Christian Bale

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

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:49:18 -0400

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 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:05:10 -0400

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

In the Forums: ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Public Enemies’ in Chicago, ‘Iron Man,’ James Bond Secrets

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:19:29 -0500

CHICAGO – In this edition of In the Forums, we bring you news from our discussion boards about “The Dark Knight” continuing to heat up with its comprehensive viral marketing campaign, Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale turning heads in Chicago from local filming, new production stills for the hotly anticipated “Iron Man” film with Robert Downey Jr. and news about the unveiling of new James Bond secrets.

“The Dark Knight” celebrates April Fool’s Day with enthusiasts in style.

Read our full coverage here!
(Photo credit: IMDb)

“Public Enemies” is live and loud on the Chicago scene.

Read our full coverage here!
(Chicago Tribune photo by John Smierciak)

“The Dark Knight” viral marketing phones have been ringing off the hook.

Read our full coverage here!
(Photo credit: IMDb)

New “Iron Man” photos with a Paramount watermark have mysteriously surfaced online.

See them all here!
(Photo credit: Superhero Hype!)

A second Joker phone for “The Dark Knight” viral marketing has been snagged in Chicago and in cities across the U.S.

Read and see our photos here!
(Photo credit: IMDb)

James Bond revealing his own secrets? No, but an author will in a new book.

Get the full scoop here!
(Photo by Keith Hamshere on Nov. 17, 2002)

What’s the purpose, by the way, for this In the Forums package? While our discussion forums are an unfettered venting ground for all of our readers, we also originate a wide array of must-read news there from other trusted, high-quality entertainment publications.

For those of you who don’t frequent our forums and for those of you who typically read us via RSS or our daily mailing, the purpose of this package is to bring the news we’re publishing in our forums front and center into our news section, RSS feed and daily mailing.

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

‘Contraption’ Examines Mad-Scientist Intersection Between Invention, Insanity

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:08:22 -0500

CHICAGO – There’s a fine line between being batty and being brilliant. If there’s anything the world’s most brilliant inventors have taught us, it’s that most world-altering creators blurred that very line or visited the crazy farm before the world acknowledged their genius.

“Contraption”.
Photo credit: The Neo-Futurarium

Generated by a thought current from the Christian Bale film “The Prestige,” previous writer and first-time Chicago theater director Bilal Dardai created “Contraption” so society’s often-portrayed mad scientist could question the burdens and the blessings of his own devices.

In his Chicago play at The Neo-Futurarium, Dardai examines a titular character like we’ve seen in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” who is part “nutty,” part “absent-minded” and perhaps “sobered by tales of arrogant inventors who should have known better than to clone velociraptors” all while being made aware of his fanatical nature.

It wouldn’t stretch your imagination to imagine the passionate rage inherent in both Thomas Edison when he was creating direct current and Nikola Tesla when he was competing with alternating current. You could imagine they’d become so fixated on their creative divinations that missing meals or forgetting to bathe wouldn’t be alien.

But would they notice? Would their aptitude to blaze a path completely unknown to the world exceed their own ability to recognize the personal costs of their actions?

Are these people ever content or do they live a life full of frustration, failure, regret and loneliness? Are they just like the rest of us but shoved to an extreme? Dardai realizes: “How much difference is there between an inventor, an artist and somebody experiencing hallucinations? All three see things that aren’t there.”

In a vaudeville-style, screwball-comedy format, Chicago actor Kurt Chiang is Dardai’s science puppet who’s haunted by being forced to question his own sanity. Like real-life predecessor Wallace Carothers (the inventor of nylon), Chiang’s “Figure A” character also carries a vial of cyanide around his neck in preparation for suicide. Would he die for his pursuit for perfection?

Chicagoan Erik Newman sets him on a quest for the answer through the design of a convoluted machine that performs a hilariously simple action. Chiang’s perfectly panicky, unnerved character builds Newman’s pre-designed contraption before your very eyes.

While we won’t reveal whether the doohickey works or what it’s designed to do, the very action of creating the doodad sends Chiang on the brink of insanity and the border of bliss. He’s goaded by an antagonist (played by Joe Dempsey), guided by a curious conscience (Dina Connolly) and aided by an accomplice (Dana Dardai) in erecting a thingamabob he himself doesn’t understand all because he think his destiny is to do so.

Scripted into motion by his four human stage props, Dardai brings to life a wildly entertaining and thought-provoking play that’s cognizant of its own reality and consistent with the intersection between innovation and insanity. We’re left sympathetic to the dual-edged sword of genius and we’re reminded to respect so much we enjoy that came at such great cost.

“Contraption” runs through March 1, 2008 at The Neo-Futurarium at 5153 N. Ashland in Chicago. 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets cost $15.

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

Spoilers: New Plot Details Surface For ‘Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins’

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:26:38 -0500

Devin Faraci at CHUD on Wednesday gives us a further glimpse into “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” by revealing new plot details. Warning: This is spoiler information.

“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”.
Photo credit: ILM

John Conner (played by Christian Bale in the new film) is not the main character in the fourth film. He will have a more sizable role in the fifth movie.

The main character is a badass “Riddick”-like guy named Marcus (couldn’t they have come up with a better name?) who wakes up on post-apocalyptic Earth around 15 years before the future shown in the original “Terminator”.

When the producers said they are making a new trilogy, they aren’t kidding. The whole thing is apparently mapped out [meaning the fifth and six films as well].

Marcus is the star of the new trilogy.

No actor has been cast as Marcus [as of this posting].

The action in “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” (the upcoming fourth film) is described as “huge” including some battles with the T-600s.

The new story focuses on the degrees of difference between humans and terminator/human cyborgs.

‘The Dark Knight’ Delivers Sensory Orgasm in IMAX Prologue Before ‘I Am Legend’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:23:29 -0500

I went to screen “I Am Legend” on Wednesday to experience “The Dark Knight”.

That statement doesn’t speak grimly about my feelings for Will Smith. I was looking forward to learning his legend and I’m glad I did. The night at Chicago’s Navy Pier IMAX, though, went to its first six minutes with the Joker as the star.

A production still from “The Dark Knight” prologue.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Before I skipped the capacity crowd awaiting entrance into the theater, I stopped to listen to people’s pre-conceived motivations for spending a chilly Wednesday evening at the movies.

People weren’t there because it was free. More important, many people weren’t talking about “I Am Legend”. The buzz king went to Nolan & Co. A few people even went so far as to say they’d consume “The Dark Knight” prologue and skip out immediately thereafter.

I spoke to the publicist running the screening moments before heading in. He was in a panic.

He just got off the phone from New York because “the prologue wasn’t going to show,” he said. At the mere quiet mention of the notion, the few critics who heard it threw their hands in the air in disgust.

I’m paraphrasing, but the publicist immediately retorted: “Don’t worry. It’ll be there now. I made sure of it.” Their nerves were calmed and I now felt vindicated after having to miss last week’s sneak peak of the prologue following yet another “The Dark Knight” viral game.

We were first treated to a trailer for “The Spiderwick Chronicles”.

The next trailer – for a film documenting a rock star – was relatively unimpressive and forgettable. Then a sweeping shot of downtown Gotham ushered in “The Dark Knight” prologue and the theater erupted in applause.

You immediately felt the difference between a typical trailer preceding the big event as this prologue is a short film in its own right. Its design is to introduce the Joker as the crazed fiend he is. He’s indeed feared, he’s indeed demented and he indeed delivers on the frenetic hype.

The story leading up to his unmasking deliberately makes his revelation deliciously climatic. You love to hate Heath and feel no remorse loving him all the while.

For this Chicagoan who has been covering the ins and outs of the film as it has taken over our Windy City, the prologue feels much like home. I’d be watching and instantly recall reporting on that courthouse and stepping foot on those very floors when I was beckoned there for jury duty.

A cameo by William Fichtner (“Go,” “Armageddon,” “Contact”) as a Gotham National Bank manager proves even in just a glimpse the power of this cast from roles as big as Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman all the way down to this small bank manager who dominates a memorable scene.

William Fichtner in “The Perfect Storm”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Director Chris Nolan will be remembered as an innovator who made the premeditated choice to work with director of photography Wally Pfister and IMAX technicians to mark the first time in Hollywood history the larger and heavier IMAX cameras were used to film select sequences.

Rather than succumbing to the quality degradation inherent in converting traditional 35-millimeter film to the largesse of IMAX, Nolan filmed directly using the 60-millimeter, sensually orgasmic format. The wait was worth the remuneration and serves as yet another telltale sign that “The Dark Knight” will be the film of 2008.

Christian Bale in Negotiations to Star in ‘Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins’

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:06:55 -0500

After earlier rumors along the same line, Hollywood Reporter and Variety on Sunday are both reporting that Christian Bale is in talks to star in “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins”.

Christian Bale.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
The film is the fourth in the series. McG is still in negotiations to direct the Warner Bros. film, which focuses on John Connor in his 30s as he leads what’s left of the human race against the machines.

Six Promotional Photos Surface Featuring Batman, Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:50:42 -0500

Six promotional images surfaced on Sunday featuring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”. These are from the Italian Web site Uruloki.

3:23 p.m. update on 12/3/07: These images have been pulled from Uruloki and AICN at the request of Warner Bros. Though I haven’t yet been contacted by Warner Bros., I’ve pulled them as well.

Teaser Trailers Coming For ‘The Dark Knight,’ New ‘Indiana Jones,’ New ‘Star Trek’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:12:59 -0500

ComingSoon.net on Sunday published new details about when we should expect teaser trailers from “The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and the new “Star Trek” film.

ComingSoon.net has learned new details about the upcoming teaser trailers for three of [2008’s] highly anticipated movies.

Keep in mind … the online debuts for these trailers will probably be earlier in the week of release for the movie it is attached to and … the trailer may not be shown with every print of the film.

First up, the first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is now planned for a debut in [Feb. 2008].

Harrison Ford (left) and Shia LaBeouf in “Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: IMDb
While we don’t know for sure with which movie it will show, Paramount’s biggest film that month is “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Keep your eye on that one.

Of course, it’s possible Paramount will decide to debut footage earlier during the Super Bowl, but we’re not sure.

In just two weeks on Dec. 14, Warner Bros. will release the teaser trailer for … “The Dark Knight” in standard theaters with “I Am Legend”.

Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: IMDb
As was previously announced, the studio will be showing the seven-minute opening scene of “The Dark Knight” before the screenings of “I Am Legend” in IMAX.

“Star Trek” fans won’t have to wait long for the first teaser for the J.J. Abrams-directed film.

Paramount is planning a debut with the Abrams-produced monster movie “Cloverfield,” [which is opening] on Jan. 18, 2008.

I am screening “I Am Legend” in IMAX two days earler – on Dec. 12 – so stay tuned for information on “The Dark Knight” teaser trailer.

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 12:15:01 -0500

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.