MD Poll: The Batmen

From vintage movie serials to popular TV series to blockbuster motion pictures, many an actor has donned the cape and cowl of the legendary comic book dark knight known as the Batman. But who is your favorite man behind the mask (or, in some cases, the man behind the microphone)?

Cast your vote in this week's MD Poll (located in the sidebar to your right) and check back in two weeks -- same Bat-time, same Bat-channel! (I've always wanted to say that) -- to find out who will reign supreme as the ultimate Caped Crusader.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the current MD Poll.

The Latest in Theaters: Batman Besides

Although The Dark Knight is shaping up to be the movie event of the summer (if not the year), there are a lot of other movies opening this weekend as well. Such as:

• Mamma Mia! Can you ask for anything better then Meryl Streep and an all-star cast (including the absolutely dreamy Dominic Cooper) in a sun-kissed movie musical complete with ABBA's biggest hits? I think not.
• Chad Allen returns as gay detective Donald Strachey for another mystery in On the Other Hand, Death. Co-starring, as a lesbian high school guidance counselor no less, is Margot Kidder.
• Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Lynch and Stanley Tucci are among the voices in the new animated comedy adventure Space Chimps, about ... well, chimps in space.
• In Transsiberian, Ben Kingsley, Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer are wrapped up in a mystery aboard the titular train ride from Russia to China.
• Writer/director Jacques Nolot stars as an aging gay gigolo faced with his own mortality when his wealthy benefactor dies in in the French import Before I Forget (watch the trailer here).
• And finally: if you find yourself in New York and looking for a good time this weekend, then how about the Sing Along Xanadu?

Visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

Bat-Tube

On the eve of the debut of what sounds like his darkest adventure yet, let us indulge in a little good natured bat-humor aimed at the bat-dude:

- We'll start with some more "lost footage": the trailer for a pre-talkies version of The Dark Knight, appropriately titled The Silent Knight.
- And for more trailer deconstruction/reconstruction, here it is ... in Lego.
- The latest in "Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC", a.k.a. "When Batman Meets Iron Man" ...
- ... And then Hellboy enters the picture.
- Bonus clip: this one isn't all about the Caped Crusader, but it's still pretty darn cool: "The World of Tim Burton".

Awards Watch: The Brokeback Factor, Part 2

In last week's part 1 of "The Brokeback Factor", I speculated that a posthumous Oscar win for Heath Ledger for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight may partly be due to his overlooked performance in Brokeback Mountain. But there is another Academy Award hopeful this year that may benefit even more from the infamous Oscar snub of Ang Lee's landmark modern classic. That film is Milk.

The story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official anywhere, already has a history with the little gold man: Rob Epstein's The Times of Harvey Milk won the documentary prize back in 1984. This new Milk is a dramatic retelling of his life, with Academy Award winning actor Sean Penn in the title role and Oscar nominated director Gus Van Sant at the helm. In other words, Milk will certainly be on the radar of most Oscar watchers based on its pedigree alone.

In addition to Penn and Van Sant, other potential Milk nominees include screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and a slew of possible Best Supporting Actor nominees (who would, ironically, compete against Ledger), including James Franco (as Milk's lover Scott Smith), Emile Hirsch (as Milk ally and friend Cleve Jones) and Josh Brolin (as Milk's assassin Dan White). And then of course, there's the big one: Best Picture.

If Milk lives up to expectations at the film festivals, among critics and with such precursor awards as the Golden Globes, and if it is nominated for Best Picture, it may give the Academy a chance to overcome those nasty rumors of Hollywood homophobia that have been swirling around Tinseltown since that notorious Oscar night over two years ago. You recall that dark night when the over-rated mess of a movie Crash defied all predictions and won instead of the favored Brokeback, which was still the most honored movie of the year among every other major awards group. Certain pundits tried to insist that it wasn't due to Brokeback's gay content, that the Los Angeles-based Academy simply thought Crash was better (uh, have you seen it?) and/or that they wanted to honor a home-grown product (Brokeback was filmed mostly in Canada). Hogwash.

As the public statements of such moronic members as Tony Curtis and Ernest Borgnine attested to, some Academy members didn't even bother to watch Brokeback Mountain, proving that, despite its liberal reputation, homophobia still reigns in Hollywood (just ask all those actors and actresses cringing in the closet). In addition, the constant belittling of Brokeback by late night talk show hosts (mainly that idiot Jay Leno) and on the internet didn't help the film's chances, as some just viewed the whole thing as one big "gay cowboy" joke instead of just, you know, viewing the movie and judging it on its own merits.

Nevertheless, with its frank and honest portrayal of two men in love, Brokeback may have been too much for some people in the Academy, but it did pave the way for a possible victory for Milk. First off, Milk isn't primarily a romance (thereby not making all those straight guys in the Academy feel all funny inside), but a biopic, and the Academy loves biopics, especially about martyrs (see: Gandhi). Also, they especially love honoring actors when they play real people (the list begins with third Best Actor winner George Arliss as Disraeli and ends with last year's Best Actress Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose), so Penn could be looking at Oscar #2. And if Van Sant were to win, he would be the first out director to win for a gay-themed movie (and no, John Schlesinger for Midnight Cowboy and George Cukor for My Fair Lady don't count).

Of course, the jury is literally still out on this one until Milk is actually seen; it is scheduled to open December 5.

Poster Post: All Part of the Plan

Yes, there has already been about a gajillion posters for The Dark Knight, but this one more then any other captures the dark dichotomy between its two leading adversaries.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, it opens this Friday.

Don't get sold out. Buy Dark Knight tickets now!

Cinematic Crush: Aaron Eckhart

Crush object: Aaron Eckhart, actor.

- He made an impressive debut (and won an Independent Spirit Award) as the misogynistic narcissist at the center of In the Company of Men.

- Memorable supporting turns in Your Friends & Neighbors, Any Given Sunday, Erin Brockovich, Nurse Betty, The Missing and Paycheck followed.

- His pitch perfect performance in the satirical Thank You for Smoking netted him Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations.

- His matinee idol good looks served him well in the noirish The Black Dahlia and the romantic comedy No Reservations.

- The indie favorite will next be seen as Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent -- a.k.a. the man who will be Two-Face -- in this week's big studio blockbuster The Dark Knight, but returns to his roots later this year with Alan Ball's already controversial Towelhead (formerly Nothing is Private).

Comic Strip Mined

The summer of the superhero is about half over, and so far we've seen the daring exploits of Iron Man, the Hulk and Hellboy, with the big daddy of the season (nay, the year), The Dark Knight, still on the horizon.

And don't forget, following Batman's return we have a slew of upcoming comic based movies featuring everyone from the Watchmen and Wolverine to Magneto and the Mighty Thor.

But, as Cracked.com so astutely points out in their list of "8 (Pointless) Laws All Comic Book Movies Follow", maybe its time Hollywood give the old tried-and-true formulas a rest. From the "multiple villains" clause to the old "losing their powers" bit, there ain't a comic cliché they don't unmask.

Women We Love: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Object of our affection: Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress.

- She hails from a show biz family: father Stephen Gyllenhaal is a film director, mother Naomi Achs is a producer and screenwriter and her brother Jake ... well, you know about him.

- Her first three films were her dad's Waterland, A Dangerous Woman and Homegrown, followed by Donnie Darko, where she played sister to her real-life brother.

- Critical acclaim (and a Golden Globe nomination) came with her breakout role as a Secretary into bondage. She received another Globe nod for SherryBaby.

- She often gravitates to indie fare, including Cecil B. DeMented, Riding in Cars with Boys, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Casa de los Babys and Happy Endings.

- But she isn't averse to studio projects, such as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Mona Lisa Smile, Monster House, World Trade Center, Stranger Than Fiction and a little movie called The Dark Knight, opening next week.

Awards Watch: The Brokeback Factor, Part 1

As Variety recently noted, 2008 is now more then half over and, save for a few below the marquee categories, the Oscar race is wide open. Of the films released so far this year, only Richard Jenkins' stand out performance in the indie drama The Visitor has garnered any acting buzz, and certainly no Best Picture contenders have bowed yet.

Longtime awards-watchers know that this is hardly anything new, as studios have always (at least since this all became a big expensive game) back-loaded their annual schedules with their Oscar bait pictures, hoping that the Academy's perceived short attention span will pay off in gold on Hollywood's night of nights. Naturally, things will start heating up once the fall film festivals begin screening their wares, followed by the annual prestige picture traffic jam known as December.

However, the big question of the year will soon be answered (in part at least) with the debut next week of The Dark Knight. And that question is: could the late Heath Ledger be nominated for an Academy Award for playing the Joker?

Prior to his accidental death in January, Ledger's performance was already gaining attention (for example, back in November, Kristopher Tapley at Variety's Red Carpet District called early online marketing for the film the start of the longest "For Your Consideration" campaign in Academy history); tragically or not, his death has served to increase that attention. By all accounts, Ledger's performance as the Clown Prince of Crime is both fearless and fearsome; could it overcome genre bias and get a nomination? After all, this is a comic book movie.

Well, one only needs to look back at the 1990 Oscars to see that it would not be without precedent. That year, Al Pacino was nominated not for playing Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III, but for his hammy, over-the-top turn as another gangster, Big Boy Caprice, in Dick Tracy, based on the classic comic strip. He was even favored to win by some (Joe Pesci eventually won, for playing yet another gangster, in GoodFellas).

Furthermore, if Ledger is nominated posthumously (the last actor to be so recognized was Il Postino's Massimo Troisi in 1995), could he win? (Peter Finch remains the only actor to win after his death, for Network in 1976.) Obviously, only time will tell and, admittedly, most everyone has yet to see the actual movie in question (advance word, to say the least, is good). Of course, it is his performance that should be judged solely for the honor, but we all know emotions will play into Academy voters' decisions (as they always do, regardless of what is said otherwise). Surely the fact that this will be the last chance to recognize Ledger's talent will play into member's decisions once it comes time for them to mark their final ballots.

Another factor may play into this scenario as well ... call it the "Brokeback factor". As Daniel Day-Lewis so eloquently expressed it in his Screen Actors Guild Award acceptance speech earlier this year, many were moved by Ledger's heartbreaking performance as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, and still are; his death has elevated it to iconic status, much like (another actor gone before his time) James Dean's Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause.

Academy history is riddled with instances of actors winning "make up" Oscars for previously snubbed performances, from Bette Davis (Dangerous instead of Of Human Bondage) and James Stewart (The Philadelphia Story for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) to Cher (Moonstruck instead of Mask) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator for The Insider). So it is not that big a stretch to think that, in this instance, it could happen again.

Alas, the question remains: could an Oscar for Dark Knight, given in part for Brokeback memories, be Hollywood's final tribute to Heath Ledger?

Next week in part 2: Looking at the big picture, how the infamous Academy snub of Brokeback Mountain could help another eagerly awaited film's chances of scoring Best Picture glory.

UPDATE: Part 2 is now available.

The Latest on DVD: Holy Bait and Switch, Batman!

Anyone who glances at the Dark Knight-inspired packaging of the DVD above may be inclined to believe it is the latest of the Batman movies. However, this one doesn't star Christian Bale or Michael Keaton or even George Clooney, but the first pop culture Caped Crusader, Adam West.

Yep, it's Batman: The Movie,the feature-length spin-off of the campy 60's TV show starring West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, with a rogues gallery of villains made up of Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, Frank Gorshin's Riddler and the Catwoman stylings of Miss Lee Meriwether.

Also available on Blu-ray,this "Special Edition" (conveniently timed to coincide with the approaching release of The Dark Knight), includes an audio commentary by West and Ward, brand new bonus featurettes and a "Holy Trivia Track, Batman!" option.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Stan Winston: 1946-2008

Stan Winston, the Academy Award winning special effects artist and makeup designer, died yesterday at the age of 62.

Winston won four Oscars for his work on the blockbuster hits Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park. He also received Academy nominations for Heartbeeps, Predator, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.

His first film was the classic TV movie Gargoyles. Other notable credits include The Wiz, The Thing, Starman, Interview with a Vampire, Galaxy Quest, Big Fish and the recent Iron Man. He also directed the creature feature Pumpkinhead and the Terminator 2 3-D movie for Universal Studios theme parks worldwide.

Dark Before the Dawn

The newest full-length trailer for The Dark Knight, including a lot more plot and even a hint at the ultimate fate of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart); July 18 can’t come fast enough.

Poster Post: Three Faces of "Knight"

More cool poster art for The Dark Knight, in theaters July 18.

Toon Talk: Summer Nights

Since Jaws and Star Wars and the dawn of the "Summer Movie" just over thirty years ago, film studios know that when the sun is high and the kids are out of school, all they want is something to do; if they are entertained in the process, all the better. And what better way to have fun then to sit in an air conditioned theater and watch the latest blockbuster with all your friends.

Which explains the steady stream of superheroes, sequels and superhero sequels that strike when the summer season surfaces, see? Si.

Click here to continue reading Kirby's Toon Talk preview of this summer's new movies at LaughingPlace.com.

Countdown to AFI's 10 Top 10: Fantasy

"Still round the corner there may wait,
a new road or a secret gate."
-- J.R.R. Tolkien

Giant apes, talking pigs, flying nannies, sword-fighting skeletons ... these are among the many fantastic elements that make up the next genre in the Movie Dearest countdown to AFI's Ten Top 10: fantasy.

Ranging from 1924's The Thief of Bagdad to 2005's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the fifty films nominated (see the comments section below for the full list) range from the obviously fantastical (anything based on Greek mythology) to more subtle variations on the theme (Being John Malkovich, The Purple Rose of Cairo). Fitting into the former category is the original King Kong, while the holiday perennial It's a Wonderful Life covers the latter; both are strong frontrunners for this top ten due to the fact that they have both been honored by the AFI five times in past 100 Years ... 100 Movies lists. But topping them both, with seven previous mentions, is a sure thing: The Wizard of Oz.

The other multiple honorees from the past countdowns are more recent: Field of Dreams and Ghost, plus The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (representing the entire trilogy), which placed in last year's top movies list and also won an AFI Award; Spider-Man 2 is the only other nominee that also won the annual award. Single list honorees also nominated this go round include Babe, Batman, Beetlejuice, Big, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Groundhog Day, Harvey, Mary Poppins, Miracle on 34th Street, The Princess Bride, Superman and Topper.

It is most likely that the final ten will be culled from these past honorees, but don't count out some potential first-timers, such as Brazil, Jason and the Argonauts, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter, here represented by The Prisoner of Azkaban.

The results will be revealed when AFI's 10 Top 10 airs on CBS on June 17.

Poster Post: Gotham Burns

The incendiary final poster art for this summer's The Dark Knight.