Cinematical

So last night I was twiddling my thumbs, watching a re-run of Design Star (shut up) and I suddenly remembered that our friends from Slashfilm had Kevin Smith as a guest on their podcast. Since we're in no way above pimping out something pretty awesome on another site, I'll let you know now that I truly enjoyed listening to Smith talk about how much he loved The Dark Knight -- and, essentially, just hearing these guys all geek out over the flick. (I think they just posted the full podcast for those of you who missed it.)

So anyway, at one point they were talking about the intense marketing for The Dark Knight, and how the hype had reached a ridiculous level just prior to the flick arriving in theaters. But then Smith brought up the point that the hype surrounding The Dark Knight was not even close to the hype surrounding Tim Burton's Batman back in 1989. I was still kinda young (12), but I do remember Batman being the first giant summer movie. And Kevin made a good point in that with The Dark Knight, most of the buzz was online and other folks didn't really know much about it until we got closer to release -- whereas Burton's Batman was everywhere. Of the things I remember, the Bat symbol was on everything -- I vaguely recall walking through the mall in Staten Island and seeing it on walls, on stands and, at one point, in cardboard box form all piled up in the center of the Macy's wing. The hype was out of control for that flick.

So, is Kevin Smith correct in saying the hype for Burton's Batman far exceeded the hype leading up to The Dark Knight? Sound off below ...

Now that The Dark Knight has shattered box office records, it's only fair to start discussing the inevitable third installment. Of course, we hope Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale and their team will return for a third film, but we know that's not guaranteed. However, there's no way Warner Bros. is going to ditch Batman while he's on top, and so we should assume serious talk of another sequel will take place within the next month or so. In the meantime, that leaves us to talk and talk and talk and talk. Today, let's talk Batty's next enemy.

I'm going to leave the poll off today's post because there are just so many Batman villains through the years that it's impossible to narrow it down to four or five for a poll. I'd much rather give you my two cents and then open up the discussion in the comments section below. That being said, I don't think I'd like to see someone like Penguin or Catwoman (both are kinda boring in my opinion) -- buuuuuut, I wouldn't mind Riddler showing up to drive Gotham wild with all sorts of ridiculous riddles (and imagine that viral scene). But maybe he's too close to Joker, so perhaps we could go with Deadshot, Black Mask (who actually makes sense in the Nolan-verse) or The Mad Hatter.

How about you? Which villain would you like to see show up in the next Batman film?

So I finally caught a screening of The Dark Knight last night after spending weeks of dodging reviews and spoilers, while watching everyone I know stop just short of dropping to their knees and praying to a new God in Batman. Personally, I absolutely fell in love with the film and (I'll admit this once and only once, so don't get used to it) actually shed a tear or two during the quiet of the night whilst thinking of Ledger's performance and how he's no longer with us. It really hurt last night for some reason. But that's all I'll say about that.

I feel that if a gritty crime drama like The Departed can win Best Picture, there's no reason why The Dark Knight shouldn't be nominated for a few things; most definitely for Ledger's Joker and for the dynamite screenplay ... with its layer upon layer of sweet awesomeness. But that's me. I obviously dug the film a whole lot. Both our reviews (James' review and Scott's review) capture exactly how I felt about the film, so I'll stop here by saying that I cannot wait to see it again.

What did you think? Did it live up to the hype?

We've already asked who your favorite Batman is (and Christian Bale is still winning that sucker by a mile), so now it's only right that we take a look back at all the Batman trailers to decide which one we like best. Watching some of these brought back good (ah, Keaton ...) and bad (Batman & Robin trailer = yikes!) memories, but I believe they are all required viewing before taking in a screening of The Dark Knight. Below, we've compiled all the live-action, big-screen Batman trailers (and Catwoman!) for you to sift through in one window. Check them out, then head after the jump to participate in our poll. Sound off Bat-geeks!

Finally. After God knows how many trailers, TV spots, viral sites, movie posters, merchandise, fan art, contests, Batman Anonymous meetings ("Hi, my name is Earth ... and I'm addicted to Batman), and an assortment of tomfoolery, The Dark Knight will officially arrive in theaters this Friday. And I've heard shows are already sold out through March 2011. Right on! That said, this might be the week you want to reflect back and read your favorite Batman comics, watch your favorite Batman movies, or spend some alone time with your favorite Batman.

Which brings us to this week's super awesome Monday Morning Poll: Who is your favorite Batman? For this we're sticking solely to folks who've played the Caped Crusader on the big screen. Since a lot of Bat-fans have come to adore Kevin Conroy's voice performance, we'll include both live action and animated versions. For me, it's a toss up between Christian Bale and Michael Keaton. Bale has the looks and the charm, but Keaton had that "insanity factor" -- one look in his eyes and you knew this guy had a few screws loose. Tough choice. Where do you stand?

Yes, I'm back again wanting to get all up in your business and find out what, exactly, you're planning to go see this weekend (otherwise known as "the weekend before Bat-mas ... or Bat-ukah if you're Batish"). If you're in the mood for lots of action featuring some of the most badass monsters this side of the Troll Market, then you'll want to head on over to Guillermo Del Toro's new flick, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Maybe take in a screening of Hellboy before delving into the sequel -- paint yourself red, punch out a few walls (only if you're over 18) and have a blast.

For the kids, I'm hearing Journey to the Center of the Earth is a must-see in 3D. Cinematical's Chris Campbell raved about the 3D experience he had with this film (I think it was borderline orgasmic for him, but he's a theater geek like that). Keep in mind the 3D might be a little freaky for the real little ones, but it seems like the kind of moviegoing experience I'd have wanted my parents to give me growing up. So do something nice for the little buggers and take them on a journey ... in 3D!

Then you have Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave. It's brought to us by the folks behind Norbit, which means it ain't Oscar material, but I'm sure there are drugs that exist that will make this movie worth the price of admission. Kidding! We love you Eddie ... I just wish you'd produce something a little dirty, a little risky, a little mid-80s. Give us the old Eddie and we'll give you two or three more of these "all-too-safe" comedies.

So, what are you watching movie freaks???

As it stands right now, this year's The Incredible Hulk will most likely gross slightly more or less than Ang Lee's Hulk worldwide. The latter walked away with roughly $245 million, while the former is currently sitting at $220 million ... though it's still making the international rounds. In an article over at The Hollywood Reporter, they ponder why the new (and improved?) Incredible Hulk was considered a success when the 2003 Hulk wasn't (THR noted it was "widely dismissed as a commercial failure").

Both Marvel and Universal are saying they're happy with the way The Incredible Hulk performed at the box office, though there's been no word on a sequel and chances are we ain't gettin' another one. Critically, the two Hulk films aren't very far apart: Rotten Tomatoes has Ang Lee's Hulk at 61%, while The Incredible Hulk is currently sitting at 68%. Fan-wise, I feel it was fairly well-received because a) folks were still coming off the Iron Man high, and b) expectations for the new Hulk were pretty low. Thus, when the film turned out to be kinda, sorta pretty good, it gave us a reason to cheer ... finally ... for an Incredible Hulk live-action movie.

But now that we've had some time to step away from The Incredible Hulk (at least here in the states), what do you think: Was the film a success? And how do you define success? If they choose not to make a sequel, does that mean the film failed ... even though it took in well over $200 million at the box office? Sound off you green freaks ...

Yesterday, Lou Lumenick posted a piece for the NY Post on a new book called Our Movie Houses: A History of Film and Cinematic Innovation in Central New York. This got me thinking about oldie movie houses and movie theaters before the huge, crisp megaplex experience.

I grew up in upstate New York. I remember watching Interview with the Vampire at Proctors Theater, and better yet, I remember hitting the Northway Mall's Cine 10 for $3 screenings in chairs so old they reclined into perfection, as long as you didn't move around and make them squeak a lot. They weren't old movie houses, but they weren't today's cinematic incarnations either.

Even today in Toronto, I flock to the Bloor and ignore sound problems and flaws for a grittier moviegoing experience. Sure, I love seeing some blockbusters in IMAX, or on other sweet, high-tech screens, but the experiences I remember are the less-than-slick ones. The charm of the simple indie theater has never died for me, no matter how crisp the pictures get in new theaters. No matter how much the sound envelopes me.

Is it the same for you? Is there an old movie house you love, or mediocre, ill-kept theater that you can't live without? Or, do you praise the end of that flicker of dust on a lens?

With the arrival of this weekend's Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, we find ourselves (once again) discussing *damn* how great a genre filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is. I mean, he's a wonderful filmmaker all around, but I include the word "genre" as an indication of my respect for the man. He's so knee-deep in horror, dark fantasy, and pulp fiction that I doubt he'd even WANT to do a straight courtroom drama. (I'd go see it though.) One of the most creative storytellers since the also-awesome Terry Gilliam, Guillermo del Toro hopes you'll want to take another spin with Hellboy this weekend, and that got us thinking ... if you could convince the director to do another sequel, which would it be. And why, knucklehead?

For me, I'd love to see another movie in the vein of The Devil's Backbone, but then again ... I wouldn't really want a sequel to that particular masterpiece. But fine, once the man is all done with his Hobbit movies, I say let him resurrect the Blade franchise. His chapter was (far and away) the best of that series.

Since this week finds fireworks in the sky and a new Will Smith action flick in theaters (Hancock), we thought it might be fun to take a look back at Smith's previous action films and try to decide which one we like the best. We're not including all of Smith's films here, because, well, it's kinda unfair to compare, say, The Pursuit of Happyness or Ali to Men in Black or I, Robot. Perhaps next time we'll take a look at Smith's watered down, dramatic efforts, but for now we'll stick to the rock-em-sock-em fan favorites.

And since I always give my opinion before asking for yours, I'm going to say that out of all of Smith's action-adventure films, Bad Boys is my favorite. Yes, I've gone with the Michael Bay film -- kill me now! Actually, now that Smith is a huge, mega star, we don't see him in buddy films anymore -- and watching him opposite Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys (as well as Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black) was an absolute blast. The sequel(s) ... well, how about we not go there. What say you, Will Smith fans -- which of his action films is your favorite?

Unlike last week's double dose of the funny, this weekend we're dealing with two completely different flicks. One is a light, breezy, beautiful Pixar animated effort, while the other is a wham-bam-boom, guns drawn, bullets flying, sexy, adrenaline-fueled action pic. Good news is the buzz on both films is pretty damn good. Personally, I've only seen WALL·E, and it's definitely one of my favorite films of the year so far. But you have to be the sorta person who digs Pixar. I know grown adults who can't stand watching animated feature films. That might be you. I happen to really enjoy them, as does my wife, and so we had a blast with it. Read my review. Maybe it'll help sway your decision.

On the other hand, Wanted looks to be the flick for those in need of a big-screen rush. It comes highly-stylized and proud to be rated R. Did we mention that Angelina Jolie still looks sexy as all hell? In his review from the Los Angeles Film Festival, James said, "Wanted's a corporate product, but, thankfully, it's an excellent one -- the two-fisted, double-barreled high-octane guilty pleasure summer action movie you've been waiting for." Couldn't have summed it up better myself. But which one are you seeing? Both? Neither? Something else entirely? Sound off below ...

Well, the time has finally come for another funtastic Pixar film to hit the big screen. This Friday, Wall·E touches down on earth, and naturally its impending arrival has got us thinking about those nutty dudes over at Pixar who took giant risks, worked their asses off and revolutionized the world of animation. I'm fully aware that naming your favorite Pixar film is kinda like naming your favorite child, but it's fun to look back over the years and attempt to come up with the one Pixar flick that entertained us the most.

Which do you hold closest to your heart? I'm sure everyone has a soft spot for the original Toy Story, but most folks I've spoken with feel The Incredibles was the best all-around Pixar film. Me? I'm a Monsters, Inc. guy. Yup, that's my favorite Pixar film. I just remember having so much fun watching Monsters, Inc. for the first time -- more fun than I had watching any other Pixar flick (with Toy Story and The Incredibles following closely behind). My least favorite is Cars, though I was sick the one time I watched it and have been meaning to give it another chance. Should I? Which is your favorite Pixar film (feature, not short)? Feel free to tell us why in the comments below ...

I caught a screening of Hancock last night. We still have a couple weeks to go before we get to that film, but I am very curious to hear what you folks think of this flick. It's certainly ballsy (especially for a Fourth of July weekend), and I loved that about it -- so we'll see. My mouth shall remain shut for now. That said, this weekend is a peculiar one because we have two comedies competing against one another. Sure, one (Get Smart) could probably pass itself off as an action-comedy, but it will be fascinating to watch the old school (Mike Myers) go up against the new school (Steve Carell).

On paper (and from what I've been hearing), Get Smart seems like the better all-around choice if you only have cash for one film and want a taste of typical, popcorn summer entertainment. Then again, Mike Myers hasn't starred in a live-action film since 2003's The Cat and the Hat, and so fans might be itching for that familiar Myers absurdity (with a twist of Mini Me thrown in for extra punch). If you choose your films based on the female factor, well, Get Smart gives us the beautiful Anne Hathaway, while The Love Guru features the equally-as-beautiful Jessica Alba. My opinion: Hathaway's the better actress, but Alba's the fan favorite. As far as directors go, Love Guru gives us a first-timer, and Get Smart is brought to us by the guy behind films like Tommy Boy, Anger Management and 50 First Dates.

So, based on my shoddy analysis, which film will you be seeing this weekend?

Let's talk about Sex, baby ... I got an email from Melissa Silverstein over at Women and Hollywood yesterday, asking a pack of women who work in various aspects of the film industry to share our thoughts on whether a successful box office turn for Sex and the City, which opens this weekend, might herald a change in Hollywood's attitude toward chick-centric movies. Melissa posed the following questions:

• If it's a success do you think that this will change Hollywood minds about whether women can "open" movies?
  
• If it doesn't do the predicted numbers, do you think this will spell more difficulties for women centric films?
  
• Do you think that because this is an "event" that other films about women will be held up to an unrealistic standard?
  
• Do you think there is a double standard for this film?
  
• Are you surprised by the nasty tone that some of the media has taken on this week?

You can read my response, and the thoughts of some other smart women, over on Melissa's site, but in the meantime, I thought this was a great set of questions to pose to Cinematical readers. Whether you love Sex and the City or hate it, what are your thoughts on whether a big box office run for the film might change the way Hollywood thinks about movies for and about women? Discuss away ...

If there's one thing we've come to expect from every Indiana Jones film, it's that Indy will be joined by a sidekick (and a beautiful woman) on all his adventures. These sidekicks are there for comedic support, mostly, but also to help Jones get himself out of (and into) a jam or three. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the large, round and cuddly Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) helped Indy search for the Ark of the Covenant -- but, really, how could you count out the tough-as-nails Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who also acted as a sidekick (and lover) in this one.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom introduced us to Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan), who stuck with Indy through thick and thin from start to finish and was, perhaps, Indy's most loyal sidekick. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade found our hero partnering with two old dudes: Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) and Dr. Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott); the latter of which finally got to leave campus and join Indy for what we all thought would be his final big-screen adventure. Which brings us to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, where, this time, Indy is once again teamed with someone much younger than he is: Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). Oh, and there's also 'Mac' George McHale (Ray Winstone), though I don't know how big of a role he plays as sidekick because, well, I don't see Crystal Skull until tomorrow. For the purpose of this poll, though, we'll include everyone (so you can come back to vote after you see the latest installment).

After you vote in the poll, definitely tell us why you chose who you did in the comments section below.