In the second installment of the Batman movie series, Batman joins forces with Gotham's new district attorney, Harvey Dent to fight the Joker. Playing the joker's role was Heath Ledger, who has done a fantastic job.  His performance was incredible. And I have to agree when people around me tell me that he should be awarded an Oscar posthumously.

Christian Bale was outstanding. Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent) has essayed his role with perfection. Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine were good too.

The screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan was outstanding. Christopher Nolan (who also directed the first batman movie- Batman Begins) has done an even better job with the direction of the Dark Knight. He has raised the bar of superhero movies to an all new level. The action sequences and special effects drew OOHHS! and WOWS! from my fellow movie goers. I actually heard people clap after a few such mind blowing scenes.

The twists and turns in the plot provide for an entertaining  and thrilling two and half hours. I can safely say that this is by far the best superhero movie that I have seen. On a scale of 0-5, I would give it 5.

If you haven't seen this movie, please do go and see it! And then come back here and share your views. If you have seen this movie, what did you think about it? Share your views and comments here.

Holy Toledo it's the first and official Barack Obama Superhero Toy!
Who else but ImagineGate Toys to bring you the first and only Barack Obama Superhero Toy!

Captain Obama is a superhero with extraordinary powers and unprecedented idealism dedicated to hope, freedom, and change for the American people. The origin story of Captain Obama was that he was born Barack Obama on the planet Earth. As a child he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for good not evil. Keeping his secret identity hidden. Barack Obama lives among the humans as a social activist and community organizer, helping the impoverished and speaking for the unheard voices of America. When needed Superhero Captain Obama appears to fight crooked businessmen and politicians, demolishing run-down tenements, keeping a moral code of conduct and protecting the American way.

See more at www.CaptainObama.com

This toy is exclusively sold only at ImagineGate Toys. www.ImagineGate.com

We are the official Barack Obama Toy Headquarters.

Available in August 2008!

Pre-Order today as supplies are limited. www.ImagineGate.com

i had high hopes, because my freind who i went with said she saw it before but it was so good she wanted to see it again.  And because of the fact that my brother loathed it. (yeah, we're opposites).  What i have to say about the dark night is, it was good.  that about sums it up.

the main problem i had with it was that i felt it was an exact copy of every super hero movie, ever.  not just every superhero movie, but every super hero movie sequal.   so i supose if super hero movies are your thing, then this movie won't disappoint you.  but if you found spider man three to be more of a comedy than an action drama, you'll most likely be standing on my side of the fence.

it's biggest redeeming factor was heath ledger.  before i saw the movie i heard that heath leadger was so good that you actually root for him even though he's the bad guy.  for me, it was more of a "love to hate" type of thing.  since his death, the film has been talked about and talked about, some people even say his role directly caused his death.  what i'm trying to say is, i wasn't sure if it was going to live up to it's hype.  the joker was pretty 'haunting,' and pretty 'creepy', but it was also hard to believe, and hard to take seriously.  Heath ledger did an amazing job, but i can't say i'll lose sleep over it.

The good news is, there seems to be a natural overlap between the Whedon-nerd and musical-theatre-nerd talent pools.  So much of the singing is pretty good.  (Keep an eye out for an all-too-short contribution from a certain monkey, who is my favorite cloth-based performer since Beaker tore up Ode to Joy.)  The better news is that the less musically inclined seem to know their limits; there's an awful lot of lip syncing going on, which probably makes up in ear-sparing what it lacks in excitement.

There's also adorableness to be found in the Music Videos section, where Billy and Penny's romance is heartbreakingly scored by Michael Buble, and Bad Horse's singing cowboys are reimagined as jaunty anime troubadors.

Sadly, what might be the most anticipated area is also the thinnest -- the In World section, where tributes, reimaginings and add-ons should be reigning supreme.  Of course, Wonderflonium is still in its early days; Dr. Horrible itself only went live a little over a week ago.  There is an adorable vid of Dr. Horrible as a child -- who knew Fisher Price made chainsaws? -- and a standout sidekick application from a "Dr. DreadFul."  And surely more great creative content will crop up as time goes on.    

Wonderflonium is a great idea.  Whedon-love has always been the sort of fanship that brings people together.  Is it fully delivering on its promise?  Maybe not yet.  But the great thing about this site is, if what's it's got to offer isn't satisfying you, you don't have to wait for something new and exciting ... you can make the magic happen yourself.  So have at it, people!

[ sinDecade Auri T2 skins | W&Y - Yuki 37 hair ]

[ sinDecade Auri T1 skins | Maitreya - Aimee hair ]

Close-ups of each skin can be found @ my sinDecade Flickr set.

I loooooove variety from skin makers when it comes to makeup colors. The more the better, please!

If I were a superhero, I might look something like this...

[ Kin - Blossom hair | i-Candy - ButtCape (black/pinkleopard) | Schadenfreude - Hot Pink Batwing Tank | Classic Type Goggles by Luann Hicks ]

[ J's Goth Ribbon Laceup Boots ] Sexayyyyyy!

TP to sinDecade's main store to demo the latest Auri Skins and more!

He-yo guys! Today's friday, July 25, 2008. Therine's back from Sing and did the ACT during UB (wala lang <_<).

Well, this is my group's song that we submitted for soc sci's SIGAW. Hope you guys like it.

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-

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Intro:

I wanna be a super hero

punch walls, stop bullets, fly

I know I can't save everyone

But at least I still can try

-

I wanna be a savior

And be called a righteous

I want to be thanked

So I can refuse

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Verse 1:

You can write a thousand words (about love, life, and death, and hope)

You can fight a thousand wars (though blood will spill, there's always hope)

Or walk a thousand miles (your destination still unknown)

But we only have one chance, so come on now let's take a stand

For peace in the world, its salvation unheard

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Refrain:

Let us all be super heroes

Let us all share that one same sky

Let's stop the bickering, everyone well, why not try?

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Chorus 1:

How can you feel this world? Can't you see its horrid guise?

This unity, don't you think it's all just lies?

So rise up now and fight for humanity

Let's give it our all for peace, for truth, for sanity

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Verse 2:

I've crossed a thousand roads, but where's the peace I long to feel?

Escape this suffocating chaos surrounding me

Help me to satisfy my mutiny

The thirst that's deep inside that's calling to humanity

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Chorus 2:

How do you see this world? It's to be loved or just despised?

This brotherhood's a masquerade to mask our lies

Set forth now and plant the seeds of bond to be

Let's pour out our soul and be one whole country

-
Bridge:

You can write (about love, life, death, and hope)

You can fight (though blood will spill, there's always hope)

You can see the sights (appreciate in awe, behold)

-

We only have on life

We only have one chance

But there's just one thing that you should understand

-

Chorus 3:

Countrymen lend me your ears, come and listen, leave your fears

Take those blindfolds off your eyes, unlock the gates and free your minds

Can't you see we just need cooperation?

Try and see what comes from collaboration

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So jump down that ladder

Let's all help one another

Let's search for our destiny. Let's sound the cry for....

Peace

-

Spoken part while doing singing Chorus 3:

I wanna see our sacrifice tomorrow

Our journey on towards a brighter day

To leave the Silent tears behind, so far away

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Let's fight for freedom for a lifetime

Let's pray on for the silence though the last tears will blind

Let's all see our sacrifice tomorrow

-

-

-

Well, that's our song. We got pretty good feedback from Ma'am Paz a while ago (considering the fact that this is the only song presented in English) and I'm feeling happy for my group's work.

Singers Songers:

KC Corpuz, Me, Fadi Rahayel, Aldon Galido, Eidolon Lopez, Miguel Susmerano

Composers:

Eidolon Lopez, Aldon Galido, Me

Ezias Treestrider, over and out.

was ich eigentlich als scary movie 5 vermutet habe ist nun Superhero Movie.

"Spätestens seit den überwältigenden Einspielergebnissen derSpider-Man-und X-Men Trilogien gelten Comic-Adaptionen als sichere Box-Office-Hits. Daher war eine Parodie auf dieses erfolgsverwöhnte Genre eigentlich nur eine Frage der Zeit."

Quelle: http://www.filmstarts.de/

und bei Wikipedia.de fand ich dies:

Starttermin für Superhero Movie (Scary Movie 5) für Deutschland ist der 6. November 2008, für die USA der 10. Oktober 2008.

Story:

Rick Riker (Drake Bell) lebt bei seiner Tante Lucille und seinem Onkel Albert Adams. In der Schule ist er schüchtern und unbeliebt. Auf einem Schul-Ausflug wird er von einer genetisch manipulierten Libelle gebissen und entwickelt daraufhin Superkräfte: die proportional vergrößerte Kraft, Geschwindigkeit und Wendigkeit einer Libelle, die Fähigkeit Wände zu erklettern und einen besonderen „Libellensinn“ für Gefahren. Kurzerhand bekämpft Rick als "Dragonfly" das Böse, doch stellt sich jemand seinem Schicksal in den Weg: Lou Landers. Nach einem schiefgegangenen Experiment entwickelt auch Lou Superkräfte. Er kann einer Person die Lebenskraft stehlen und sucht so auf einer feigen Art die Unsterblichkeit unter dem Namen "Sanduhr". Durch ihn wir auch Ricks Tante im Film getötet. Jill verliebt sich in Dragonfly, weiß allerdings nicht, dass Rick Dragonfly ist. Gleichzeitig kommt Jill auch Rick näher, aber nachdem die beiden schon so gut wie zusammen waren, beschließt Rick, dass sie doch nicht zusammen sein können, wahrscheinlich wegen Dragonfly.

Hintergrund:

• In Deutschland startet der Film am 24. Juli 2008. In Amerika erscheint schon vorher die Unrated Fassung auf DVD.
• Im Film werden einige Filme des Superhelden-Genres parodiert. Unter anderem:
  • Spider-Man
  • X-Men
  • Fantastic Four
  • Batman Begins
  • Superman
  • Blade
  • Das Phantom
• Nachdem die Filme Fantastic Movie, Date Movie und Meine Frau, die Spartaner und ich das Genre der Parodien sehr runtergezogen haben, bekam auch Superhero Movie oft schlechtere Kritiken.

Quelle: wikipedia.de

Trailer:

Der Film ist ab 12 und erscheint am 24.Juli.2008

Website: http://www.superheromovie.senator.de/

So yeah, The Dark Knight is ………… Pretty F”£king Awesome. I mean I love the Tim Burton Version of Batman, Joel can suck a big one for this efforts but Chris Nolan has save the summer for me with this movie. After the good but not great Indy film and Iron Man being good but I know the sequel going to be good and other films like The Hulk and Hancock just been ok.

I remember a review years ago for Blade Two and Aintitcool calling the movie a blow job of a film. The Dark Knight and I am sorry if people under 16 read this review, Is the full blown monkey dance with Dita Von Tesse (If you do not find her hot there is something wrong with you) of a movie.

I am not going to write anything about the plot because you just have to see the film. Most people know the bad guy is the Joker and Harvey Dent in the movie and so on.

Anyway why is The Dark Knight so good because it a crime film not a superhero movie. I will just to explain myself. The idea of Batman was he was a detective in some respects but it the movies by Burton he did a little bit but most of the time he waited until the moment he can just fight them to be honest.

In Nolan version Batman follow a case and build it up to bring the person to justice and if he has to hunt them down he will. He want to criminal world to do it time. Nolan uses the idea of Batman as a detective so he can create a crime thriller.

It hard to review this film in words to be honest because I do not want to spoil anything about the plot to be honest.

So I will talk about the actors and the performances they gave in this film.

Christian Bale is great in this movie, I like how Nolan play up the idea of the rich playboy when Wayne is out with the public but privately with Alfred he jokes and tell him how he feels. As Batman is great as well, He just fit the part, He knows how to work all the sides to the Wayne/Batman Character.

Sir Michael Caine is great as Alfred, He also play the part to great affect. Alfred is funny, insightful and a good listener. It show Alfred to be a father figure to Bruce, he might be the hired help but he is much more to Bruce and The Batman.

At this point you guessing I am going to say everyone is great and they are. It seem Film Makers have got it right with casting people in Comic Books films, they just do not have to look good but they got to act the part as well.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (My future wife I hope lol) is a good replacement for Mrs Cruise. I felt in Batman Begins I could not believe Katie Holmes to be a lawyer or in fact a assistant D.A because it was Katie Holmes from Dawson Creek. I know that sound cruel but it how I felt at the time. Ms Gyllenhaal look the part as a lawyer and love interest to both Wayne and Dent. She feel to bring more emotion to the role than Mrs Cruise.

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent (Later Two Face) is one of the best thing in the movie to be honest. He going to be over shadow by Heath and that understandable but I can not take everything away from his performance. Dent is a the bright light of Gotham and Batman see this and believe him to be the true hero of Gotham. Eckhart give the character warm and make you believe that he want to change the City for the better, he got some issues with Gordon. When he become Two Face, Eckhart gives a stunning performace in my opition, it dark and edge and angry and switch personally with great effect. Eckhart is great (that all I can say because again you just got to see the film)

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox is a good as well, He is Batman Q to be honest, creating new suits and weapons and gadgets, Freeman play him straight down the line. A friend to Bruce who can make a good joke but at the same time warns Bruce about getting too much power.

Gary Oldman as Gordon is soild as per usual, (I love Gary Oldman, he been in some of favourite films like Leon) Gordon is the moral point of the film to be honest, he a good cop who trust Batman to the end of the world and know he the hero of Gotham if no one wants to know. Gordon in a weird way is the sane member of the good guys. Dent will stop at nothing to get the job done as the D.A and Batman is on the same page but uses different methods to get the job done. Gordon has a family and a life he wants to protect so he go along with plans but remember he has people who love him and he does not want them to get hurt.

Anyway Here the big one

Heath Ledger as The Joker. What can I say about him, Ledger is the best actor in the film and I am going to say this better than Jack in the Burton version and the best performance ever of a comic book character to the point where I forgot The Joker was a comic book character and just thought of him as a psycho in the same respects as Alex in Clockwork Orange or Patrick Bateman in America Psycho. The Joker is a anti-hero and I know that sound strange because he a bad guy but The Joker is so twisted and got balls of steel (Just watch the meeting scene in the movie and you see why). Joker want to cause chaos and mayhem and take over the city and is always one step ahead it seem. He the polar opposite to Batman. Put it this way, It not hype because Ledger die at the start of the year.

He is the best actor in the movie and the best actor as a comic book character. Him and Eckhart create two characters which just adds a whole new dimension to the Batman series of movies.

Anyway, just see the film, it great, I am going to see it on IMAX at some moment in London. Nolan, Nolan, Goyer, Bale, Ledger and everyone else who make or starred in this movie has make a great movie because this is not just a superhero movie. It a great crime thriller and character study which happen to have Heroes and villains in it from the DC universe.

Please take note writers of the next Superman movie.

Source: Movies-Films-MotionPictures

The movie was good!!! Or maybe it seemed good because I haven't watched one in like eons, thanks to the avalanche of projects. But nah... I think the movie was fantastic because of the plot and all.

Out of all the superhero comics made into movies, Batman is one of my favourites (besides X-Men!) because of the darkness and satire that the other superhero movies do not have. Seriously, I'm not interested in the indestructible Superman and wishy-washy Spiderman. Let's not even touch on like Fantastic Four and yada yada.

Batman movies has always been able to provoke me into thinking about the evil in the world thanks to their strange villains and Batman's insecurities. At least he doesn't deal with monsters and dinosaurs that will never appear on Earth. But fiends like the Joker and Two-Face are mentally unstable and the Penguin is smart! Those enemies are much more of a challenge!

Honestly, I was glad that Rachel Dawes died in the film. I don't think I could stand it if both she and Harvey Dent survived. That would have been too much of a happy ending for me.

I wish I could see more character development for the Joker and Batman, that said, any movie longer than 3 hours would be commercial suicide. And the idea of a superhero without any superpower, just wit, cunning, martial arts and a vast amount of moolah in the trust fund is so sexy!  Finally, brains over brawns!

All-in-all the movie was fantastic, worth even the weekend ticket price. Do watch it if you're still considering. I love the Joker's insanity. Gosh! His pessimistic take on the human race is so... Brutally honest. That you wouldn't want to admit that it's true even though you think so. It's so hard to place hope anywhere after you've seen the things people are capable of in times of desperation.

Tsk. All civilisation and culture are thrown out of the window and barbarism takes over.

One of the most memorable scene was when this big guy in the criminal's boat threw the detonator into the waters. Ha! Totally didn't expect him to do that. Depicts lots of stuff don't you think?

Anyways, after the movie, I found out some unpleasant things about some of my classmates, which I don't want to believe. I just hope that they're not what they seem like. Bitches. Sigh. Why is it that people love to play mind games so much? Maybe they want to spend more time studying so they'll score higher marks instead of judging people they've never even talked to.

The Joker: "I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are." I wish I could also show them how pathetic and silly they really are.

Ahhhh... It seems my perception of humans are starting to get as bleak as the Joker's.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is actually, one of the most manly men on the planet. He has "Ahmadinejad" man points.

This of course, as with Clint Eastwood, means he is so manly, that his man points cannot be calculated, and "Ahmadinejad" is taken as a numeric value relating to: "Clint Eastwood" (a numeric value relating to infinity) man points, minus one.

This means:
Where Clint Eastwood, is equal to infinity, Ahmadinejad is equal to Clint Eastwood, minus one.

and in turn, this translates to the following constant:

"Ahmadinejad, like Clint Eastwood, is very much, above the law."

Mahmoud is the most manly leader a country could ever wish for, he pisses on the UN, he shits on America, and he spews streams of manly steaming hot vomit on the Jews, (I've nothing against the Jews of course, in fact, I quite like the Jews, they own my bank, they run it efficiently - however, I do find that Mahmoud's actions cancel out my love for the Jews, as it is scientifically proven that: Mahmoud = More luzly than the Jews.)

"Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely tortures and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged solitary confinement" - Human Rights Watch.

This, quite frankly, just makes me respect this man ten times more than I already do, fuck freedom of expression and assembly, people are dumb as shit, they don't deserve it. People watch Big Brother and think that reading the Sun makes them intellectual.

People are too dumb to be allowed freedom of expression, because every view they express is utterly retarded. Barring all my views of course, because my views are obviously genius poured out through the medium of the English language.

Here are some very true facts about Mahmoud, the slickest man on earth.

1. Mahmoud doesn't have hands, he had womb crushers, he calls his left womb crusher "Fury of Mahmoud" and his right womb crusher "Wilbert."
2. Mahmoud doesn't have feet, he has vulva mashers.
3. Mahmoud shoots lazer beams from his eyes.
4. Mahmoud once fought a tiger.
5. Mahmoud is so well dressed, he makes Jean-Paul Gaultier feel like fashion's bitch boy.
6. Mahmoud has 6 penises. All of them, are as long as the Qu'ran.
7. Mahmoud has had sex with your wife more times than you have.

Any leader that sports quotes such as

"Israel should be wiped off the face of the Earth"
"There are also false claims that these religions will save mankind. But Islam is the only religion that can save mankind."
"The holocaust is a myth."
and my personal favourite
"THERE ARE NO GAYS IN IRAN! I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU HEARD THAT!"

is just fucking cool in my book, I don't need anymore reasoning than that to fully support a man in his quest.

In the UK, we have politicians who hide their real agendas and thieve and and corrupt all around them in snide little ways, playing the blame game as soon as they get caught, well fuck that shit, I'd much rather have a guy like Mahmoud, who just comes out and says it as it is, "Yea, I hate the Jews, yea, there's no gays here, yea, I'm pretty much a terrorist, yea we have nukes and we hate everyone!"

As opposed to the panzy boys we have in British parliament, who pander to the idiot public and blame everyone but themselves when their popularity dwindles and evaporates into a void of non-existence and disinterest.

Mahmoud is like an Islamic superhero, his powers include hating the gays, smiting the Jews, plausible denial, misogyny, and owning an army of hovercraft...

Mahmoud is manly as shit, he's so manly, that he fucked his old school teacher.

Mahmoud also took part in The 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although he's too modest to admit to it. This is mostly because, if he admitted to this, everyone would know that, in actuality, Mahmoud is Anti-Semitic-Misogyny-lovin'-homophobia man! The manliest of all super-heroes!

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the friendliest hard-line, Jew hating, mad man in the world!

I hereby award, Mahmoud, Virgil's "Manly mother-fucker of the month" award. I think Mahmoud is so cool, I'm gonna put him in my blog roll, under the category of "Virgil's Manly Mother-Fuckers"

Another of Mahmoud's superhero powers, is the super hero pose. Not so much as power, as it is a trait common amoungst super heroes, enjoy these fine examples of Mahmouds posing prowess.

5 Reasons why I really fucking <3 Mahmoud:
1. He hates you, as much as I do.
2. He hates women, as much as I do.
3. He wants to nuke shit, as much as I do.
4. He's lulzy.
5. His trolling skillz are insane.

5 things I'd do to Mahmoud if I was a steaming Islamic hottie.
1. Flirtatiously show him my ankles.
2. Giggle at all his anti-semitic jokes.
3. Cook meals for him, iron his shirt, walk 20 steps behind him, allow him to dominate me in bed whenever he wants it.
4. Bear his children.
5. Write "I love Mahmoud" in the sky, with the blood of small children, as a testament to my love for Mahmoud.

I very much imagine, that if I were indeed a steaming Islamic hottie, this is how I would gaze at Mahmoud when he wasn't looking.

The good one was Hellboy II, which is indeed better than the original which I liked a lot.

But enough about that let's talk about Mamma Mia! (wonderfully bad) and The Dark Knight (incoherently bad).

Mamma Mia! as Mrs. CollateralDamage put it, "is the Rocky Horror Picture Show of 2008." I'm expecting sing-alongs, throwing toast and dancers, lots and lots of dancers -- many of them in swim trunks and scuba fins. It is to be sure a bad movie. The characters struggle to get to two dimensions despite the valiant efforts of some fine actors. The plot is beyond hokey. The music ... well, the music is ABBA. One reviewer said the group's lyrics were "English-like" and that pretty much nails it. You either hate ABBA or you love them or, like me, both. I laughed throughout. Sometimes even at parts that were meant to be funny.

Pierce Brosnan gives the bravest performance you will see on a movie screen this year. It is also the worst. The man can't sing, but that doesn't stop him from trying and I have to admire him for it. He is at his best in Meryl Streep's Especially Big Number where he is called on to look dashing. He does it superbly.

And now to The Dark Knight. If anyone actually cared about my opinion I would doubtless be pilloried for what I am about to say. It's a mess. It is not one of the best movies ever made. The only movie I've seen this year that falls into that category is WALL*E. It is not even the best superhero movie of this year -- I would place both Hellboy and Iron Man (which did a superb job of reminding me why I loved comic books as a kid) in front of it.

Dark Night was too long and too confused. Its reach exceded its grasp. CollateralDamage Jr. said that it should have been batman 2 & batman 3. If they'd just told us what was essentially Harvey Dent's back story and left it there I would have been happy and it would have made sense. but then came the rest of it which needed a whole additional movie to develop. Emotionally it basically built up to hitting a high C and then held it for an hour. While that is an admirable feat to be able to pull off it isn't very interesting to watch.

The late Mr. Ledger was great as was the rest of the cast (especially Gary Oldham -- you ever see Syd & Nancy?). Mr. Bale had my sympathies because his character really didn't change in the course of the movie so he got stuck playing someone who starts out as a slightly conflicted superhero only to end up as ... a slightly conflicted superhero.

I am glad to see Two-Face finally getting his due. Billie Dee Williams played Dent in the Tim Burton version but they never did anything with him.

Also it had a number of little things that irked me -- who has paper money to steal these days?

I enjoyed it on a summer blockbuster level but on substance my superhero pick of the summer is Hellboy with its story of the risks and responsibilities of love and how two creatures from another dimension can make Barry Manilow so essential.

Here's my ideal day:

8:00 AM - Wake in a swanky, artsy apartment where I live with my closest friends - all of whom are artists/creative thinkers.

9:00 AM - Eat breakfast (prepared by hot chef) with friends & discuss news in our fields.

10:00 AM - Social networking online with friends from other areas, email, etc. This is when I'm invited to lunch in Korea by Rain or someone else significant over the weekend.

11:00 AM - Get dressed, prepare for day, yoga.

12:00 PM - Lunch/Consulting with a client (How I pay the hot chef.)

1:00 PM - Head to swanky co-working office where I find more friends in similar fields (who don't live with me) where I develop and manage my different ventures.

2:00 PM - Take a break to paint or sketch. Back to manage projects (Santogold gives me a call to help her with a new product launch she is considering)

3:00 PM - Meetings with clients or do a little Online PR work for Derrick Carter or Kenna.

4:00 PM - Personal Social Networking and reconnecting with old friends from middle school.

5:00 PM - Early dinner with my Patrice (mom), Brenda (Grams), Dave or Taje.

6:00 PM - Dessert with Travis McCoy. :)

7:00 PM - Get dressed, hang out at swanky house and there is a little mini-party before we head out to a live art show we were exclusively invited to.

8:00 PM - Ridiculous, mad, crazy parties all night long.

What would your ideal day look like?

My friends would be both professional and personal. Some of whom I haven't really connected with, but would like to. Here's some of those I had in mind: Dave, Taji, Vanessa, Joy, Danielle, Doreen, Phil, Amanda, Mirela, Tranee, Jenale, Tahirah, Hazel, Kev, Nadine, Oni, Chelsea, Micah, Santogold, Kenna, Travis McCoy...

LOS ANGELES, Calif. a breach in airport security led to the gargantuan delays in the operations of LAX today, impacting 37 flights and more than 3000 passengers. A Javanese man was taken into custody under suspicion of acts of espionage. Below is the transcript of the interrogation: 

LAX Security: What is your name?

Suspect: Batman

LAX Security: Ok, smartass, I mean REAL name.

Suspect: But I tell you it. Is "BATMAN"

LAX Security: Knock off it, Adam West/Michael Keaton/George Clooney/Val Kilmer/Christian Bale wannabe.

Suspect: I thinking this America!!! Why you do such this to me??? What I done???

LAX Security: It is, assmunch. Now quit being a dumbass and give me your last name.

Suspect: Superman

***indistinct sound of scuffling, gagging... tape runs out***

Passport of suspect, kept in the evidence vault:

Thanks, Cleopatra. This was hilarious! LOL

I like the article for the most part until he states "I have a hunch, and perhaps a hope, that “Iron Man,” “Hancock” and “Dark Knight” together represent a peak..." which is a weird statement to make, I get the feeling as I read more past that line that Mr.Scott like some other critics really doesn't like the idea of Comic-book films and superhero films trying to offer real serious commentary on society and the battle between good and evil. The article has a begrudging aura about it when he talks about the Dark Knight and its attempt to push past the conventions of the genre, while reminding us that it still has conventions that it must adhere to.

I think he's wrong on both accounts. Comic-book films have legions of fans who all want to see their favorite characters on the big screen, and given the breadth of characters in just the marvel and DC universes, there are plenty of other storylines and characters to draw from. Some comics have been around for 60+ years. Thats 60 years of source material to tap into. So its not as if Batman is going to be facing the Joker in every film from now until eternity. And while yes there are plenty of characters that wouldn't do well in a stand alone film (I'm skeptical about Thor in particular) when put as part of a famed team like the Avengers or the Justice League...well its enough to make a fanboy giggle. (giggles)

Additionally, while some of the comic book films like the Fantastic Four (which A.O. Scott correctly points out) don't really aspire to anything other than being nice displays of effects and a few nods to the hardcore fans...others just don't feel like that is enough. There are some really gripping, adult and serious storylines that are occuring in these comics and so diluting the films down to a few action sequences and one liners just isn't going to cut it anymore.

I disagree with Scott to say that we are only right now at the beginning of the Superhero movie craze. Ironman and the Dark Knight especially showed that the public (even the non-fanboy public) wants to see high quality superhero films and WANTS (not to be confused with WANTED) to see these films take on serious adult plots, even to the point of the dark and "scary" tone of The Dark Knight. That 158.4 million dollar opening weekend doesn't spell the end of Superhero films...it announces their presence with a resounding shout!

I don't think Scott an idiot by any means, but I think he definitely has it wrong when it comes to this issue. His end claim really comes down to the fact that superhero movies no matter how unique all end up in the same place...but isn't that what practically every movie does? Romantic comedies usually end in an embrace somewhere. Adventure films end with the survivors reflecting on the new world ahead of them and superhero movies end with the villian and the hero throwing down. That's how cinema works, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Below is the article in full to read and comment here on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/movies/24supe.html?_r=2&ref=movies&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

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Went to see Hancock yesterday... Its eeerrrrmmmmmmm... good? Yer... Good. Will Smith er, wins. Again.

Sang “Ksatria Kelam”, itulah panggilan yang disematkan pada tokoh super Gotham City ini. Ia adalah pahlawan yang patut dimiliki oleh Gotham, tapi (kadang) tidak diperlukan. Ia dapat menjadi sosok apapun yang dimaui Gotham, entah itu hero atau justru recycle bin Gotham, di mana semua kekacauan Gotham ditimpakan kepadanya. Ia boleh disebut ksatria karena memang demikianlah adanya. Ia pembela dan pelindung masyarakat dari arus kejahatan di kala para penegak hukum tak lagi dapat diandalkan. Dan, ia disebut kelam bukan saja karena kebanyakan aksinya dilakukan pada malam hari – di mana pada saat anak-anak kecil tidur nyenyak, para penjahat melancarkan aksi mereka – tapi juga karena caranya dalam menumpas kejahatan dan kepribadiannya yang kelam, sekelam masa lalunya.

‘Bout sacrificing? Tak diragukan lagi, Bruce Wayne – demi identitas alter ego-nya, Batman – telah mengorbankan begitu banyak hal, bahkan yang paling berharga sekalipun. Semuanya dipertaruhkan untuk suatu keyakinan baik yang bahkan sempat (mungkin juga akan terus) ia ragukan sendiri. Pertempurannya dengan teroris sejati The Joker membuat aneka kekacauan terus mengunjunginya: orang-orang lingkaran terdekatnya mulai meninggalkannya satu per satu, identitas sebagai superhero digoncang habis, dan terkesan ia semakin asing dengan dunianya sendiri. Namun toh dalam kondisi chaos macam ini, keyakinan yang sama menuntunnya untuk berjalan melalui saat-saat sulit dalam identitas ke-superhero-annya.

Drama yang “deeply personal” dan chemistry yang tercipta di antara Batman dan The Joker, yang pada akhirnya membawa Batman pada kesadaran akan betapa tipis batasan antara bajingan seperti Joker dan seorang hero inilah yang membuat perjalanan film semakin menarik. Simak saja dialog antara Batman dan The Joker berikut:

Batman : Why do you wanna kill me?

The Joker : Kill you? I don’t wanna kill you... you complete me.

Rupa-rupanya, dalam drama itu terselip kesalingan cerminan diri antara Joker dan Batman. Drama dua tokoh berseberangan ini begitu menarik sehingga membawa sang pahlawan untuk mempertanyakan kembali identitasnya. Kerumitan identitas ini juga diperjelas dengan pandangan Gotham terhadap Batman. Ia merupakan sosok yang dicintai sekaligus dibenci. Ia patut dimiliki Gotham karena perlindungannya, namun sekaligus tidak diperlukan Gotham karena dianggap bergerak di luar aturan hukum. Perjalanan panjang inilah yang membawa Batman untuk mau “menjadi apa yang dibutuhkan Gotham”. Sebenarnya, inilah bentuk pengorbanannya yang terbesar: seluruh dirinya (yang diawali dengan kepergian orang-orang terdekatnya). Kini, ia benar-benar menjadi Ksatria Kelam, yang kesepian dan sendirian. Ia adalah kekelaman itu sendiri. Simak saja perkataannya ini: “Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded”.

Siapa yang akhirnya menang? Mungkin, bagi Jim Gordon dan sebagian diri Batman berkeyakinan Jokerlah yang menang. Faktanya, ia telah berhasil mengubah jaksa Harvey Dent (Gotham’s white knight) menjadi sosok antagonis The Two Face yang penuh dengan kebencian dan balas dendam semata. Namun, seberapapun kuasa pekat kegelapan berkuasa, tetaplah ada setitik kebaikan yang tersisa. Drama psikologis dalam adegan 2 kapal feri – satu berisi warga Gotham yang “bersih” dan yang satu lagi berisi para napi – di mana mereka harus saling menentukan feri mana yang akan meledak lebih dahulu menggambarkan bahwa humanity-lah yang akhirnya meraja. Pada akhirnya, masing-masing sampai pada kesadaran bahwa mereka tidak bisa begitu saja mengambil nyawa sesama mereka, sekalipun mereka adalah gerombolan penjahat kakap. Di sinilah, pesan kecil itu disampaikan secara nyata: bahwa ada kebaikan di tengah aneka kekacauan. Dan, proclamation of hope yang diyakini Batman telah mencapai kepenuhannya. Hal ini bisa terlihat dalam dialog kecil di tengah-tengah duel Batman dan The Joker:

Batman : Not everyone's as ugly as you are...

The Joker : That's just sad... You can't rely on anybody these days...

Pertanyaannya sekarang, apakah dalam aneka kekacauan hidup kita…..masih ada kepercayaan akan kekuatan kebaikan dan pengharapan?

The Dark Knight has raised the bar on comic inspired films, and films in general for that matter. I came to this film with some rather high expectations on the heels of the successful franchise reboot in Batman Begins. I am pleased to say those expectations were met and exceeded.

The core strength of this film is that all the action and development is character driven; all things come from and speak to the motivations of a wonderfully fleshed out roster of players. The big question mark on everyone's mind was no doubt the late Heath Ledgers' portrayal of the Joker, with memories of Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamil (animated) and Caesar Romero defining the character's screen presence to date. Ledger's performance is nothing short of masterful, and Nolan's' writing and directing breath life into the most organic and complex clown prince thus far. Personally, I forgot there was an actor playing the Joker, for all appearances this creature lived and breathed on the screen. We see a true sociopath, brilliant in his way, asking some disturbingly valid questions, and making astute observations on the nature of his relation to Gotham and the Dark Knight.

The treatment of Batman's character was novel in it's own right, exploring his role in the crime equation, delving into scales of perception and persona. Building on Bruce Wayne's motivations and the limits of the hero persona flesh out both Wayne and Batman in new dimensions. We see him fundamentally torn in what he feels Gotham needs and deserves, an undercurrent of disquiet that reminded me of elements of Bale's performance in Equilibrium.

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face is believable and exudes a humanizing element that fits well with the overall tone of the film. The motivations and roots of his transformation into Two-Face develop organically, and play a shadowy mirror to the Batman/Wayne development. The supporting cast continue to impress, with Maggie Gyllehall's replacement of Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes pays dividends. Gyllenhall is far more believable as an adult character, rather than giving the impression of someone playing at working in teh DA's office. Gary Oldman once again embodies Jim Gordon as if he'd been pulled directly from Frank Miller's pages; centering the film and playing with a keen awareness to the hero/villain dynamic and the public's perception thereof. Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucious Fox, and lends a feeling of soul and the necessary legitimacy to Wayne Corp, as well as believability to the technology of the film. Michael Caine returns as Alfred Pennyworth, stubbornly keeping the human element in what threatens to become more monster than hero.

As I mentioned, the writing is tremendous, and the pacing is unrelenting; there is no slowdown as the film grows from one facet to another. Visually, the film is spot on, with a heightened realism and gravity that lends credibility and grit to the characters and the action. The feel of Gotham is a you-are-here visceral experience, and the organic feel continues into the look and feel of the characters, making for even greater believability.

All said, The Dark Knight gets it right on all fronts, and shows just want can be done with a graphic property when treated with the proper care and talent.

Rating: 4.5/5

But let's not get off track here. I have a point (somewhere). There are tons of superheroes out there that have never been heard of. Some that are actually decent heroes. Some that go unnoticed when they should be thrown into the spotlight, maybe even a remake or sequel? So I present to you what was originally going to be:

THE TOP TEN UNNOTICED SUPERHEROES OF ALL TIME

But has now turned into:

LESSER KNOWN SUPERHERO FROM THE  YEAR 1990

Due to me being lazy and not able to get very far after a few searches on google. Not to mention its like 2 in the morning and my brain is dead. So I give to you the winner of the lesser known superhero from 1990...

Yeah thats right, I went there. I picked the nerdy scientist who was burned and thrown fifty feet into water until he washed ashore and was found and brough to doctors who took out his ability to feel pain before he escaped and went in search of his girlfriend but *gasp of air* then decided to find his lab where he just so happened to create 'liquid skin' in which he took a photograph of himself and waited 551 hours until a liquid skin face was done not to mention going off and killing the people that did this to him.

Oh yeah. And he got his girl in the end. Even though she didnt like the fact he didn't have half a face anymore and his hands were pretty much gone. Oh yeah, and he freaked out about a pink elephant and went psycho crazy on this one dude.

Anyway, he is my pick. Feel free to find a better unnoticed superhero from 1990.

Hancock looked like an interesting concept, a fully realized anti-hero. As it turns out, Hancock tries to do more than that, and breaks the format in the process. The Hancock character is well put together at the outset, allowing us to sublimate our vicarious desires to have super powers, but not act particularly super. As it progresses, the film manages to work up to a heartful Jerry Macguire feel, and we buy into it.

Its at about this point where it drifts off into unstable territories, heavy handedly dropping in a sizeable plot/origin device with no framework for acceptance. The force driving the action in the film changes gears, and the audience begins to feel like an appendage to the storytelling, which has taken on the flavor of a writer trying to express... something.

All in all Hancock's Achilles heel comes form trying to do two very different things in the same movie, and this strains one's investment in suspended disbelief past the breaking point. Putting heart into a film is great, but it has to come organically from the characters, and the back story material for the main cast seems more like nametags than foundational character motivationt.

If Hancock had simply remained a film with the killer app of the anti-superhero, deeper origins not required, it would have been a fun ride. As it stands, the midrange shift in the storytelling feels much like a product of early writing workshops, with a point the writer is desperate to tell, but just can't seem to stretch the characters around to lend it credibility.

Rating: 2/5

Apalagi minggu kemaren rekor penjualan akhir minggu telah mengalahkan rekor Spiderman 3 (dalam 5 hari sudah mengumpulkan duit 200 juta dolar lebih). Apa karena filem ini sudah ditunggu-tunggu? Atau karena gara-gara kematian aktor antagonis di filem ini, si Joker yang diperankan oleh Heath Ledger, aktor yang telah meninggal dunia dalam usia 28 tahun?

Terus kita ngomongin sang Batman, kan judul filemnya Dark Knight, yang mustinya ditujukan buat sang superhero, Batman. Kalau kita keinget sama superhero yang laen, seperti Superman, Spiderman, Ironman dan yang laennya kayaknya mereka cukup nge-top abis, baek, jantan, perkasa, punya kelebihan, apalagi kalo dibuka topengnya..... wachk..... ganteng bok (untung ganteng, klo kagak mah.... ).

Kayaknya manusia mengakui, bahwa butuh superhero. Ya tentu butuh pertolongannya. Butuh perhatiannya. Butuh idola yang patut menjadi teladan. (jangan-jangan nanti ada Superhero Idol) Enggak kebayang, Batman nyanyi Tonight I Celebrate My Love. Spiderman bernyanyi sambil joget. Atau Wonder Woman tidak ketinggalan membawa Umbrella (kayak Rihanna).

Mungkin juga toh. Kita pengen punya superhero yang membumi. Alias superhero yang juga seperti manusia biasa, enggak punya "kelainan", yang mungkin bisa hidup diantara kita? Tuh kan, jadi superhero itu susah bok. Tapi kalau dipikir sedikit pake logika. Jadi superhero itu enggak mudah loh. Contoh, Batman (Bruce Wayne) di Batman Begins, dia harus mengalami kepahitan ortunya mati ditembak didepan matanya. Dia harus berlatih seni bela diri, berlatih menggunakan pedang, mungkin (gw duga) dia juga harus melakukan latihan fisik (tidak kalah dengan latihan fisik nasional olahraga bulutangkis atau sepakbola, misalnya). Karena latihan fisik sangat menentukan, masa waktu melawan kejahatan, Batman kecapaian kehabisan nafas. Kan enggak ada tuh ceritanya begitu. Batman kalah karena kalah fisik. Kan memalukan.

Superhero itu kan fantasi manusia, keinginan manusia yang diaplikasikan dalam cerita komik. Bener kan, manusia pengen kuat kayak Batman, bisa terbang kayak Superman, bisa berjumpalitan di tengah gedung kota kayak Spiderman. Bisa nyelem dalem air kayak Aquaman. Selain itu Superhero adalah "Pembela Kebenaran" wah keren banget tuch slogannya. Tentu membela dengan cara mereka sendiri dan yang terakhir adalah dengan kekerasan. Melawan kejahatan (kekerasan) dengan kekerasan. Karena itulah keadilan menurut manusia. Menumpas kejahatan. Bahkan kalau memungkinkan memusnahkan kejahatan dari muka bumi. Alias manusia bisa hidup damai. (para Superhero bakalan bisa-bisa pensiun, karena tidak lagi diperlukan jasanya).

Apakah Batman (dan superhero laennya) yakin bahwa tindakannya "melawan" kejahatan untuk kesejahteraan manusia? Apa dalam hati mereka kagak ada rasa bangga? Untuk diri mereka sendiri. Untuk nama mereka. Atau mereka melawan kejahatan karena "dendam" terhadap kejahatan atau bahasa londonya, nothing to loose. Enggak ada beban. Sebenarnya sih ada Beban. Karena mereka sudah terlanjur di cap sebagai superhero, pahlawan, maka mau kagak mau ya menolong sesama.

Sayangnya manusia menghendaki Tuhan Yesus menjadi superhero seperti yang manusia inginkan. Tuhan Yesus bisa menyembuhkan banyak penyakit, membangkitkan orang mati bahkan membuat banyak keajaiban seperti membuat lima roti dua ekor ikan menjadi ribuan mengenyangkan perut ribuan manusia. Kalau waktu itu ada Yerusalem Idol, mungkin Tuhan Yesus sudah menjadi calon satu-satunya, melihat cara masyarakat menyambut Tuhan Yesus waktu masuk ke kota Yerusalem dengan menaiki keledai muda.

Bahkan Tuhan Yesus rela menderita dihina dan mati untuk menebus dosa manusia. Batman dan superhero laennya pasti kagak mampu melakukan seperti demikian karena mereka bukan juruselamat. Karena Tuhan Yesus (yang lebih dari superhero) adalah satu-satunya juruselamat bagi manusia. Dari semenjak dulu manusia mencari "tuhan" laen yang dapat dikontrol oleh manusia. Lalu yang jadi "tuhan" itu adalah tuhan atau..... manusia yang jadi tuhan? Manusia yang pengen jadi tuhan (atas hidupnya) tapi kagak mampu lalu memimpikan ada superhero/ oknum/ pribadi yang supernatural yang dapat menolong mereka tetapi sekaligus juga dapat dikontrol olehnya.

Tidak heran manusia berdosa tidak dapat melihat Kebenaran. Karena Kebenaran itu telah datang, Tuhan Yesus, Mesias, Anak Allah yang hidup, yang hanya sanggup menolong hidup manusia dari kebinasaan kekal. Puji Tuhan, jika Allah telah menyatakan Kebenaran kepada kita. Dan tugas kita yang telah melek Kebenaran berdoa supaya Allah berkenan kepada kita menjadi 'superhero' bagi orang laen.

(So, apa jawaban dari pertanyaan paling atas sendiri? Jawabnya, gw kagak jadi nonton filem Batman: The Dark Knight, gw berikan tuh dua tiket kepada teman yang punya waktu nonton, karena gw sibuk sama kerjaan dan keluarga. Tapi gw kagak nyesel koq kalo kagak bisa nonton. Karena hal itu bukan yang utama.)

LlamaFace23