Remember the Batman movies? Well, the movie producer of successful movies like these and entertaining children's television shows such as Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, Michael Uslan, has released this adorable children's book. Chatterbox – The Bird Who Wore Glasses is available in a durable, hard-cover format with a lovely cover sleeve that will help prolong the life of the book. At 40 pages and full of excellent illustrations, this book is sure to entertain children.

Sad, red-headed Nancy doesn't fit in well with the other kids who call her Nancy Nobody. She wished and wished for a new friend and one day the dream came true when a feathered, sight-challenged friend flew her way. Nancy felt needed, she was loved, and her world was set right by her new funny bird.

John Steven Gurney, a very successful artist and illustrator, colorfully illustrates the large pages with plenty of things to look at. Written in playful, light verse the author does mention things like prayer and God's love, there fore it may appeal to a religious audience.

The book includes a CD with 2 songs and the orated version of the story by actress Brittany Murphy (voice of Luanne on King of the Hill, also known for her parts in Clueless and Up Town Girls). This could certainly appeal to the independent child who wants to read the book themselves. As well, the CD option may provide a few extra minutes for busy caregivers. The bullying shown in the beginning of the story, though very minor, may be useful for building empathy in the classroom for lonely and segregated individuals.

Children with family pets, especially birds, would definitely enjoy this book. Also, kids that are just becoming used to either themselves or someone they know who has recently gotten eye-glasses.

Written by Frank Miller

Art by David Mazzucchelli

Published by Titan Books

The story of Batman's origin has gone relatively unchanged since his creation in 1939, most people would be able to tell the tale of how a young boy witnessing his parents deaths went on to become 'The Caped Crusader', fighting for the idea of justice by utilizing fear against the criminals of Gotham City. Using his inheritance to fund everything that makes Bruce Wayne the Batman has allowed him to fight crime at the level of superheroes without needing any actual super powers and this is what makes him so popular. The idea that anyone of us could go out and fight crime given the resources without relying on shooting fireballs out of our hands or needing some special ring.

While this general story remains unchanged, Frank Miller manages to redefine the birth of Batman, creating something that seems familiar but much darker and grittier than before. This book aimed primarily at the more mature audience makes adults proud to be reading a comic book, taking us back to reading comic books as a child while redefining it into something new, something interesting and exciting.

The thing that primarily sets Year One's story line aside from others is that it focuses as much on James Gordon as it does Bruce Wayne, interweaving their two different approaches to fighting the crime in the city. It also shows them both in new ways, not as the perfect cop and vigilante hero, but as two slightly flawed human beings striving for the same goal. It shows Bruce Wayne's struggle to convince James that he isn't the bad guy and James Gordon realisation that in order for him to achieve his own goal he will need the help of Batman.

The story written by Frank Miller offers something familiar but with new dimensions, making it seem better than before. The artwork is slightly more controversial, some readers are fans of the dated look to the story given that it was written in the 80's while others believe that the artwork in some places does not match the storyline. I for one think it is a small fault on an otherwise perfect book. Any fan of comics will agree hands down that this book is the ultimate in detailing the origins of Batman and building the foundations upon which all future stories can be told.

A must have for every fan of Batman especially those looking to start a collection of comic books.

In 2007, DC Comics created a line of direct to DVD movies under the banner DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The latest of these is Batman Year One, based on the graphic novel of the same name. The film (as well as the comic) chronicles the first year of Batman's presence in Gotham. It also follows the career of James Gordon during this period.

The film does a great job of recreating the source material, from what I can remember. It has been quite some time since I read Year One, but everything I saw here seemed familiar. I'd have to say that not remembering every detail of the source material provided for a better viewing experience – I wasn't caught up in what the creators of this film got right or wrong. I had however forgotten a few things about the story.

The first thing one should know before popping this blu ray in is that Batman Year One is less centered on Batman than you might think. Batman certainly makes his appearances, but the majority of the narrative comes from James Gordon, a lieutenant at the time. Gordon has just transferred and has a baby on the way. Much of the story revolves around the corruption in the Gotham Police Department and Gordon's attempt to stand as a good cop despite it all.

Speaking of all the corruption, I'd forgotten how absolutely bleak Gotham is in this tale. I can see that Batman Begins drew a lot of inspiration from this story, especially when it comes to depicting the soul of Gotham. The reality and filth of it all is somewhat surprising, although it shouldn't be considering the story is based on a Frank Miller piece. Miller loves taking existing characters and pushing them into new places. For example, Gordon, who is normally depicted as a very virtuous character, makes some poor decisions that will haunt him for years to come. In another dramatic departure from canon, Selina Kyle is depicted as a prostitute. That being said, Year One definitely deserves its PG-13 rating, as some scenes are quite violent. Others simply depict adult situations that would either pass over a child's head or bore them. This definitely isn't a kid's movie.

Honestly, I like the story. I like the juxtaposition between Gordon and Batman – Gordon as the man who wants to do what is right within the confines of law and order and Batman as the man who will do (almost) whatever it takes to get the job done. Both men pay the price for their convictions as Gotham labors to devour them both alive. Year One is not afraid to paint a portrait of a city ravaged by crime and corruption from the inside out. However, I do have a few gripes.

First, I wish there was more Batman to be enjoyed. Bats definitely takes a back seat to Gordon in Year One – that's simply the way the story is told. I can enjoy it on its own, but I'd just like to see Batman a bit more often in a Batman movie. Secondly, although I'd like to see more Batman, I'd like to hear less of him. That's right, I absolutely despise Benjamin McKenzie in the part, mostly due to the fact that while he's narrating his voice sounds like he's trying to emulate Kevin Spacey's character from Seven. His voice as Batman is even worse. To the people who want to complain about Christian Bale's Batman voice – please, watch Year One. You only hear him speak as Batman once or twice but boy, its more than enough.

So that's about it. While I enjoyed the movie overall, I just wish WB had cast someone with a bit more on their resume than The OC for the role of Batman. Thankfully this wasn't nearly enough to ruin the movie. It's a solid piece of entertainment, but although it is a cartoon keep in mind it is for adults.

Batman writer Scott Snyder.Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for DC Comics

While Christian Bale's Batman has been idle for the past three years, his comic book counterpart has gone through a lot. He's died, been resurrected, and traveled through time to get back to his home in Gotham City, just in time for DC Comics' line-wide relaunch, which kicked off this earlier this month. Tomorrow sees the release of Batman #1, written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo (see a five-page preview here). Snyder sat down with Vulture to discuss what changes readers can expect to Gotham, the obsession that drives the man, and the pressure of writing the iconic superhero.

You've written Dick Grayson as Batman, and now Bruce Wayne. What appeals to you about the character?What appeals to me, no matter who's in the cowl, is how Gotham City challenges them. Gotham is almost a nightmare generator, filled with villains that seem to represent an extension of Batman's greatest fears. A lot of his greatest villains feel like mirrors: the Joker is who Batman would be if he broke his rule and fell into madness; Two Face is a mockery of the duality of his life. But what I love about Bruce in particular, and the reason I'm so excited to be doing Batman, is he's a superhero that has no powers. He takes it upon himself to go out every night, punish himself, and be the best out there. To me, that is both incredibly heroic and exciting, but also really pathological and obsessive.

How is it different, writing Bruce Wayne as Batman?The thing that was fun about writing Dick Grayson as Batman was that he is who we would be if we were Batman. He's a superhero out of a sense of responsibility, and out of a sense of almost civic duty. Bruce is a superhero completely driven by obsession and a self-lacerating drive. Writing Bruce as Batman, you're dealing with somebody who's probably the most competent superhero in the world. In my mind, Superman, Aquaman, all those characters would be taken down by Batman if there was a battle royale. He knows all their weaknesses because he's paranoid.

DC has pretty much relaunched their entire universe. Is this Batman different than what people are used to?I think every time somebody takes up the mantle, and writes Bruce, he's their Bruce, and that's part of the fun. In terms of what has changed, barely anything has. If you're somebody whose followed him, all the stuff you liked historically, it's still there. Our story is really about this notion that Bruce doesn't know Gotham the way he thinks he does. To him Gotham is his oldest ally, his home, and his comfort zone. But the city is hundreds of years old, and Batman has only been Batman for a short while, comparatively, so what if the city belonged to another symbol before Batman? The idea is that a secret enemy has existed in Gotham for hundreds of years, and they're going to bring the whole weight of history to bare against Batman and the Bat family. To me what Gotham does best is that it tries to take your greatest strength and convince you that it's your greatest weakness as a hero. For Bruce, that's his confidence that he knows this city better than anyone and can be its ultimate protector.

Besides Batman, you've worked on other established characters, but also your own, like in American Vampire. Was Batman more pressure?With Batman, people have so many expectations and versions that they adore in their own head. He's a cultural icon. There were some sleepless nights, which my wife can vouch for. I'm writing Batman! There's a level of intimidation and wonder that is particular to him being the greatest superhero of all-time. But at the end of the day, your approach has to be the same. You try and figure out what's most interesting or exciting about a character, and try to develop a story that challenges those aspects of their personality.

Now that you've tackled Bruce Wayne, are there other characters you want to write?So many, man. I'd love to write Batgirl and get back to writing Dick Grayson at some point. Now I'd love to try Superman. Everyone teases me. They're like, Superman is too bright and I'd make him all dark and depressed. But I think I could do it. I'm a happy guy as well.

Scott Snyder on Rewriting Batman, the New Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne's Psyche — Vulture

No one gets everything all ways. Justice comes to all eventually. All things equal out generally over time. The character Henri Ducard (played by Liam Neeson) said 'Justice is balance,' in Batman Begins and I find it true to life. Justice and righteousness (meaning essentially the same thing in ancient Hebrew) require balance to be true. In all life situations this more or less works out. Researching history we find, justice is inevitable.

According to our place in life we're afforded only as much justice as our peers. We are not superior or inferior. Our peer group, therefore, is the bar by which we're measured. This should make us want to knock around those who we can learn from because, amongst other things, we'll benefit from the more privileged standard of justice as compared to the standard we'd ordinarily receive.

At its rawest, this justice is probably true so none of us gets a swelled head. As the pendulum swings our way, we are apt to get high and mighty; it swings back the other and we have to deal with the new humbling reality. It's healthy that we don't get everything our own way. It reminds us that we're not God, and we forever remain subject to his rule whether we like that fact or not.

If we work hard we get blessed more; if we work too hard the blessing is tainted. If we don't work hard enough, well, justice catches us eventually. Justice is diligence.

Justice is also prudence. When we consider things carefully, weighing risk, judging the moment correctly, we afford the best possible result for ourselves and others affected. If, on the other hand, we deal flippantly, we know what inevitably comes; justice.

Justice is shalom. When we rely on justice because we trust it, we are at peace with it, and this develops faith in us to expect justice to come through in the general sense.

Justice is respect. It's the correct order of things, give or take a smidgeon of injustice (that requires faith for us to endure). It respects the natural and supernatural order and doesn't get in the way of its workings; sometimes we don't like it, but we daren't get in the way of justice.

Justice is finally, wisdom. Justice is truth; a good, clear, strong, general truth. Justice is beauty we can rely on. Justice is bigger than us every time.

Praise Almighty God for justice. His justice is balance.

Copyright 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Christian Bale is one of the top actors in Hollywood and takes on a host of varied and interesting roles with ease. Starting at a very young age in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, he has gone from strength to strength for years and is now thought to be one of the most talented actors around. He is well known for his ability to morph into his characters, and as such the hairstyles that he adopts are key. Here are some Christian Bale hairstyles.

Christian Bale's hair speak a lot about the style that he adopts as an actor. Depending on what role he is taking on, he with adopt a new hairstyle that fits perfectly in with the character. This is part of his total dedication to being a great method actor and has helped him to get to where he is today.

In his movie 'American Psycho' he adopted a short cut that helped to display the smart, perfect sort of character he was supposed to be. In another of his top turns, in 'The Prestige' he had an even sorter 'buzz cut' of sorts that again was perfectly suited to his character. In his most famous role to date, that of Batman in the two modern films over the last few years, Bale has again put on a great simple look that shouts classy as Bruce Wayne and gives him a very smart and polished edge.

In his personal life Bale likes to adopt longer styles quite frequently. Often, you will see him with longer, shaggier locks and a matching goatee beard. His hair has a great natural wave to it that often flaps in front of his eyes and looks great.

Whatever look he is sporting, whether it is for a film or in his personal life, Bale always manages to pull it all off and maintain a stylish look that never fails to impress.

High school students have, for decades, read and written about F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and more specifically, that damn green light across the bay. The eponymous Gatsby reaches out to it– as your English teacher would tell you, it represents hopes and dreams that are forever out of reach, as well as the sublime fear and promise of a new land– but it remains ever elusive. Something similar happens within this new motion picture entitled Green Lantern. Here, the green light signifies the power of will, formed into glowing energy constructs, but willpower alone cannot construct a proper story, or a large box office return, two things that seem out of reach, across the bay.

Green Lantern's not a bad movie, but it's not great, either; it's just okay. Like the "G" in "ROY G BIV," it falls right in the middle of the superhero spectrum. I'm not a Green Lantern guy, as these things go– I like the concept and ideas but rarely the execution. Funnily enough, the movie works out the same way. The ways in which it doesn't work, however, are oddly fascinating.

Pop culture has become inundated with superheroes once again, this time in film, where they lead shiny box office draws to compete against sparkling vampires, boy wizards, and amnesiac drunks. The occasional superhero movie used to be an event, either worshiped or mocked– it won't shame me to admit I thought the neon toy commercial called Batman & Robin was the best movie I'd ever seen when it came out, but I'm sure others would disagree with my young self– but now, as we've become so inured to the similar storytelling beats of the superhero origin, some of these superhero movies fall between the two poles of love and hate, greeted with shrugs. The stories are no longer new or exciting, as the superhero genre has become commonplace. The film version of "the Green Lantern" is apparently one such movie, so intent on cohering to the superhero movie paradigm that it loses sight of telling a full or proper story. It's paint-by-numbers, but almost every number asks for green (the rest call for yellow).

Green Lantern is ostensibly the story of a cocky pilot named Hal Jordan who secretly suffers from fears of failure and commitment. When an alien falls from the sky and bequeaths to Hal a magic ring, he must learn to become a true hero and save the Earth from a giant angry cloud. Ryan Reynolds plays our hero, and he follows the Bruce Campbell school of acting for this picture, playing a cocksure guy flung into a ridiculous circumstance, who has to learn to deal with it even as his decisions bite him in the ass. Heck, Hal even pulls out a green chainsaw at one point.

The reason I like Reynolds so much isn't just his roguish charm, but his reactions to things. Like Buried, in which the audience spends 90 minutes trapped in a box with him, Green Lantern relies entirely on his reactions, because he's often the only real thing onscreen. If he believes it, so will we, but we don't always see it in his eyes. Take the image at the top of this post, for example; is that the steely determination of Hal Jordan, or the bored resignation to weeks of green screen work? Reynolds' early reactions to his kidnapping by Abin Sur or his one-sided conversation with the lantern itself remind me of Campbell battling skeleton puppets and shouting at the Necronomicon in Army of Darkness. There's a blatant artificiality to the proceedings, but the leading man throws himself into it with enough gusto for him and her indoors to buy into what the film's selling.

Unfortunately, this attitude doesn't last throughout the entire movie, because Hal Jordan must undergo a "hero's journey" which supposedly consists of him becoming a better man and discovering his inner courage thanks to the circumstances in which he finds himself, but which comes off to the audience like a man complaining about the amazing power he's been given until the plot decides it's time for the final confrontation. The movie spends a lot of time on Hal's initial "fearlessness," which at first seems like a self-destructive death wish, but later stands revealed as a combination of daddy issues and avoidance. He's actually a man composed entirely of fear, the movie insists– afraid of love, or of becoming his father, or being eaten by a space cloud, it's never entirely made clear. We see him brush off the concern of his family (who disappear after their only scene in the first act), and concern for his career, but we see him tormented by the memory of his father's death, his feelings for Carol Ferris, and the responsibility of being a superhero. Right before the big climax, his love interest tells him to man up, and all of a sudden he's overcome his issues.

Conveniently, the show spends an awful lot of expository time setting up the twin powers of willpower and fear, represented in green and yellow hues, which bleed into the production. Most modern movies rely on your standard teal-and-orange color scheme, but Green Lantern shifts that to a green-and-yellow pattern.  The story suffers from confused themes; Hal's "humanity" enables him to think outside the box and defeat the drone planes in the first act, and presumably helps him do the same to Parallax in the third, though the movie doesn't make it clear how, aside from his willingness to put himself in deadly danger to achieve victory– recklessness, rather than fearlessness. The script tries to tie his humanity into an ability to overcome fear, as Hal makes a big speech about being "only human," and how that's a good thing– why he didn't say "where there's a will, there's a way" in this part, I have no idea– but how his humanity helps him save the day, it's never made clear. Green vs. yellow, will vs. fear– in the end, it boils down to the fear response, in which our pilot hero must choose fight or flight.

But like I said above, that's only ostensibly what the movie's about. Looked at from a different perspective, however, the movie's really about an unfortunate scientist named Hector Hammond.

Hector Hammond, as played with scenery-slurping zest by Peter Sarsgaard, serves as the dark mirror image of Hal Jordan, but accidentally becomes a far more sympathetic character than our actual hero. Whereas Hal Jordan is a handsome ladies' man who flies cool jets, Hector Hammond is an academic, balding nerd who thinks mustaches are cool and pines after girls from afar– that is to say, he's far more alike to the geeky audience the movie hopes to woo than is Hal. Hector is also the only character in the movie who really seems interested in the implications of all the science-fictiony alien stuff happening around him, from interstellar travel and spaceman biology to will-driven energy manipulation; everyone else in the movie just sort of takes it in stride. It's his curiosity, his drive to understand more about the universe around him, that leads him to be sort-of-possessed by the yellow fear energy of Parallax or whatever the hell happens to him that gives him a bulging cranium and psychic powers.

Whilst Hal Jordan is haunted by the specter of his dead father, Hector is haunted by his living, breathing father, a passive-aggressive Senator played by Tim Robbins. Senator Hammond gives his son opportunities but isn't surprised when he doesn't live up to expectations. In fact, Hector can't even live up to his father's hairline. Robbins appears completely wasted in the role, a character that only exists to make the plot slightly more convenient, and to die in a way which mirrors the death of Hal's father.

Once Hector– and it's still completely baffling to me that a 200 million dollar superhero movie chose Hector Hammond as its lead villain, but I digress– gains his powers and begins to mutate, Sarsgaard plays him as the creepiest movie villain of all time, taking full advantage of Hammond's lumpy body that degrades even as his mind upgrades, which makes the predatory sexuality and inhuman caterwaul that Sarsgaard gives the character even more frightening and off-putting. And yet, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy as the entire universe took a steaming dump on him.

Hector's some poor schlub trying to make good, whereas Hal is consistently handed everything in the universe on an emerald platter. The powers the two develop– Hal's ability to create objects he dreams up, and Hector's to manipulate the objects around him with his mind– are actually thematically opposed to their characters. Whereas everything falls into place around Hal whether he wills it so or not, from pretty ladies to cosmic power, Hector spends a great deal of time and willpower forging his own path, as he's not gifted by the gods like Hal. Hector's downfall comes from an outside source– magic yellow fear poison from the corpse of Abin Sur– and his actions thereafter, while not those of a nice or heroic character, are of a man lashing out at the cruel universe that damned him. I can sympathize with that, but not with Hal Jordan's internal struggles.

Superheroes, even if bestowed powers like some divine right, need to be self-made men for us to believe in them. Tony Stark's naturally brilliant, yes, but he builds his own armor and works to right the wrongs he made earlier in life; Thor's a god, but he must earn his powers back by achieving worthiness as a mortal man. Green Lantern has that Geoff Johnsian attitude of "he's special because he just is, and because humanity is inherently awesome," but it's never properly explored or explicated. Hal doubts his gifts and complains about them, and must then learn to accept how awesome he really is. He seeks nothing, but gains everything; Hector seeks knowledge, understanding, and compassion, but gains mutation, humiliation, and finally, death.

Hal Jordan and Hector Hammond are the only two characters in the film with prominent motivations. The movie boasts a large cast, but we don't really see how they connect– Hector, Hal, and Carol have all apparently known each other since childhood, but the audience only learns this at the latest possible moment, a matter of unnecessary convenience to get them all in the same scene. Amanda Waller is thrown in for good measure, with hints to a full backstory, but nothing comes of her presence. The entire Green Lantern Corps only receive fleeting glimpses; of the most prominent alien Lanterns in the film, Tomar-Re and Kilowog barely get any screentime (why hire Michael Clarke Duncan for a part if he's got 90 seconds of material?). Only Sinestro feels like a proper character, and that's mostly down to Mark Strong's performance, rather than the material. Sinestro may be a soldier and a hardass, but he doesn't seem ripe for future villainy, despite his willingness to let Earth become collateral damage in the battle against Parallax. A different plot, about how Hal Jordan learns responsibility and earns his place in the ranks of the Corps as Sinestro falls into darkness, could have worked much better, but it's left for a sequel that may never come. Note to filmmakers: never write for the trilogy.

Blake Lively, as Carol Ferris, doesn't have the inherent charm or nervous energy of her co-stars, but the script doesn't do her any favors, either. She's stern, but she's stern because she cares, be it about her company or about Hal himself. The only time Lively pulls a Frampton and comes alive is in the scene immediately after Green Lantern rescues her, where she quickly susses out his not-so-secret identity and calls him on his actions, before succumbing to a proper human reaction to the superheroic madness that just happened to her. It's maybe the best scene in the whole film, nailing its mild deconstruction of superhero tropes by hanging a lantern (hey-o!) on the ideas of domino masks and secret identities.

(Tom Kalmaku is also in this movie.)

How do the technical aspects of the film hold up? Martin Campbell's directorial vision feels nonexistent, at least in comparison to his Casino Royale, so it's up to the special effects to carry the day. Thankfully, the CGI excels in most spots; here's one film where an overabundance of CGI helps instead of hinders! The green energy constructs find a nice balance between "solid" and "holographic," and the suit looks pretty snazzy most of the time, though there do exist a few shots in which Ryan Reynolds' head looks poorly Photoshopped onto his body, as if someone had been playing with Colorforms. The physical sets appear to be leftovers from the Iron Man movies, but the CGI landscapes look fantastic. The Oa of this film is not a gleaming world, but a colder, craggy planet, to better reflect the ancient, assholish ways of the Guardians. All the Green Lanterns that show up in the background– see above– also look great, considering the visual effects artists must have labored for many man-hours just to have whatsherface and thatguyfromthatthing appear for a scant few seconds (but no G'Nort or Ch'p? Bah.)

The only really iffy bit of CGI is the big puffy cloud of death that is Parallax, as if we as a society learned nothing from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. To be perfectly honest, I found the scene in which Parallax invades I-guess-it's-Coast-City and chases folks through a busy city center while they run for their lives and are reduced to skeletons in his wake pretty damn unnerving, mostly because it conjured up memories of September 11th footage. Innocent citizens running and screaming from a smoky black cloud through city streets– no one thought this scene maybe wasn't a very good idea? If Parallax were a legitimate character instead of a cloud monster with an angry face, I may have viewed this scene in a different context, but alas, it isn't so. Parallax has no personality, no motivation– he breaks free and wreaks havoc, first on the man who imprisoned him (Abin Sur) and then, I guess, on whatever he happens by.

I also happened to see the movie in three glorious dimensions, finally ending up suckered into our modern 3D fad. Frankly, I was just happy the 3D glasses fit over my need-them-to-see glasses, but 3D added nothing to the movie, aside from one particularly dizzying ground-level shot of a skyscraper. I expected green energy constructs to float off the screen, but the 3D was mostly just used to play with depth-of-field a bit, though in many cases it made everything on the screen feel that much flatter, like a pop-up book or paper diorama viewed with one eye closed. The 3D effects in the ad for the Air Force before the movie were better, if more eye-straining.

Other nitpicks include: I enjoyed the "vorp!" noise the GL ring made whenever it did something, I thought the score ripped off the main notes of John Williams' Superman theme, and "yellow power of fear" sounds painfully silly when spoken aloud.

Green Lantern is a movie which has too much going on, and yet, not much happening. Plot, character, and theme should all work in concert, but here, they often pull away from one another. Somewhere inside the finished product is a solid tone and some decent ideas, and a good movie could have come of that, though apparently it's not quite the fault of the filmmakers that it didn't, if that link is to be believed.  In the end, Green Lantern is there but not all there, solid yet transparent– kinda like an emerald energy construct.

Bill Reed is also solid yet transparent, but only under fluorescent lighting. He is also on the Twitter now, and you should follow him before the continuity of his Tweets gets too hard to comprehend.

15 Comments

I thought it was a fine movie. It was no Dark Knight or even Spider-Man 2 but at least it wasn't Spider-Man3 or Batman and Robin( Sorry. Glad you liked it but you're the only one).

I agree Blake Lively was the weakest link but she still did a better job than Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane.

I honestly don't know why Green Lantern sold so poorly.

If that link is true, and there's a director's cut somewhere out there that the studio re-cut, then I am mad. I actually liked this movie, I really enjoyed it, but that directors cut sounds so much better. Why can't studio's realise that the creative people are almost always right?

Don't Beware: Green Lantern's All Right

I wonder what Bane does when he sneezes.

Credit: Warner Bros/Legendary

Now that they've officially announced the beginning of production, Warner Bros. appears to have kicked off their viral campaign for "The dark Knight Rises," and the result is our first look at Tom Hardy as Bane, one of the film's big villains. It's interesting how closely this appears to be following the model they followed with their "dark Knight" campaign.  I guess Warner feels like there's no reason to change something that built to a billion-dollar worldwide gross.  They've got very different elements at play this time, though, and while I think the reveal of Heath Ledger's look as The Joker was one of those lightning-bolt pop culture moments thanks to the iconic Joker/Batman relationship.  I'm not sure Bane holds anything like that sort of grip on the audience's minds. instead, what I hope works is the air of mystery about the overall film, and when you look at what Hardy's wearing, it kicks off the mystery with what appears to be an intriguing visual cue.  That mouthpiece is, if I'm not mistaken, a skeletal hand.  who exactly is this version of the character?  A weapon unleashed by the League of Shadows?  who designed his gear?  who pulls his strings? I hope that even with reveals of characters like Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, played this time around by Anne Hathaway, they come at it sideways instead of just giving us a shot of the typical spandex clad… er, wait a minute.  I just considered a spandex-clad Hathaway, and decided that is what I want after all.  Scratch what I just said.

The point is that there are some big questions that are built into this third film, and I think starting everything with some creepy chanting that evidently, thanks to Batman fans who will evidently swarm over any site that has anything to do with Batman at all and strip the code down to its base.  here, they uncovered the Twitter hashtag #thefirerises, each tweet of which added one pixel to the picture that has now been completely decoded.  Thank god JoBlo was playing along, because I still don't understand how this stuff works.

I have feeling it's going to be a long year with a whole lot of this sort of thing, and we'll certainly share the most interesting parts of it here. "The dark Knight Rises" opens everywhere July 20, 2012.

First Look: Tom Hardy as Bane in 'Dark Knight Rises' revealed in viral game

The website for Christopher Nolans third Batman film just went live and it contains clues that lead to this picture. first picture of Tom Hardy in dark Knight Rises via Christopher Nolans Twitter contest.

As Bane in The dark Knight Also Will think about Rising again maybe. released the first photos of The dark Knight Rises villain Bane played by Tom Hardy on Twitter Friday. The official press release announcing the.

So unsurprisingly its pretty different from Bane the comic book character but definitely retains enough elements to keep it familiar. The studios viral video campaign has the Twitter handle TheFireRises publishing links to a Web site in which you. And it looks like those reports of Tom Hardy beefing up for the role were no joke.

A shot of Tom Hardy as Bane from The dark Knight Rises revealed through viral marketing that will no doubt be as annoying if not more so as it was during the runup to The dark Knight.

The dark Knight is now rising or at least one of his scary enemies is anyway.

Tom Hardy as Bane in dark Knight Rises HighRes Photo. Warner Brothers has kicked off the long viral campaign for their highly anticipated next Batman movie The dark Knight Rises with a mysterious link.

The Internet just Batcame today after the first image of Tom Hardy as Bane in The dark Knight Rises was revealed on the movies official website but only.

Here it is your first look at Tom Hardy as Bane.

When comics and movies collide we pick up the pieces. Pajiba Kanye Naomi presented together didnt offend anybody.

Bane

OMG … love this photo! Click HERE to see a much larger version of this Bane photo. as you may recall, we got our first look at Tom Hardy on the set of The Dark Knight Rises lookin' all beefy … but he was not necessarily lookin' in character as Bane. If the viral games are beginning already, I think we have many fun months ahead to look forward to of fun Batman games to play. So … what do YOU think of this first look at Bane?

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First Look: An Official Promo Image Of Tom Hardy As Bane In 'The Dark Knight Rises' Surfaces

A new dark Knight Rises viral website has revealed the first image of Tom Hardy as Batman villain Bane

Here it is your first look at Tom Hardy as Bane. for the funniest most entertaining news reviews and interviews by leading industry insiders on movies tv shows and dvds. goPromotion for Christopher Nolans highly anticipated third and final Batman film The dark Knight Rises kicked off on Friday May 20.

When comics and movies collide we pick up the pieces. One villain in the n.

The website for Christopher Nolans third Batman film just went live and it contains clues that lead to this picture.

Thanks to a nice viral chase this morning the first image from the dark Knight Rises has been revealed and its Tom Hardy as Bane.

This morning the first official image from The dark Knight Rises was revealed an image of Tom Hardy as Bane.

As you can see the graphic image has the characters thefirerises which of course suggests a Twitter hashtag that I could figure out at least and that lead him to Twitter where it was discovered that a recently created Twitter.

Right off the batpun intended Im digging the mask which appears to bear some of the resemblance to Banes comic book look but also has a touch of Hanni. Which appears to be Tom Hardy as Bane.

Are you ready for Bane?

Batman the Dark Knight is a master piece. Batman, Harvey Dent and Gordan are forced to deal with a very calculated mastermind in the new Joker. The Jokers focus, to test the limits of each character; Batman will he cross the line and start to kill criminals to get to the truth; Gordan will he continue to cross the line and allow Batman to run unchecked through the city; or Harvey Dent, with extreme pain and pressure will he crack and do things his own way without thinking about the law. And how does the Jokey push everyone else to the edge? by using girlfriends and taking out high level public figures in the local government. while also, taking out police officers causing fear and panic.

The Dark Knight is a well written piece that does not have any slow areas to complain about. Christain Bale plays a Batman that anyone would admire and want to be. especially with all the toys that he has to his disposal. Harvey Dent played by Aaron Eckhart plays a very confident prosecutor that seem to not be affected by anything. but his true cards are shown when his girlfriend is removed out of the picture, enters two-face. I was really surprised that they introduced two major characters in the same movies. Harvey Dent played both parts to the tee.

Special effects in this movie were extraordinary with CIA tactics that have never been seen in films like this. only one thing really discouraged me with the entire movie, the PG-13 rating. no, it was not a rated R movie but it does get mighty close to rated R just from all the violence. unlike most of the other Batman movies shooting and killing was not an issue. but this time around, the movie had a heavy load of violence that kids should not see. I did not expect that with a Batman movie. The Dark Knight is a very dark adaptation of the Batman series of films. Pay very good attention to the PG-13 rating. this is definitely a movie that is for individuals that are 13 years or older, nothing less.

All said, I really liked this movie. it was a little long though, but the time was needed to really develop each character to their full potential.

The Dark Knight 2008 – Christian Bale, Heath Ledger

This article will discuss the movies and career of the incredibly interesting director Tim Burton. There is no doubt that Burton is one of the darkest directors around, and few directors have as distinct a style as he. You can tell a Tim Burton movie from a mile away, for better or for worse.

The following movies are, in my opinion, the best Tim Burton movies of all time.

The first film that I will discuss is big Fish. This movie was released in 2003 and was arguably his most successful movie to date. I do not understand how this movie was only nominated for one Academy Award, and that was for Best Original Score!

No list of Tim Burton movies could be written without giving a paragraph to Beetle Juice. even now when I watch this movie, I have a hard time seeing Michael Keaton beneath all that makeup. This is the perfect example of a movie that will scare a little child half to death, but when they grow up, is a movie that will make them laugh. That was the case with me at least.

Another movie that I would definitely include on this list is Batman Returns. Prior to the newest installment of Batman films from director Christopher Nolan, this was the best movie starring the caped crusader. Michael Keaton stars as Batman, with Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman, along with Danny De Vito as the Penguin.

Another film that I have incredibly fond memories of is Pee Wee's big Adventure. This movie stars Paul Reubens as his most famous character, Pee-wee Herman, who travels across America in search of his missing bike. It is a better film than the plot would lead you to believe. It was all down hill for Reubens after this 1985 classic, but it is still a great film regardless of the actor's future path.

One other film of Tim Burton's that is certainly worthy of praise is Edward Scissorhands. This movie stars Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands, who, as his name would suggest, has scissors for hands. This movie also stars Winona Ryder, and whether it was intentional or not, this film mirrors the plot line of Beauty and the Beast. Now that I think of it, this movie may have come out first.

After going through Tim Burton's best films, it is clear that he has had a good amount of great films.

Tim Burton's Greatest Films Of All Time

So, per the Hollywood trade press, Henry Cavill's Superman will be bedeviled in the new big-screen adventure by Kryptonian bad-gal Faora (played by Pandorum's Antje Traue)—unless that is, he's not 'cause Faora and Traue aren't locked in yet. (The all-knowing Warners Bros. hasn't announced anything either way.)

While things are murky now, we know enough on the whole about the film's cast and characters to make some educated Man of Steel guesses:

RELATED: Keeping tabs on the new Batman movie

1. Krypton Will Be the place to Be: Superman Homepage editor Steve Younis is intrigued by the commitment to General Zod (to be played by Michael Shannon) and the prospect of Faora, two aggrieved types who hail from our hero's home planet. (The Hollywood Reporter says the villainess could actually be Ursa, Sarah Douglas' baddie from the first two movies who was based on Faora, but no difference: Ursa is also from Krypton.) "It leads me to believe that we might see more focus on Superman's Kryptonian heritage," Younis said in an email. "Maybe even an attempt by Zod to make Earth a new Krypton, or at least an attempt to stamp his authority over the planet."

2. Zod Will Kill, Literally: Yes, Terence Stamp was a chilling menace in Superman I and II, but did you see Shannon go off in Revolutionary Road? "Terrence Stamp—[his Zod] never actually killed anyone," Superman Super Site editor Neil Cole told us. "I could actually see Michael Shannon's Zod going to the point of completely annihilating people."

3. Superman Will Be Pretty Much Screwed: Not only could Zod be more brutal, but Faora, Younis said, "has been a far more ruthless Kryptonian villain than Ursa."

4. Lois Lane Will Not Kid around: In Superman Returns, the then-23-year-old Kate Bosworth played the Daily Planet's ace reporter as a young, single mom. Cole expects Man of Steel's 36-year-old Amy Adams, unveiled as Lois last month, to bring "more seriousness to the role, kind of in the vein that Margot Kidder did [in the Christopher Reeve movies], one that's more established in her career."

5. Ma and Pa Kent Will Be Bigville: "Diane Lane['s casting] and Kevin Costner's casting tells me that the Kents involvement in this film will be important and pivotal to the main story," Younis said.

WATCH: New Harry Potter trailer!

<a href="http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b238969_five_potential_spoilers_new_superman.html?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstoriestag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b238969_five_potential_spoilers_new_superman.html?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories">Five Potential Spoilers for New Superman Flick

"Why so serious?" the Joker asks bemused as he pushes a knife in to a criminal's mouth before performing horrific surgery on his face. this scene sends chills down your spine; an unexpected feeling given the more amusing history of this character on screen. From his first appearance in director Christopher Nolan's "The dark Knight", it is evident that this Joker is different to all previous on-screen versions of the character. Unfolding on screen is a malevolent, psychotic, mass-murdering anarchist; like ominous screen villains such as Hannibal Lecter before him, he is completely mesmerizing to watch.

What makes this version of the Joker so formidable and engrossing is the dramatic depth afforded to his character combined with the strong thematic structure set up within the film. the Joker is Batman's exact opposite, and equal; he's there to cause chaos and throw Batman impossible ethical choices, and at times, he does have his measure over the Caped Crusader. More importantly, director Christopher Nolan sets up the premise that the Joker is a by-product of Batman himself. as Alfred remarks to Bruce Wayne at a crucial point in the film, "You spat in the face of the criminal underworld; did you think there wouldn't be a response? Things were always going to get worse before they got better."

Christopher Nolan made a great choice in choosing not to give the Joker an origin story. Nolan referred to the Joker as like the shark in Jaws; he shows up to chew through everything and scare the hell out of everyone. However, he does have something of a back story, recounted by the Joker himself in two crucial scenes where he recounts his father's psychotic behavior and his explanation from where his facial scars came from. both scenes are downright chilling, especially when you realize that as the Joker is describing what happened to him in the past that he is about to inflict that same fate on the person he is telling his tragic story to. On the page this would have been frightening to read, but Heath Ledger delivers a performance that takes these scenes to another level. He manages to convey menace, tragedy, lunacy and even a touch of comedy all at the same time. as he is describing his personal tragedy, you almost feel sorry for him; but then the malevolence returns, and you wonder if he is actually telling the truth or using this story as an excuse to exacerbate the mental anguish his targeted victim is going through. all of these factors make for an extraordinary Joker, all the more highlighted by his encounters with Batman, another extreme character who will stop at nothing to stomp out crime in Gotham City. In a crucial interrogation scene, the Joker quips, "kill you? Why would I do that? You complete me!"

The late Heath Ledger has thrown down the gauntlet to any actor aspiring to play this character in the future because it seems hard to see how any one will be able to top this performance in any future Batman films. when the decision to cast him as the Joker was announced, many eyebrows were raised: how could this seeming nobody actor from Australia take on a character that Jack Nicholson played so well in the first Batman film? Flash forward to release and there are no more doubts. One could say that even Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 film "Batman" pales in comparison to the depth, range and villainy of Ledger's definitive take on Batman's classic arch enemy. Ledger completely disappears in to the role, lighting up the screen with every malevolent twist in the plot, reminding us how powerful film can be when it's driven by great story and character.

I should point out that Ledger is part of an ensemble cast that works wonders in this film. Ledger is in the spotlight because of his untimely passing but the other cast members, particularly Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart are likewise excellent in their respective roles as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

In this day and age of soulless Hollywood product designed to sell movie tickets and toys by the billions, the fact that a film such as "The dark Knight" has emerged from this backdrop is very encouraging. Hope now exists that at least on some occasions, Hollywood will be driven to make quality films as opposed to shoddy merchandise masquerading as a film; anyone remember "Batman and Robin"?. the only down side to this film is that it is the one and only time we will get to see Heath Ledger portray the Joker, a performance so formidable that it begs the question: what actor out there is brave enough to play this character now?

At first, I was thinking "absinthe", but then remembered that absinthe goes cloudy when mixed up.

It might be some Midori-based cocktail. My brother used to mix vodka, Midori (a green melon-flavoured liqueur), Cointreu (a blue orange-flavoured liqueur) and pineapple juice. this cocktail is clear (not cloudy), but served in tall glasses, not martini glasses.

I'm guessing here,,,, Absinthe?

With the unprecedented amount of action/drama/super hero movies coming out, it's been fun for a comic fan (like myself) to keep up with the daily news breaks and twitter updates regarding the production of some of these movies. If you're wondering on which horses to bet on in the next few years, I'm going with Avengers, Thor, Captain America, and Superman. yes, Marvel heavy, but what can you say when their implementation and execution as it pertains to their theatrical presence has been ridiculously good. They're making DC and Warner Bros. look like a bunch of overpaid hacks at this point.(Although, one thing they need to admit to is that comic book fans do not always make the best Broadway enthusiasts, I'm looking at you EDGE.) But I digress… The main point I wanted to make is that it seems to me that whenever a comic book themed movie director/actor/producer is interviewed regarding their upcoming release, they all invariably say the same four words, "It's like Batman Begins." now, I agree that in last decade Batman Begins has set a gold standard as far as franchise launching. Thanks in no small part to Chris Nolan's ability to pace out his trilogy appropriately and constantly build hunger for a new Batman film. (again, amazing strategy.) But I find it a little bit tiresome to read "Batman Begins” over and over again because essentially what we're hearing is, "We're not doing anything different." And that makes me worried. back before Batman Begins, all we heard was "It's like Spiderman!". And while I agree that the Spiderman trailer was the only good part of seeing "Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within" (I mean, literally. I should have just walked out of the theater right after the trailers and I would have left feeling better about my day. Final Fantasy was like reading a Family Circus comic.) I would be more excited if I heard "It's like Spiderman 2!” A much better movie. regardless, what do you think this means? are we concerned that all of the great super hero movies coming out will all be like Batman Begins? do you think they're just saying that to calm our fears? are you fine with Batman Begins? Or is it possible that every one of the movies coming out will feature Liam Neeson and a group of assassins who specialize in burning mansions to the ground, crashing billionaire birthday parties, and generally being less effective then the "Foot" in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What do you think? Also, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins , Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Chris Nolan, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins, Batman Begins… quota filled. Sincerely, Luke "If you look at Batman Begins…" – Zack Snyder talking about his upcoming movie "Superman"

ROBIN Williams has been a naughty boy!

The Hollywood actor was reportedly stopped by cops earlier this week after he was caught riding a bike on a new York sidewalk.

During his appearance on The View Tuesday morning, Williams told a story about how he recently became one of many cyclists stopped by police for riding on the sidewalk.

“I got hit by a bike on a sidewalk!” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck said.

“Well, it’s the law because of her,” Williams barked back.

“[I was dressed] like a terrorist or a crack dealer, your call. No one was on the sidewalk, and all of a sudden woop-woop,” Williams added.

At first, Williams said the cops didn’t recognize him — but once they did, he was promptly let go with a warning.

Robin recently revealed he’d like to play The Riddler in the next Batman movie.

“I would do Batman in a second,” he said.

“I’d play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain and I’m a little hairy for tights.”

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“It’s a really great story. Really great script. he has outdone himself from ‘The Dark Knight.’ It’s fantastic,” described Oldman. he will pick up the actual script in a couple of weeks.

Oldman could not reveal specific details, because of Nolan’s tight secrecy of the script. Currently, he said security would meet the actor at the production offices to read the script.

There is even an extra step for script security for the ending of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“There is no ending to script either,” said Oldman. “[Nolan] tells you the ending. so it doesn’t leak and get out [to be] spoiled on the Internet.”

He did reveal he would be working closely with actor Tom Hardy’s Bane character for the next Batman installment.

“I have a quite a bit to do with Tom in this one,” he said.

According to Oldman, the production of “The Dark Knight Rises” will begin production this May.

The confirmed cast will also include Christian Bale (“The Prestige,” “American Psycho”), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Inception,” “(500) Days of Summer”), Anne Hathaway (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Alice in Wonderland”), Tom Hardy (“Inception,” “Layer Cake”), Juno Temple (“Atonement,” “Notes on a Scandal”), Morgan Freeman (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “Se7en”) and Michael Caine (“The Prestige,” “Children of Men”).

The film is scheduled to be released next year on July 20 and to be distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures.

Here is the video of the full interview with Absolute Radio:

The up and coming director thinks that Wolverine is a more interesting character than Batman.

Duncan Jones, the director behind Moon and the latest Jake Gyllenhalape