Batman Begins

‘The Dark Knight’ Returns to IMAX Theaters on Jan. 23, 2009

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:13:48 -0700

CHICAGO – You can celebrate the very likely Oscar nominations for “The Dark Knight” or lament the film’s snubbing by the academy by revisiting Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece in all of its IMAX glory starting this Friday on Jan. 23, 2009.

“The Dark Knight” will reopen at four theaters in the Chicagoland area: the Navy Pier IMAX in downtown Chicago, the Seven Bridges IMAX in Woodridge, Ill.; the Lincolnshire 20 in Lincolnshire, Ill.; and the Randall IMAX 15 in Batavia, Ill.

True Heath Ledger fans and “The Dark Knight” junkies may feel the need to see the film on opening night at Navy Pier because they will also be admitted to a special screening of “Batman Begins” at midnight for no additional cost. Yes, the 9 p.m. show of “The Dark Knight” at Navy Pier IMAX scores you tickets for this one-time event. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for children and can be bought at the Navy Pier IMAX Web site.

Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action drama “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Stephen Vaughan

All across the country, Warner Bros. is bringing back the IMAX presentation of “The Dark Knight” to give audiences one more chance to see the film on the big screen.

Dan Fellman (president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures) said in a statement: “‘The Dark Knight’ is a crowning achievement in every sense of the word. We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the big screen as it was meant to be seen.”

Christopher Nolan has already received a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination and producers Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas have garnered a Producers Guild Award nomination. A Writers Guild of America (WGA) award nomination for best adapted screenplay has gone to Chris Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer.

Cast member Heath Ledger received a Screen Actors Guild award nomination and has also won a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award and numerous other critics groups’ awards for best supporting actor.

“The Dark Knight” also won the Critics’ Choice Award for best action film and swept the People’s Choice Awards in five categories including favorite movie and favorite cast. It will very likely score a number of Oscar nominations when they are announced on Jan. 22, 2009. Heath Ledger’s searing performance is a front runner for best supporting actor.

“The Dark Knight” is being rereleased by Warner Brothers Pictures and stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. It was written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan. It will be rereleased in IMAX theaters on Jan. 23, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Dark Knight’ Excels Technically But Misses Special Features

BrianTT — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:32:54 -0700

CHICAGO – The most highly anticipated movie of the summer was also the most highly anticipated Blu-Ray release of the year and that was before the film had even hit theaters. The hype paid off in critical acclaim and commercial success, and audiences should be satisfied with “The Dark Knight” on Blu-Ray, if not quite as blown away as they were at the multiplex.

In one of the most brilliant marketing decisions of the year, Warner Brothers included the first six minutes of “The Dark Knight” in high-definition 1080p on their special edition Blu-Ray release of “Batman Begins” earlier this year, giving audiences a taste of what the sequel would look like on the next-gen format. Most of us, heavily under the influence of the incredible viral marketing and hype for the biggest movie of the decade, watched those six minutes more than any other part of the “Batman Begins” Blu-Ray release.

The Dark Knight is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 9, 2008.

After “The Dark Knight” made a billion dollars (give or take) around the world, a special edition Blu-Ray release was inevitable. But Warner Brothers was clearly caught in a double-dip dilemma. Would they release all of the special features and produce one of the best Blu-Ray releases of the year or hold back and release an inevitable even-more-special edition to coincide with the Batman film following “The Dark Knight”?

They went with the latter choice. “The Dark Knight” is a technically beautiful Blu-Ray release, but the selection of special features and their execution is consistently frustrating and not up to the caliber of the movie itself.

With “The Dark Knight”, Warner Brothers has made two things clear. 1.) They are very interested in the potential of BD-Live, a special feature that could truly revolutionize the home viewing market and, in turn, the theatrical one. 2.) They’re going to ask for your money twice. There are just too many missing special features on “The Dark Knight” to not assume that they’ll be back for more. Come to terms with that, and you’ll enjoy “The Dark Knight” on Blu-Ray. But just know that it’s a placeholder.

As for the film itself, it would be hyperbolic overkill to review it for too long. “The Dark Knight” is the best superhero movie ever made. It’s what is often referred to as a game-changer - a movie that changes the genre forever. A new bar has been set. For more on the greatness of the film itself, check out HollywoodChicago.com publisher Adam Fendelman’s 5-star review.

The Dark Knight is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 9, 2008.

The most positively remarkable thing about the Blu-Ray release of “The Dark Knight” is that it represents perhaps Warner Brothers’ best video transfer to date. This studio led the way in standard definition, but backed the wrong army in the HD war and has only been doing Blu-Ray since the merciful end of that conflict.

But they have quickly risen to the top in Blu-Ray as well with “The Dark Knight” representing the apex of that rise. Put simply, the 1080p High Definition 16x9 Variable 2.40:1 and 1.78:1 (IMAX Sequences) video transfer is flawless. Films with as much darkness as “Knight” often lose the clarity of their color. Blacks blend into blues and browns aren’t as distinct as they should be. And it’s not surprising to see visual noise or loss of clarity in the dark backgrounds. NONE of that is apparent in the transfer of “The Dark Knight”. Stores looking to sell more Blu-Ray players this holiday season need only show this on a 24/7 loop.

And stereo stores should play it too. Sound is such a crucial part of director Christopher Nolan’s vision and the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track on “The Dark Knight” is perfectly mixed. Turn it up loud, wake the neighbors, and enjoy.

Before we get into what special features are included and their quality - a general note. “The Dark Knight” comes with no commentary tracks, no deleted scenes, and a bizarre selection of featurettes that miss the mark in providing a full look at what went into making and marketing this masterpiece. It’s not as much a case of what IS there being bad, it’s just poorly arranged and incomplete.

The Dark Knight is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 9, 2008.

The most interesting aspect of the special features for “The Dark Knight” is the attempt at interactivity. Users can provide their own video commentary and share it with their friends via BD-Live. Now your interpretation of “The Dark Knight” can be heard by all. BD-Live also allows for live chats with filmmakers, exclusive content not on the disc itself and more trailers for WB product than your average multiplex.

When I accessed it, all I got was the preview for the movie on a constant loop for a while. There are clearly some kinks still being worked out. Once that was cleared up, there are some interesting extras available for stream, including some pretty cool animated short films (that buffered forever but eventually played) and more behind-the-scenes information.

As for what is included, Warner Brothers has unwisely gone from including scene-specific featurettes picture-in-picture, as they had been most of this year, to something new called “Focus Points”. When they’re activated, a gold disc will appear in the upper corner of the movie when there’s a related featurette available. So, instead of watching the movie and having the b-t-s features available automatically, you’ll have to hold your remote in your hand the entire time. It’s a stupid change.

The entirety of the “Focus Points” can be watched in one, hour-long sitting under the banner, “Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene”. There are 18 mini-featurettes with relatively self-explanatory titles. They are “The Prologue”, “The New Bat-Suit”, “Joker Theme”, “Hong Kong Jump”, “Judge’s Car Blows Up”, “Challenges of the Chase, In IMAX”, “SWAT Van Into River”, “Miniature Unit”, “Destruction of Batmobile”, “Bat-Pod”, “Helicopter Crash”, “Truck Flip”, “MCU Explosion”, “Lamborghini Crash”, “Hospital Explosion”, “Mob Car Flip”, “String of Sausages Stunt”, and “Upping the Ante”.

The Dark Knight is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 9, 2008.

The second disc includes three featurettes, galleries, and trailers. Here’s where the missing pieces - no deleted scenes, comprehensive documentary, etc. - come into clear focus. The “Behind the Story” section includes two 45-minute featurettes called “Batman Tech” about the gadgets of the film and “Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight” about the history of the damaged hero. “Gotham Tonight” is a 46-minute collection of news broadcasts that were partially seen in the background of the film. It’s a lot of time with Anthony Michael Hall. All the excellent trailers and marketing materials are included in galleries.

“The Dark Knight” is one of the best movies of 2008 with one of the best video/audio transfers in the history of the Blu-Ray format. Those two things alone make it a must-buy, even if it’s pretty clear that you’re going to be asked to buy it twice.

‘The Dark Knight’ is released by Warner Brothers on DVD/Blu-Ray and stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Gary Oldman. It was written by Jonathan Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan. It was released on December 9th, 2008.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Wizard World Chicago in Full Swing; Geeks Rejoice as Comic Expo Will Be Largest in Local History

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:11:21 -0600

CHICAGO – Thursday kicks off the annual Wizard World Chicago comic book convention, which runs June 26 through June 29, 2008.

Comic book and toy collectors from around the world are gathering at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont to hock goods, spread rumors and revel in all things geeky. Here’s a breakdown of some of the fun.

See our 12-slide Wizard World Chicago 2008 image slideshow.

“Batman: Gotham Knight” (the film that bridges the gap between 2005’s “Batman Begins” and 2008’s “The Dark Knight”) will have its world premiere on Saturday night.

Following the premiere, writers Brian Azzarello, Alan Burnett, Josh Olson, Greg Rucka and executive producer Bruce Timm will take part in a special panel and Q&A session moderated by DC Comics senior vice president of creative affairs Gregory Noveck.

The creative team will then participate in a public signing on Sunday morning.
Special guest Missy Peregrym from the hit TV shows “Reaper” and “Heroes” will sit down with Kevin Mahadeo from Wizard Magazine during a Saturday Q&A panel.
Guest of honor Warren Ellis will be at the show every day from Thursday to Sunday courtesy of Avatar Press. During his special nighttime event on Friday at 9:30 p.m., Ellis will discuss a variety of topics and give fans a rare glimpse into his unparalleled personality.
On Saturday at 2 p.m., you can learn how students at Chicago’s Flashpoint Academy are working on the exciting visual effects for the soon-to-be-released film “Space Pirates”.

The visual effects supervisor for the film “Space Pirates” (also chair of the visual effects and animation department at Flashpoint Academy) will be on hand to show how the effects are being created. Work representing the students and professionals will be discussed.
Venom and Phoenix from the hit NBC series “American Gladiators” will be showing clips and giving away behind-the-scenes secrets during their question-and-answer session on Friday.
The creators of the “[adult swim]” series “Moral Orel” will participate in a panel on Saturday during which you’ll hear about the making of this Emmy Award-winning, stop-motion animated show. Present at the panel will be Dino Stamatopoulos (“Late Night with Conan O’Brien”), Chicago’s Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”) and Chris McKay. They’re oh-so offensive and oh-so funny.

Six of the seven artists who formed Image Comics, which has gone on to be one of the biggest comic companies of all time, will reunite on Saturday.

Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Whilce Portacio, Erik Larsen, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino will discuss the past, present and future of the company that brought you “Spawn,” “WildC.A.T.s,” “Savage Dragon,” “Youngblood” and more.

Wizard World Chicago takes its first step into the world of live music with the invigorating J-pop sound of ORESKABAND, which is currently one of the hottest bands in Japan.
Photo credit: Wizard Entertainment

With the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” movie and TV series hot on the horizon, Lucasfilm “head of fan relations” Steve Sansweet will have much to share with fans at Wizard World Chicago.
Sansweet’s presentation will reveal exciting looks into the upcoming animated movie and series as well as into LucasArts’ breathtaking new game “The Force Unleashed”.
Image Comics’ writer Robert Kirkman will be the subject of a look at his work on “Invincible,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Astounding Wolf-Man” and “Brit” during a panel on Friday.
On Thursday night at 7 p.m., all 100 original Hulk covers for Marvel’s recent Hulk No. 1 will be on display for the first and only time at a “green-room event”. Only 200 admission tickets will be sold with all proceeds going to benefit the The Hero Initiative.

“The Great Debate: Bendis vs. Johns” pits two of the hottest writers in comics – Marvel heavyweight Brian Michael Bendis and DC Comics titan Geoff Johns – against each other as they debate some of the most controversial topics in the industry.

Special guest Missy Peregrym from the hit TV shows “Reaper” and “Heroes” will sit down with Kevin Mahadeo from Wizard Magazine during a Saturday Q&A panel.
Photo credit: Wizard Entertainment

The convention takes its first step into the world of live music with the invigorating J-pop sound of ORESKABAND, which is currently one of the hottest bands in Japan.
The concert, which is free to convention attendees, will take place on Friday evening. Prior to the concert, ORESKABAND will be signing autographs on Friday at 1 p.m. in the fountain area.
In Saturday’s “Spawn to the Future” panel, “Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane makes a special guest appearance at Wizard World Chicago to introduce the new “Spawn” creative team.

Writer Brian Holguin, artist Whilce Portacio and McFarlane himself who will co-plot the stories and lay out the pages while revealing secrets about the book’s upcoming new direction.
There will be two tournament halls set up for gaming. Players will be competing all weekend in scheduled HeroClix battles for the title of North American national champion in the WizKids tournament hall. There will also be non-stop, around-the-clock gaming in the Wizards of the Coast hall.
There will be a “Women in Comics” panel on Sunday at noon. Gail Simone (“Wonder Woman” writer), Kristin Allen (“Aliens vs Predator: Requiem” and “Women of Marvel” sketch card artist) and Katie Cook (licensed artist for “Star Wars,” DC and Marvel) will share their experiences and tell you how to survive and thrive in the comics industry.

They will be joined by Agnes Garbowska (“Peach and the Isle of Monsters” and “Polar Bear Princess”), Eva Hopkins (“Dark Ivory” and colorist for “Dawn”), Jann Jones (senior coordinating editor for DCU) and Carly Spade (colorist for Particle 9 Productions).
During his Saturday “Wizard School” panel, Bob Layton (Marvel’s legendary creator of “Iron Man,” “X-Factor” and “Hercules: Prince of Power”) will discuss and demonstrate some “simple rules of thumb” that any beginning artist can apply when attempting to create a comics page.

You can learn on Sunday at 11 a.m. from this visionary veteran of the comic book industry and see how to apply his knowledge and experience to your own comics work.
Mitch Breitweiser (“Captain America: The Chosen” artist) will join Ethan Van Sciver, Shane Davis, Adi Granov, Greg Horn and Aaron Lopresti for the first “Wizard World Win, Lose or Draw” panel on Sunday at 1 p.m. The assortment of artists and two fans will play for prizes.

Attendees must purchase a raffle ticket for the chance to compete on stage. All proceeds benefit The Hero Initiative.

Also, stay tuned as HollywoodChicago.com writer Dustin Levell offers his reactions and thoughts from convention attendees in the next edition of the HollywoodChicago.com podcast!

See our 12-slide Wizard World Chicago 2008 image slideshow.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Chicago Filmmaker Jerry Vasilatos to Shoot Short Film ‘The Dark Knight Project’ This Weekend

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:55:33 -0600

CHICAGO – Chicago filmmaker Jerry Vasilatos says “no copyright infringement is intended” by his shoestring-budgeted short film “The Dark Knight Project,” which he announced to HollywoodChicago.com in the middle of the night on June 13, 2008.

The timing is but hours before the June 14 and June 15, 2008 shoot this weekend. Asserting he’s not looking to get rich or famous with the effort and is merely doing so for the love of the game, Warner Bros. may perhaps empathize.

With his “The Dark Knight Project,” Vasilatos is slyly piggybacking on a buzz-building train for a film that will potentially be 2008’s most prominent.

“The Dark Knight Project” from Chicago filmmaker Jerry Vasilatos will shoot in Chicago from June 14 to 15, 2008.
Image credit: Jerry Vasilatos

The news of “The Dark Knight Project” comes on the heels of our announcement of “72 hours of Batman” whereby “The Dark Knight” will be shown for a consecutive 72 hours in IMAX at Chicago’s Navy Pier beginning on July 18, 2008 for opening weekend.

The following statement about “The Dark Knight Project” was issued to HollywoodChicago.com and is being used with permission.

With the theatrical release of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” approaching in July [2008], an intrepid group of Chicago filmmakers will take to the streets this weekend to shoot a Batman fan film that bridges events between 2005’s “Batman Begins” and the upcoming Warner Brothers blockbuster.

“The Dark Knight Project” chronicles the adventures of Gotham Midtown students Heather Nolan and Mikey Bale (played by Allyssa O’Donnell and David Sanchez).

Intent on being the first people in Gotham City to capture actual video of [Batman] in action for a school project, they set out with their video camera to interview people on the streets.

[They] witness the evacuation of a city block by police in the middle of a bomb scare and ultimately encounter Batman in the middle of a back alley break-in where he saves both high schoolers from a menacing group of thugs working for the Joker.

“I always wanted to shoot a Batman story. He is one of my favorite characters. Since I sincerely doubt Warner Brothers will ever ask me to direct one for them, I decided to use the resources I have available and do one myself,” jokes Chicago filmmaker Jerry Vasilatos, who wrote the story and is also producing and directing it.

“Every time I am downtown, I am reminded of the fact that we live in virtual Gotham City,” Vasilatos said.

He added: “Shooting an HD movie and emulating the same universe that Christopher Nolan created for ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ allows us to brand our short film with a certain authenticity and production value that we hope will have people thinking our story really could have taken place between the feature films.”

Assembling a talented group of filmmakers and cast from Chicago’s creative community, Vasilatos teamed up with co-producer Zoe Triantafillou and director of photography Trevi Albin to produce the film on a shoestring budget. [They are] relying on the downtown locations and authentic costuming to bring the short film to life.

“This is a complete labor of love,” Vasilatos said. “We’re not selling it. We’re not making any money off it.

“I just wanted the opportunity to shoot a short Batman story with high production values and share it with other fans in tribute to the character as well as director Christopher Nolan, who I think has finally nailed the type of Batman movie fans have always wanted to see on the big screen.”

Vasilatos’ crew shoots the film this weekend in several downtown locations leading to the climactic alley fight being shot off Van Buren on Sunday night between Batman (being played by Chicago actor Chris Nendick) and the Joker’s thugs.

Vasilatos also created a MySpace page for his two fictional characters Heather and Mikey where they have been blogging about their efforts to capture video of Batman to visitors. Their MySpace page is at www.myspace.com/darkknightproject.

A dedicated URL for the release of the film online is at www.darkknightproject.com. The short film will be released online in early July before “The Dark Knight” hits theaters.

Vasilatos, who returned to the Chicago production scene last spring, spent 10 years in Los Angeles working as a producer, director and editor with clients including Universal Home Video, The Reelz Channel and Fox Atomic.

His previous producing and directing efforts include the nationally syndicated entertainment news show “Made in Hollywood” and the Chicago Christmas movie “Solstice,” which was originally broadcast on Lifetime and is now enjoying a second life on Amazon.com under its new title “The Night Before Christmas”.

He also recently served as an editor on four episodes of the popular History Channel series “Gangland” during its first and second season. For more information or to arrange a visit to the set on June 14 or 15, call 323-309-7691.

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

Official Movie Poster Art Released For ‘Superhero Movie’

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:29:44 -0700

CHICAGO – We have been sent the official poster art for the new simply titled film “Superhero Movie,” which is a send-up of superhero films including “Batman Begins” and “Fantastic Four”.

“Superhero Movie” features Leslie Nielsen, Pamela Anderson (as The Invisible Girl), Sara Paxton, Brent Spiner (the android in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Simon Rex (as The Human Torch), Craig Bierko (as Wolverine), Tracy Morgan (as Dr. Xavier) and Regina Hall (as Mrs. Xavier).

The film, which is slated for release on March 28, 2008, is written and directed by Craig Mazin (the writer of “Scary Movie 3” and “Scary Movie 4”). Click the image below for a full-size version.

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

Still Image, New Details Surface on Straight-to-Video Batman Anime

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:14:46 -0700

If there’s anything we’ve come to expect from “The Dark Knight” and the franchise lately, it’s these two words: always more.

On Nov. 30, I mentioned that Wizard’s 2008 movie spectacular magazine was hitting comic stores on Dec. 5 and newsstands on Dec. 18. On Wednesday, we learned more about a straight-to-video Batman anime story and saw a new still image to tease it.

“The Dark Knight” anime.
Image credit: Wizard
Credit for this post comes first from Paul. His fan site referenced a JustPressPlay article where we learn the following:

Far from just a cheap tie-in, this looks like it’s actually going to be an animated series with weight.

These shorts stand alone on their own [and] take place in (direct Chris) Nolan’s Batman universe … between the first (“Batman Begins”) and second (“The Dark Knight”) movie.

Let’s take a look at the amazing players involved.

All six shorts are directed by the great animation god Bruce Timm (“Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,” “Batman: TAS,” “Batman Beyond” and “Justice League”).

The writers along with more information can be found here.

Following Wrap in Hong Kong, ‘The Dark Knight’ Begins Post-Production Work

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:57:38 -0700

Now that Hong Kong filming is a wrap for “The Dark Knight,” post-production work has officially begun, according to a very informative article in Screen Magazine that names the players involved.

As we know, the article states that “The Dark Knight” is the “largest studio picture ever to film” in Chicago.

It continued: “With a week of shooting in April and three recently completed months of summer shooting, the film brought $50 million to the [Chicago] economy and employed some 350 crew members.”

Dixon Galvez-Searle writes that the film is now beginning its amalgamation on the west coast by the hands of Hollywood equipment rental firm Digital Vortechs, which has been involved with “The Dark Knight” from the get go.

The article also points to the involvement of equipment facility Salon, which was brought in for “Batman Begins,” and says Digital Vortechs kept Roscor Corp. in Mt. Prospect, Ill. on retainer for tech support.

There’s a clear message in the story that using past players again is key as “studio productions are often wary of incorporating new partners into the mix”. This, of course, translates into new bidders having a competitive disadvantage.

Chicago-based Filmworkers/Astro Lab was named for film processing.

Finally, the story says “The Dark Knight” is being edited by Lee Smith of the Beverly Hills-based Gersh Agency. Audio post-production work is handed to Richard King along with Warner Bros. Post Production Services.