In preparation for The Dark Knight I just rewatched Batman Begins, and I'm pleased to say it held up very well to a repeat viewing. I actually even enjoyed it more the second time around. Possibly because I wasn't as nervous; nervous that the long dark night of silly, rubbish Batman films was set to go onnnnnn. Thankfully though, Batman Begins delivered the Batman I've been so longing to see on screen: serious, complex, and dark; dark as light can be. And with ninjas, too! Ooh, of course, update, update!
And in my relief I'm not alone. Khoi Vinh reflects here on the critical reception of each Batman film to date and, on the off chance Dark Knight fails to meet our expectations, recommends enjoying a world in which the last Batman film didn't suck while we still can.
I've always considered myself a fan of the two Burton films, but, my, Christopher Nolan's efforts so far show just how far they fell from being what they could have been. Please, Mr Nolan, no giant, waddling, rocket-launching penguins or songs by Prince in this one. Have mercy.
UPDATE
Michael Bay's rejected script for Michael Bay's The Dark Knight by Michael Bay, featuring dialogue scripted by Michael Bay. Hilarious.
UPDATE 2
Nice little group shot here of the promotional posters created for The Dark Knight. The thumbnails really don't do them justice as, contrary to what the guy says in his post, the full-size prints I've seen have looked amazing. They are quite diverse in style, but I feel the thematic link is strong enough to hold them together as a set.
Actually, this trend towards multiple, character-based posters instead of one key image seems to be on the increase. Particularly with blockbusters. I guess a blockbuster budget helps. And it's good; keeps you keeping an eye out as you drive past bus shelters or whatever, looking to complete the set or just to spot your favourite character who you've yet to see. Attack of the Clones (2002) had me on the lookout for Jango (pre-disillusionment) and Matrix Reloaded (2003) caught my interest as I like cropping heads in the photos I take, too. (Shame the posters ended up being the best thing about the film). I wonder which film used this technique first? The Phantom Menace did it in 1999, but surely there are earlier examples than that? Class?
UPDATE 3
Collecting different editions of Catch-22 over the last decade or so has led me on a treasure hunt through a trail of secondhand dealers too numerous to count. But then eBay rolled into town and all of a sudden I could search a world of riches from the extraordinary comfort of my Aeron chair. My collection grew from a handful to a shelfful in no time at all, and the need to commit precious time to an increasingly futile search was gone. But so too, I came to realise, was part of the fun; the journey, though long, was often rewarding in and of itself.
All of which is a long way of saying that any discussions we might have had long into the night over which film used the multiple character-based style first has been obviated by Kate's discovery of the brilliant Internet Movie Poster Awards. It may not be exhaustive, but it's certainly thorough, and based upon its content we can award third place to 1991's Silence of the Lambs, second place to 1990's Dick Tracy, and first place to (drumroll) the ever innovating U2 with their 1988 film, Rattle and Hum. Clap, clap, clap. So there you go.
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Howbout Lord of the Rings?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.impawards.com/2001/lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring_ver1.html (can't remember how to do a neat fancy underlined link thingy).
Oh... earlier than that. Oops.
ReplyDeleteYes I know I am over posting here, but hey I'm at home all day everyday with absolutely NOTHING to do...
ReplyDeleteOurs friends at Pixar were right on to it early Post.
http://www.impawards.com/1995/toy_story_ver3.html
Or a more clear example http://www.impawards.com/1998/bugs_life_ver1.html
There's no such thing as commenting too much, Kate! Even for JJ. Actually, maybe occasionally for JJ. Hehe.
ReplyDeleteGood thinking with Pixar! They know how to market. Toy Story doesn't have the individual character style, but Bug's Life certainly does. (And let me give you a little hyperlink-hand there).
Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers also don't have it, but Return of the King is spot on. Great series of portraits there.
So 1998 is the earliest so far...
Hi - thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteDisagree with you about the thematic style linking the posters - there appear to be about three or four different styles running throughout, as if they couldn't settle on one idea! They mostly look like mock-ups, not a finished campaign for what will probably be the year's biggest film.
And I think I can trump A Bug's Life - Jackie Brown in 1997!
Why, hello there, Daniel! With my loyal readership numbering around four I don't think I'll be sending much traffic your way, but you're welcome all the same! And thanks for stopping by to post your comment, too. I certainly agree that there are multiple styles in play, and that it does tend to suggest a certain lack of confidence in choosing one clear direction, but I'd still say they work together as a set based upon not so much their stylistic connection, but more their emotional one. The tension, the menace, the desperation...
ReplyDeleteIt's similar to how when I lay out my 35 copies of Catch-22 whose jacket styles span 47 years and 10 countries, they form a beautiful collage that's made all the richer for its conflicting parts. Or something. :)
And nice work flagging Jackie Brown. I don't actually remember seeing any of these in Australia, but they're a great set. Sam Jackson has shown he can do wrong, but he didn't with this one. Unfortunately though, as I've just written in Update 3 to my original post, the earliest I've found is Rattle and Hum from 1988. Now if you can top that, I'll be well and truly impressed!
And incidentally, if you're looking to update your post, impawards.com has got the full Dark Knight set here, including the freshly vandalised set by the Joker.
I would like to think about what movies 'missed out' on the portraits/theme posters..?
ReplyDeleteThe Magnificant Seven?
The Dirty Dozen?
Although I probably wouldn't bother walking along the cinema entrance wall to look at the posters '101 Dalmations' would produce..
I think the (original) 300 Spartans would have been quite a lobby display too, actually.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha. I was going to say Ocean's 13, but 300!!!!!! tops that. Although imagine if the 4400 ever gets adapted for the big screen!
ReplyDeleteActually, Ocean's 13 would've really benefitted from having thirteen different posters with a detailed explanation of who the hell each character was and what the hell they were up to in the movie. I was so totally lost.
They mostly look like mock-ups, not a finished campaign for what will probably be the year's biggest film.
ReplyDeleteWhy yes, now that you mention it, they do seem to be a bit haphazard.
It's as though someone who knows the rules for a "finished campaign" for a "year's biggest film" is breaking them; and creating chaos where film buffs normally expect to see order.
I wonder if that has any resonance with any themes or characters in the actual film, he asked rhetorically.
Am I drawing a long bow? Perhaps, but I doubt it. I don't think anything about this film is accidental.
I like your thinking, JJ, but mostly because I liked the film so much I'm ready to give it any benefit of the doubt. :) I think however that this is more a case of getting carried away than of deliberate intent. By my reckoning there are four sets of two posters and one set of three, all of which feature an alternate version that's been defaced by The joker. Add in the three billboard posters and we're up to 25 different images, at least.
ReplyDeleteIf you consider that the average punter is likely to encounter only one or two, maybe three, of the variations in their travels, then I would say this scattershot approach weakens the message overall and the impact is lost. A limited series of, say, three teasers and three feature posters would, in my view, have been a better strategy overall. Less is more, and all that. Decide on a key message and stick to it. I appreciate what you say about the chaos reflecting the themes within the movie, but I think you can see that intent coming from the Joker's defacing the original series of posters. Less subtle than your idea, but I think that's what it is.
Anyway, I want to post the collection of posters I've put together, grouped into what I think are their correct pairings/groupings, so I'll do so in a new post here. Feel free to continue the convo there.