IMAX. The film will show in IMAX for a continuous 72 hours for its opening Chicago weekend.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Dark Knight” review. View our exclusive red-carpet coverage of “The Dark Knight” in Chicago.

Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros., copyright DC Comics

Gary Oldman at Chicago’s Navy Pier for the red-carpet premiere of “The Dark Knight” on July 16, 2008. In the film, Oldman plays Lt. James Gordon.
Original photography for HollywoodChicago.com by Kris Kasperek of iKLiKphoto

Christian Bale as Batman on his Batpod in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros., copyright DC Comics

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Dark Knight” review. View our exclusive red-carpet coverage of “The Dark Knight” in Chicago.

Chicago’s Navy Pier to Feature ‘72 Hours of Batman’ For ‘The Dark Knight’ IMAX Premiere

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:08:17 -0700

CHICAGO – “The Dark Knight,” which for hordes of moviegoers across the U.S. is 2008’s most anticipated film, won’t just open on July 18, 2008 in Chicago to everyday fanfare. It was announced on Wednesday that the film will have “72 hours of Batman” that weekend at Chicago’s Navy Pier for its IMAX version.

Beginning with the first public showing at midnight on Friday, July 18 (late Thursday night), the film will show consecutively all weekend until late Sunday, July 20 (the midnight show). As well, various Batman-themed games, contests and prizes will add to the buzz throughout the weekend.

A scene from “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: The New York Times on March 9, 2008

Just in time for Father’s Day, tickets for every show that weekend go on sale this Thursday, June 12. Because it’s IMAX, the price is jacked up a bit to $15 for adults or $13 for children. Tickets can be obtained at http://www.imax.com/chicago. This is the film’s description:

“The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of lieutenant Jim Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets.

The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.

The film also stars Academy Award winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) as Alfred; Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger (“Brokeback Mountain”) as arch villain The Joker; Gary Oldman as lieutenant Jim Gordon; Aaron Eckhart as district attorney Harvey Dent; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) as Lucius Fox.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

New Poster Surfaces For ‘The Dark Knight’: ‘Welcome to a World Without Rules’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:49:18 -0700

CHICAGO – The Joker played nice on Thursday and delivered new fan fruit for “The Dark Knight”: a movie poster sporting the new statement “welcome to a world without rules”. He used his popular viral site WhySoSerious.com to unleash the award.

Feast your eyes on the new poster below. View a high-resolution version here. View our full image gallery here for “The Dark Knight”. Read our extensive “The Dark Knight” coverage here. Stay tuned for another marvel in four days, too, which is speculated to be a new trailer.

This new poster for “The Dark Knight” was revealed on April 24, 2008 from a WhySoSerious.com viral marketing campaign. View a high-resolution version here.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

“The Dark Knight” from Warner Bros., which features Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy and Anthony Michael Hall, is scheduled to hit theaters everywhere on July 18, 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Three Months Early, First Review For ‘The Dark Knight’ Surfaces Online

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:05:10 -0700

CHICAGO – With today being April 9, 2008 and with “The Dark Knight” scheduled to open on July 18, 2008, the difference between the two dates, of course, is more than three months. Even so, the first review for the monolithically anticipated film has just hit the Web in Portuguese.

Contributor Alexandre Winck for the respected Batman site Batman-on-Film.com reports that the review comes from a “well-known blog in Brazil” that’s part of the “largest media corporation” there, which is known as Globo. Winck says the author is a “respected journalist”. While the translation into English is a bit rough, you’ll get the gist. The following information may contain spoilers.

Director Chris Nolan on the set of “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Released by the New York Times on March 9, 2008

My secret agent between the Armani suits saw a super private session for “The Dark Knight” and came out drooling. It will be a great success, he guarantees.

The gadgets – especially the [Batpod], [which is] responsible for an acclaimed action sequence – are crazy and Heath Ledger might receive a deserved [award?] for his Joker. [He is] a mixture of a fool/clown, schizophrenic, sadistic and crazy.

The guy delivered, got himself into the role and it’s unrecognizable. There will be no other Joker after him.

Many great scenes. Impeccable effects. Music and sounds pretty loud, but helping the story. They have a heartbeat they use in a sensational way [that helps to anticipate] the next scene [as] a psychological trigger [like in “Jaws”].

The cast is awesome. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman [steal] scenes in which all are present. Maggie Gyllenhaal [is] fantastic replacing Katie Holmes and Aaron Eckhart [is] a great surprise as the politician with a heart of gold whose personality changes after a horrible accident.

Another surprise is Eric Roberts as the mobster he knows so well how to do. Christian Bale [is] solid as ever [and] cool since Bruce Wayne is a rich playboy and Batman is the opposite. The film plays a lot with this duality. All the characters are complex, [have] ambiguities [and are] very interesting and delicate.

The humor … is totally dark. The movie is very dark and, in this version, a little too long. [It] will blow [everyone] away.

Due to its sensitivity, part of the next sentence is whited out in case you don’t want to read it. If you do, select it with your mouse.

Another scene … with Ledger [as] the Joker playing dead inside a body bag caused adverse reactions in the audience for obvious reasons. It will possibly be cut.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Exclusive: Chicago Police Break Up Harvey Dent Viral Marketing Campaign For ‘The Dark Knight’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:07:13 -0700

CHICAGO – As we reported would happen on March 12, 2008, “The Dark Knight” enthusiasts indeed congregated in Chicago (as others will across the country on various other dates on this “Dentmobile” tour) to show their fictional campaign support for Harvey Dent – played by Aaron Eckhart in the July 18, 2008 superhero monolith – running for district attorney.

Those familiar with the film’s extensive viral marketing campaign enjoyed keeping “in character” and confusing uninformed Chicagoans who weren’t aware that the charade was actually in support of a storied politician within Hollywood. We feature below exclusive photos of the morning campaign from longtime HollywoodChicago.com source Vlkers54.

The morning campaign, which was supposed to run from 8 to 10 a.m., was cut short due to a Chicago police breakup after three minutes flat. Vlkers54 has provided us with the following detail about the morning.

Hey, Adam! Cops kicked us out!

I was at the 8 a.m. stop. I got there at 7:30 a.m. and I sure am glad I did. At 8:03 a.m., the cops came and kicked us out! Only me and another guy showed up, but we did end up getting a lot of free stuff [including] bumper stickers, posters, buttons and a T-shirt. You should have seen the people as they were coming out of the train station:

“Who is Harvey Dent?”
“What is this all about?”
“Is this for that movie?” (We responded: “What movie? ‘No Country For Old Men?’ That’s a movie!”)

We kept “in character” and promoted Harvey Dent for [district attorney] as if he were a real person. Confusing people was a lot of fun. Some people did catch on to what was going on. Even middle-aged men who knew who [Harvey Dent] was were excited, [asked] for buttons and filled out the petition forms.

It was a lot of fun, but let’s hope the cops don’t ruin the 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. sessions. I can’t make the 11 a.m., but I will be at the 4 p.m. trail.

~ Vlkers54

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Chicago campaign will be meeting at Jackson Street and State Street. From 4 to 6 p.m., the Chicago campaign will be meeting at the Canal and Madison commuter station. A full list of other viral marketing cities, locations, times and dates can be found here.

“The Dark Knight” viral marketing site IBelieveInHarveyDent.com is publishing photos like the above from across the U.S. here.

Click here for our full “The Dark Knight” image gallery!

10:16 p.m. update on March 13, 2008: We have learned that yet another new viral marketing site for “The Dark Knight” just went live: GothamElectionBoard.com. Why? You guessed it. There will be an actual election process for Harvey Dent with real voter registration cards sent in the mail. See this comment below for more information. A screenshot of the new site is below.

10:43 p.m. update on March 13, 2008: When it rains in “The Dark Knight” land, it usually pours. We just learned of yet another new viral site related to this campaign: GothamCityClerk.com. It announces the formulation of competition for this election campaign and implies the launch of even more viral sites. Read more about this in this comment below. A screenshot is below.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

‘The Dark Knight’ Viral Marketing Continues With Revamped IBelieveInHarveyDent.com

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:11:34 -0700

CHICAGO – I received a call to my cell phone at 7:02 p.m. from 000-000-0000 directing me to IBelieveInHarveyDent.com for more “The Dark Knight” viral marketing. Indeed, the site has relaunched itself with a new campaign. A screenshot of the revamped site is below. To hear it from yourself, the phone call can be listened to here (source).

At the updated site, a slew of new promotional campaign materials have gone live at a new downloads page. These are all below.

This campaign calls for enthusiasts to print out these materials and display them in creative ways on the streets of cities across the U.S. A “you in action” page has appeared to show submissions, which are due by March 26, 2008 at noon. Photos and videos can be submitted here. The site gives some suggested ways to play along and explains its reason for doing so:

Show your support for Harvey Dent! Gotham City is collapsing from a runaway crime wave and Harvey Dent can save it. But he has to run for district attorney first.

The only way he’ll run is if he sees an outpouring of public support. Let’s all get out there and show Harvey Dent he’s got support to take back Gotham! Let’s get those videos and [pictures] coming!

We can do anything – the bigger and more creative the better. Here are a few creative examples that you can take photos and videos of:

Get your friends together and spell out Harvey Dent in human letters
Get a video of your school’s cheerleading team yelling out chants for Harvey Dent
Try to cover every square inch of someone’s cubicle area with Harvey Dent posters
Write and perform a “take back Gotham” song
Make up a “Dent dance” routine
See if you can get up a Harvey Dent sign in every single window of your dorm building
Turn your own car into a “Dentmobile”
Arrange a Dent parade down Main Street
Make a human pyramid with other Harvey Dent supporters

Be creative. Harvey Dent wants to see that we want change and we are ready to work for change. Harvey wants to see that people are ready to throw out the old, break out of habits [and] really do something new and different! That’s what taking back Gotham will take.

We’ll feature the best examples of great videos and [pictures] on the site. The future of Gotham City is in our hands now, people! Let’s get out there and make some noise!

Visual examples from the site of what to do can be found below.

The site also announces the “Dentmobile,” which will hit the road in various cities across the U.S. While the site says specific dates and locations are “coming soon,” the following route map is currently revealed. You can submit your e-mail address on that page for periodic updates.

So you can see what it looks like when you receive one of these calls, I have taken a picture of my cell phone and am displaying it below.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

IBelieveInHarveyDent.com Announces New Viral Campaign For ‘The Dark Knight’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:29:16 -0700

CHICAGO – I just received new information from Vlkers54, who captured the Chicago cake in an earlier viral marketing campaign for “The Dark Knight,” about a brand-new viral marketing campaign for the film.

Harvey Dent is back! Nothing with the phones yet, but I am guessing sometime soon!

The viral site at IBelieveInHarveyDent.com just changed! You can now enter in your e-mail and phone number. When you do, you get an e-mail asking to verify your e-mail. Here is the message:

Quote:Citizens of Gotham! The future of our city rests in your hands! Alone, we are helpless against the thugs and killers menacing our city. Together, we have the power to take back Gotham. In just a few days, you’ll find out how. Please click … to verify your e-mail address. Keep an eye on http://www.ibelieveinharveydent.com and get ready to join a movement that will transform our city!

The viral campaign starts up again! I read on some message boards that they are planning a college campus/city viral campaign blanket on Sunday and handing out Harvey Dent merchandise and such.

If my Joker cake phone rings, I will let you know. No, I did not put in my Joker cake phone number for the Harvey Dent Web site. Keeping you informed as always. Be on the look out today and this weekend!

~ Vlkers54

The following is a screenshot of IBelieveInHarveyDent.com as it is displayed currently.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

For Clarity: Fan-Manipulated Two-Face Images For ‘The Dark Knight’ Are Indeed Doctored

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:47:09 -0700

While I typically swerve clear of conjecture and fake imagery, this post is dedicated to the pursuit of clarity because this particular fan-manipulated imagery has been causing a good deal of confusion.

I’ll be clear: The Two-Face images below for “The Dark Knight” are fake. The character still hasn’t been revealed. The first photo below is the original Aaron Eckhart photo from the 2004 film “Suspect Zero”.

Aaron Eckhart in “Suspect Zero” in 2004.
Photo credit: Melissa Moseley, Paramount Pictures
The Photoshopped fan version, which clearly comes from the above “Suspect Zero” image, is below. These mockups have been posted on various discussion forums.

A fan-manipulated version of Aaron Eckhart designed to
look like Two-Face in “The Dark Knight”.
I can also confirm that the following mockup comes from “The Black Dahlia” in 2006.

A fan-manipulated version of Aaron Eckhart in “The Black Dahlia”
designed to look like Two-Face in “The Dark Knight”.

New Joker Photo; ‘The Dark Knight’ on The Today Show; Betty’s House of Pies; The Perfect Getaway; Church Site

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:15:01 -0700

Wizard on Friday released the cover of its upcoming 2008 movie spectacular magazine. The cover features a new look at Heath Ledger as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.

The magazine, which will hit comic stores on Dec. 5 and newsstands on Dec. 18, features 13 pages of “The Dark Knight” coverage including the first official set visit and a Christian Bale profile.

In other Friday news, new footage on “The Dark Knight” from The Today Show surfaced on YouTube. The segment features an interview with Bale on his interpretation of Batman.

We also hear from Aaron Eckhart and Chris Nolan and see the new batsuit. The segment, which aired on Nov. 30, is embedded below.

Also, a new viral site called Betty’s House of Pies has just launched at BettysHouseOfPies.com with reservations@bettyshouseofpies.com and the phone number 866-237-6152 listed as well.

When you e-mail reservations@bettyshouseofpies.com, you receive this automatic response: “We don’t take reservations from e-mail anymore because nobody ever checked and people just got mad.”

After submitting a tip earlier at WeAreTheAnswer.org, I just received a threatening phone call from 000-000-0000. While I typed it as fast as possible, I couldn’t catch everything. This is what I did catch:

We heard about the message you left at the DA’s office. I know you have some big ideas about being a good citizen. No one likes a squeeler. You know nothing.

They’re out there putting their lives on the line so you can sleep OK … and you’re laying in your bed. Let’s see what happens the next time you need someone in blue.

Think about who they are. Check document LC6551. You know where to look.

An online search for LC6551 reveals these documents:

LC6551 .R39 2005
Ray, Angela G.
Lyceum and public culture in the nineteenth-century United States.
East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, c2005.

LC6551 .R54 2003
Rieser, Andrew Chamberlin.
Chautauqua moment: Protestants, progressives and the culture of modern liberalism.
New York: Columbia University Press, c2003.

LC6551 .T27 1997
Tapia, John E., 1950-
Circuit chautauqua: from rural education to popular entertainment in
early twentieth century America.
Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., c1997.

The final 26 seconds of the message have just been recorded and posted to YouTube. This is courtesy of AXB Enterprises. Listen below.

Also, a site for St. Swithuns Catholic Church – the oldest Catholic church in Gotham – has launched at www.saintswithunschurch.org. I learned about this site from here.

Even more, yet another WhySoSerious.com page just emerged on Friday at www.whysoserious.com/theperfectgetaway using maps that span the various Gotham sites.