So, soon we’ll be having Batman movie night. Batman has always been my favorite comic book character. He’s smarter, he’s darker, he’s a crazy detective, he’s relentless, he’s not invincible. He’s most likely just as insane as the villains he helps take down. I like that.
I’ve been a comic book & especially Batman fan since I can remember. I’m sure it had to do with the 60’s TV show being rerun in my youth in addition to Super Friends and Batman popping up on Scooby Doo for whatever reason. As a kid, I remember digging the Hulk(even though I ran out of the room during the transformation scenes), Spider-Man, and especially the Greatest American Hero. I want to say I even used to play with my aunts’ Barbie-doll sized Batman & Robin action figures.
I went to one of the open casting calls but wasn’t called… but it worked out better as the wife & I were both able to do some unpaid extra work thanks to BeInAMovie.com (peep their Facebook page for possible spoiler photos)! It was all in all a really long but incredibly fun day. It was cool to see a bit of the daily grind on a film that’s sure to be a blockbuster. When else will I get to say that I was an extra in a movie… let alone a BATMAN movie? Ha ha. That’s just awesome. Whether we make the cut or not, it’ll be an experience we’ll never forget.
In an email from BeInAMovie.com after the fact…
What gracious and appreciative people are the family that Warner Brothers are.
And they so appreciated each of your participation and how you came dressed for the scenes. And stayed through rain and heat and humidity.
AND Chris Nolan was awed by your acting ability when Bane and Mercenaries blew up the stadium and mayhem was everywhere.
In with all that, I’m just a fanboy at heart… so we arrive (again) at Batman movie night. The wife & I hosted a series of Star Wars movie nights that were a good time, a good excuse to get together, and a good excuse to nerd-out with a group of people… fellow fanboy geeks & newcomers alike. (On a side note… we never did get past the movies proper… we’ll perhaps have to revisit these to delve into the Ewok & Holiday Specials, Fanboys, then the cartoons & parodies.)
Why not Batman Begins out of the Nolan series? I’d argue it’s all about Batman vs. the Joker here. Sure, some other villains clutter up the ’66 movie, and I ought to include something animated with Mark Hamill & Kevin Conroy… but 3 movies in one night is about all this attention span can handle. The Joker is as mad & random as Batman is cold & calculated. The characters play of off each other so well. In the comics anyway, Batman won’t kill. He won’t cross that one line to become a madman. (And after the early 40’s, he wouldn’t use guns either.)
I love all of these interpretations of both of the characters. The ultra-straight-laced Adam West & zany Cesar Romero are a great pair. They play off of each other well in the campy style of the old show. I remember being old enough to think “Mr. Mom is going to be Batman?” in the late 80’s, but Michael Keaton was a stellar Bruce Wayne/Batman. He played such an odd person, and it worked. I also remember thinking Jack Nicholson was too fat… the Joker in the comics & in novels was very tall & lanky. I was surprised on both counts. Nicholson plays a maniacal psychopath like no other. Christian Bale is gruff and guarded, and Heath Ledger has redefined the Joker for a whole new generation, effectively making Dark Knight a Joker movie, not a Batman one.
If these nights work out, perhaps we can delve into Return to the Batcave, some of the animated films, Batman Begins, & maybe even a Joel Shumacher film.
We’re looking at Sat. Aug. 27th for Batman movie night. Let me know if you’re interested! We even got Batman cookie cutters!
This is just a re-post/update of the STAR WARS movie nights we’ve been having at our place. If anyone’s interested and they haven’t been to one, let me know! We’ll be moving out of the movies proper into the crazy stuff soon. We do snacks, food, pop, beer, and just chill while watching the movies and cracking the occasional joke or spitting the occasional trivia.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from then clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy…
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
OK fellow geeks & guests… I’m just using this as a place to put the Star Wars nights that we’ve been having at our place on a tentative schedule & brainstorm about other possible movies. We’re 3 movies in so far, drop me a line if you’re interested in joining us!
For the rest of the 3 of you reading; This is not the page you’re looking for.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy….
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
We finally decided on a starting date for a continuing series of Star Wars movie nights at our house, so “Cut the chatter, Red 2. Accelerate to attack speed!”
We need to decide on a movie order. Chronologically, they go like this, I think…
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars (animated microseries)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI movie)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI series)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Droids (animated series)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (made for TV movie)
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (made for TV movie)
Star Wars: Ewoks (animated series)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Then we have a bunch of other stuff that could be included…
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Fanboys
Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Family Guy: Something Something Something, Dark Side
Robot Chicken: Star Wars
Spaceballs
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (Hey, Mark Hamill & Carrie Fisher are both in it, right…?)
We could also do a night with Hardware Wars, Thumb Wars, Troops, and any other recommended Star Wars fan/parody shorts.
There’s the issue of IV, V, & VI. Do we watch the laserdisc rips, the latest DVD release, or both?
There’s the issue of watching them in release order vs. chronological order, too.
We could watch the 6 movies, then the other stuff. We could watch the 7 movies (including the CGI Clone Wars one) then the other stuff… We could sandwich in the Ewok movies where they belong…
So many choices, it’s like trying to successfully navigate an asteroid field. Don’t tell me the odds, just vote below! You can pick two choices if you’re indecisive like me…
World (and Lunar) Domination 