Batman 3 Update

Movies.com recently posted this:

The Dark Knight star Aaron Eckhart, who plays D.A. Harvey Dent turned baddie Two-Face in the comic book flick, hinted in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the facial scars he'll suffer in the July 18 movie are much worse than fans can imagine.

And if a photo that's popping up on fan sites of the post-burned Dent is real, he wasn't exaggerating.

ComicBookResources.com originally put up the photo, which is currently posted on Cinema Blend after being removed at Warner Bros. request by several sites, and it shows Dent in full Two-Face mode, with a horrendously scarred half-face that's light on the comic touch and heavy on the gruesome.

It's a far less cartoonish makeup job than Tommy Lee Jones' Batman Forever Two-Face and every bit as disturbing as Eckhart describes. More Batman news: As the most recent trailer suggests, Harvey Dent/Two-Face will continue to be a big part of the action in Batman 3, according to a Cinema Blend scooper, who also says The Joker (Heath Ledger) was going to play a major role in the sequel before Ledger's death earlier this year. The next sequel, which is likely to be director Christopher Nolan's last Batflick, says Cinema Blend, will be based on the two graphic novels The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, and it may also introduce Batman's (Christian Bale) Boy Wonder sidekick, Robin.

So let's do some casting, shall we?

First off, let's start with Robin. So far, on screen, this role has been portrayed by Douglas Croft (1943's The Batman), Johnny Duncan (1949's Batman & Robin), Burt Ward (1960's TV series/film), and Chris O'Donnell (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin). So who should portray him if he is indeed in the next film? For some reason, the only person I can think of is: Casey Affleck. After his tremendous performances in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James, he would be a terrific choice. However, let's say the part is in the film and Affleck is cast, he should not be so eager to jump into costume. The role should be all about the evolution of Robin, just as the first installment was about the evolution of Batman.

Now, looking on Wikipedia at the list of new characters "introduced" in The Long Halloween are Poison Ivy, the Riddler, and the Mad Hatter. It also brings back the character of Scarecrow (portrayed by Cillian Murphy).

So, let's cast those parts, shall we?

First off... Poison Ivy. So far, this role has been played solely by Uma Thurman (Batman & Robin). While Thurman made for an "okay" Pamela Isley, her portrayal of Isley's alter-ego Poison Ivy is rubbish. So who should be cast as Isley/Ivy? Let's take a look..

1) Elizabeth Banks. She is no stranger to comic book movies (she had a recurring cameo in the recent Spider-Man series). In her other roles, she has showed her range from comedy (The 40-year-old Virgin and Scrubs) to drama (Seabiscuit). While I do not think she would be the best choice, producers may be looking for a fresh new talent.

2) Rachel Weisz. A recent Oscar winner. A great actress. No stranger to blockbusters (see: The Mummy series).

3) Penelope Cruz or Tilda Swinton. Okay, so maybe I am stretching it now. There is no way any of these women will do a Batman film. This may be true for Cruz but both Weisz and Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia) have done blockbusters before and may very well do so. Also, no American Penelope Cruz film has been a success.

Now, let's discuss 'The Riddler'. So far this part has been played by Frank Gorshin (who earned an Emmy nod for his portrayal in the 1960s television series) and Jim Carrey (Batman Forever). So who would make a good riddler? I agree it must be a stand-up comedian, much like Carrey, who knows the ins & out of comedy, someone like Dane Cook. Suprising choice. The recent darkening-of-looks of characters like The Joker and Two Face (a pic is online) could prove for a very sarcastic, more-humanlike portrayal.

And finally, there's the Mad Hatter. So far, on screen, this character has been portrayed by little-known actor David Wayne, star of the stage (Finian's Rainbow) and screen (The Andromeda Strain), no relation to John Wayne, in four episodes of the 1960s television series. However, in the 90s, legendary former child star Roddy McDowell provided the vocals to an animated Mad Hatter in various animated television productions. So who should play him?

First, take a look at the following picture of the Mad Hatter in The Long Halloween:

Now, I can easily see this character being switched from a looney old guy to a looney, rebellious youth. Someone like Golden-Globe nominee Kieran Culkin, brother of Macaulay, who has been notably absent from the screen since his Golden Globe nominated performance in the 2002 indie drama Igby Goes Down. Finally, in 2008, he will return to the screen in Kenneth Lonergan's ensemble drama Margaret, opposite Anna Paquin and Mark Ruffalo, among others.

Now looking at Dark Victory, it has the characters of Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow, the Riddler, and the Mad Hatter. So it's a safe bet we'll see all, if not most, of those characters in the next installment. It also has the characters of the Penguin (after Danny DeVito's portrayal, no one wants this character to reemerge on screen unless done absolutely right). It also has the characters of Mr. Freeze (Ah-nuld is likely to reject the opportunity to reprise said character), Two-Face (who is likely to return after this summer's film), and perhaps the most interesting of villains: Solomon Grundy, a large zombie super-villain, portrayed by Mark Hamill in a recent animated series. A character yet to see the light of day in a live-action adventure. A fresh character which may be what is needed to add authenticity and originality to the recent reboot of the Batman franchise.

So who could portray Mr. Grundy? I don't have a clue. Does anyone out there have an idea?

Novel Film Ideas for...well...Novels

Hi everybody! (Hi Dr. Nick) Joey here, and the question I want to put forth for discussion is the following: which books would you kill to see adapted into (hopefully) good films?

I gotta say that a few jump out for me:

Tietam Brown by Mick Foley (think Catcher in the Rye on an acid trip)
Hope by Glen Duncan (character study about and English man addicting to porn)
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk (thriller about a children's lullaby that kills)

Which pieces of literature would you guys like to see made into feature films?

First Look: Josh Brolin as W

We have already discussed (click here) the controversial biopic by Oliver Stone and now EW offers the first look of NCFOM's Josh Brolin as George W. Bush.

From EW:

''Where is George Bush's bedroom?''

Oliver Stone is flinging open French doors inside an enormous brick man¬sion in Shreveport, La., inspecting loca¬tions for his new film about the 43rd President of the United States. ''This one is too small,'' he says. ''This one looks like George Tenet's bedroom. Where did we decide to put Bush's bedroom? It's around here somewhere, isn't it?''

Shooting begins in less than two weeks on W (or dub-ya, as it's spelled out in the initial sketches for the poster), but not everything is exactly where it should be, and not only here in the house where the First Family's residence will be re-created. The 32,000-square-foot soundstage the production is rent¬ing across town stands empty, waiting for the Oval Office and Cabinet Room sets to get trucked in from Los Angeles. The screenplay still needs work too. It's gone through two rewrites since an earlier draft leaked to the press last month (some skeptics took it as an April Fools' joke), but Stone would still like one more pass at it (''It's evolving,'' he says). And while most of the cast has been assembled and outfitted with prosthetic noses and hairpieces — Josh Brolin will play President George W. Bush and Elizabeth Banks will star as Laura — there is one major character still in search of an actor: a heavy named Dick Cheney.

Stone is famous for courting controversy with dramas like JFK (1991) and Nixon (1995). But with W, the 61-year-old filmmaker isn't merely courting it — he's grabbing controversy by the lapels and giving it a big wet smacker. For the first time, he's turning his cameras not just on a living president but on one who'll still be knocking around the White House when the movie premieres late this year. As if that weren't provocative enough, Stone could end up releasing the film as early as October, at the height of a presidential campaign in which one of the major issues will undoubtedly be the legacy of the guy on the screen. The movie has become a lightning rod before Stone has shot a single frame. If that bootlegged script is any indication, the film will feature such flag-waving moments as the Commander-in-Chief nearly choking to death on a pretzel while watching football on TV and a flashback of him singing the ''Whiffenpoof'' song as a frat pledge at Yale, not to mention scenes in which he refers to his advisers by dorky nicknames — ''Guru'' for Condoleezza Rice, ''Turdblossom'' for Karl Rove, ''Balloon Foot'' for Colin Powell — while discussing plans for the invasion of Iraq with the coolness of a late-night poker game.

So, who should play Cheney? Do you think AMPAS will support Stone's W?

First Look: Penn as Milk

From EW:

In this exclusive First Look at director Gus Van Sant's highly anticipated biopic Milk (out Nov. 26), Sean Penn, as community activist Harvey Milk, celebrates his long-fought election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, the first time an openly gay man had won elected office in a major U.S. city.

Milk ran his campaign headquarters out of his camera store in the city's de facto gay neighborhood known as the Castro, and ''we re-created the camera store in its actual location on Castro Street [for the movie],'' explains producer Dan Jinks (American Beauty). "[Sean] is playing a guy who's not at all like him, way beyond the sexuality of the character. Harvey was this guy who wants everybody to love him, and he loves everybody else. Sean just completely became that guy. It's a real transformation.''

Oscar numero dos coming soon?

Kelly's 100 Films - # 100: CITY LIGHTS (1931)

Writer/Director: Charles Chaplin
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Harry Meyers, Florence Lee, Al Ernest Garcia, Hank Mann.

Summary: Charmingly simple story of The Little Tramp who meets a lovely blind girl selling flowers on the sidewalk who mistakes him for a wealthy duke.

When he learns that an operation may restore her sight, he sets off to earn the money she needs to have the surgery.

In a series of comedy adventures that only Chaplin could pull off, he eventually succeeds, even though his efforts land him in jail. While he is there, the girl has the operation and afterwards yearns to meet her benefactor. The tear-inducing closing scene, in which she discovers that he is not a wealthy duke but only The Little Tramp, is one of the highest moments in movies.

My Thoughts:

In doing my research on what exactly I should write about, I stumbled upon a Charlie Chaplin website-subpage devoted to City Lights (1931). I thought that this page said more about this particular film than I could ever possibly think to write. So, click here if you wish to explore Chaplin's City Lights a bit more or go directly to his website:

http://www.charliechaplin.com/

From the TIME Magazine Archive:
"Chaplin does not reject the sound-device because he does not think his voice will register. His objection is that cinema is essentially a pantomimic art"
—Feb. 9, 1931

An Introduction

Josh Kirschenbaum here.

I'll be writing for the blog from now on. A few things you should know:

1. I love comics. This will become painfully apparent during ComicCon, when I'll be geeking out at the plethora of new info on Frank Miller's The Spirit and Zack Snyder's (unfortunately doomed) Watchmen.

2. I'll have a recurring feature where I'll write a primer of sorts on a great director. I'll analyze recurring themes, motifs, and trademarks and do mini-reviews of their best work. Hopefully, I will get to the root of why this particular director is so revered. If you have any recommendations on who I should start with, let me know in the comments.

3. I currently have 36 favorite movies. I will post my list (along with justifications/praise for each film) in the next few weeks.

4. Frost/Nixon is going to fail. Sorry I had to be the one to tell you.

If you have any other questions or comments, leave them in the comments and I'll be happy to respond.

Memories from a TV classic...

A close friend of mine was showing me some of the early episodes of The Simpsons on his computer earlier today. Growing up in a country where every tv show is dubbed to our native language, I really never experienced the amazing voice-over work done on the series by Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and company.

I think that's exactly where the massive success of The Simpsons comes from, the great writing is able to cross every barrier and every border. Thanks to its universal humor, the show is able to connect with the viewer without ever getting lost in translation.

I haven't watched much of The Simpsons lately though, I probably stopped watching around five or six years ago (Believe it or not, in Portugal it is mostly considered a kids show).

I understand the show is on its way to a 20th season right now. I have heard its quality has somehow declined and it has also lost popularity to South Park and Family Guy (shows I actually watch since I moved to America).

A couple of episodes into our improvised marathon, my friend asks the mandatory question: "What's your favorite episode." I don't know the name so I describe the plot to him, he replies... "Lisa's Substitute." Also one of his favorites.

He then proceeds to show me this old list, Entertainment Weekly's 25 Best "Simpsons" episodes. Great childhood memories came to mind instantly; who can forget Mr. Burns channeling Citizen Kane in "Rosebud" or Homer's quick trip to the gay steel mill in "Homer's Phobia."

Regardless of its current quality, The Simpsons already set its legacy on television and if you watch any of its earlier episodes, you will probably remember why...

Do you have a favorite episode?

Problems with the New Site!

We are having some technical difficulties right now....There are pages that are getting distorted, or not loading...We are working on it and will be back 100% in no time!

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Allow me to introduce myself...

Kudos to Kel.

My name is Keith, and I am also joining the awardscircuit.com. I'm excited to be on board, and I hope that this year is as good (if not better) than the previous years.

I will be covering the big budget summer blockbusters. So look out for those reviews. On the blog, I want to focus on the philosophy of some my favorite movies. But I promise it won't be too overdrawn and academic. Also, I'll probably make many side comments about basketball (Duke bball in particular), since I'm somewhat of a bball junkie. So, if you are a tar-hole, you know where you can go.

Subterranean Homesick DVD Releases

Hey all... Joey here with the DVD releases for the week. We have a couple of films that are highly recommended, and a few that are fairly mediocre.

We start with my PICK OF THE WEEK, which has many many things going for it. It is:

I'm Not There

A film about the many personalities of Bob Dylan, it has in its favor terrific performances (Cate Blanchett steals the show, but Christian Bale and Heath Ledger are terrific as well), an indie darling director (Todd Haynes), and let's not forget that it's one of Ledger's final films. Overall, a high quality selection.

We also have a very good indie film coming out in Teeth, a horror fantasy about a girl with a set of canines in the most unusual place. The concept is rather compelling, and doesn't dissapoint.

On the lighter side, we have a couple of romantic comedies that serve their purpose but won't set the world on fire or anything. They are P.S. I Love You and Over Her Dead Body. Both involve significant others who are deceased, and both could be better, though of the two I'd recommend P.S. a bit more. Also out this week (but have not been seen by me) are the comedy First Sunday and the foreign drama Bella.

My old school recommendation for the week is the film that inspired Kevin Smith to become a director. It is Richard Linklater's Slacker and was part of the rise of the indie film in the 90's. It's a bit odd at first, but it will win you over by the end.

What movies catch your eye this week? Lemme know!

Two-Faced... Concept Art?

This first pic of Aaron Eckhart as The Dark Knight's villain Two Face just made its internet debut...

Does it look real to you?

Note: It is supposed to be a concept art pic from the film but it looks pretty real, and scary, to me.

Read the story as reported by CHUD

Okay, you've been warned...

The Dark Knight: More than The Joker

While The Joker has absorbed most of the The Dark Knight's attention (pretty much since the great ending of Batman Begins), media is now beginning to focus on the buzzed film's other villain, Two Face (who I foresee will end up stealing the show by the closing credits start rolling).

Here's what Aaron Eckhart has to say of his role as the fan-favorite villain previously played by Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever (Spoilers):

"The difference between Batman and Two-Face is how far they are willing to go and how they make their point," Eckhart said. "Otherwise, we're talking about vigilante crime-fighting. That's what Batman is all about. He has a strong sense of justice. And Harvey Dent has an extremely strong sense of justice. His fiancée is killed. He's horribly injured. But he is still true to himself. He's a crime fighter, he's not killing good people. He's not a bad guy, not purely."

And here's the most we've seen of Two Face so far...

Is The Dark Knight going to become more than a comic book adaptation?

Iron Man made tons of cash this weekend...

It crossed the $100 million mark in three days...

But did you stay after the credits?

Iron Man: Movie of the Summer?

Currently at a 94% 'fresh' (RottenTomatoes), Iron Man is kicking off what seems to be one of the most promising summer seasons for moviegoers in recent memory. Will Indy or The Dark Knight top this level of critical acclaim?

While we wait and see, all you can do is give your verdict on the Robert Downey Jr. career boost...

Problems with the New Site?

If there any problems you see, please tell us here or e-mail me at: claytondavis@awardscircuit.com

It seems when the The Awards Circuit is open on Internet Explorer it looks fine. Mozilla seems to be having trouble. And Safari looks to be working just fine. Please let us know of anything else...

Tribeca Fest Likes Vampires...

But not this of course...

From Reuters:

A Swedish coming-of-age horror film and a U.S. documentary about female peace activists in war-torn Liberia won the top awards at New York's Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday.

"Let the Right One In," directed by Tomas Alfredson, took the award for Best Narrative Feature, while "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," directed by Gini Reticker and narrated by singer Angelique Kidjo, won Best Documentary Feature. Both films beat out 11 other finalists and each won $25,000.

Peter Scarlet, Tribeca's artistic director, said most of the prizes at the seventh annual festival -- started in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks to help rejuvenate lower Manhattan -- were "going to filmmakers and performers who are all at an early stage of their careers."

Amended figures from festival organizers show 121 feature films and 79 short films from 41 countries have been screened during the event, which finishes on Sunday.

"Let the Right One In" tells the tale of a 12-year-old Swedish boy who is the victim of bullying and dreams of revenge. He befriends a girl next door who has a need greater than friendship -- blood. The Tribeca jury said it won "for its mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful reexamination of the vampire myth."

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell" documents the story of female peace activists in Liberia, who helped end the country's 1989-2003 civil war that left more than 200,000 people dead. Their campaign culminated in the election of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state. "In a relentless pursuit of peace, the women of Liberia show us how community, motherly love and perseverance can change the fate of a society," the Tribeca jury said. " 'Pray the Devil Back to Hell' is a reminder that we have the power to say 'Enough!' to the atrocities of our world."

The Best New Narrative Filmmaker Award went to "My Marlon and Brando," directed by Huseyin Karabey and based on the true- love story of a Turkish actress heading to the Iraq border after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 to find her Kurdish boyfriend. Spanish director Carlos Carcas won Best New Documentary Filmmaker for "Old Man Bebo" for his portrait of Cuban musician Bebo Valdes, who won two Grammy Awards at age 81. The Best Actor in a Feature Film award went to Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello for their roles in the British film "Somers Town," while the Best Actress Award went to Eileen Walsh for her role in the Irish film "Eden."

No Country for 'Exhausted' Bardem in 9

The Spanish Oscar winner has suddenly left the Hollywood adaptation of Broadway's hit musical citing 'exhaustation.'

From Variety:

Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) has exited director Rob Marshall's feature musical Nine, citing exhaustion from the past year's work and awards-season schedule. Bardem, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the Coen Brothers' No Country, was set to play Guido Contini, the lead character in Nine. The story is about a film director who experiences personal and creative crisis trying to balance all the women in his life. The Weinstein Co. movie is an adaptation of a stage musical inspired by Fellini's movie 8 ½. Bardem is said to have loved the script and the idea of working with Marshall but simply needs some time off, perhaps as long as a year, to recharge his batteries.

Bardem's exit marks his second departure from a major project in as many months, following the announcement that Carmen Maura (Volver) has replaced him in Francis Ford Coppola's family drama Tetro. That move was officially attributed to Coppola's decision that the role was better filled by a female, though it has been reported that Bardem simply became unavailable.

Basically, this means the next film we will see Bardem in is going to be Woody Allen's potential flop Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Oscar curse to claim new victim?