Batman may be the most popular comic book character ever, but his creation has been wrought with confusion and inaccuracies. It has led to an injustice for a man who put in more work toward creating the Caped Crusader, and received nothing for it. Every Batman property for the past 76 years has had a sole credit that read, “Batman Created by Bob Kane.” But, true comic book fans know that writer Bill Finger was the one who created the dark, Gothic setting and detective elements that we all know and love about Batman.
Bob Kane’s original idea for Batman was a goofy concept involving a man in bright red spandex and stiff mechanical wings catching criminals. Bill Finger thought of the cape, the cowl, gloves, and the utility belt. He also created a lot of the Batman villains including the famous Joker. Without Bill Finger, we would have a very different, and bizarre Batman.
Today it was finally announced that after so many years of receiving such little credit for his contributions, Bill Finger will finally be attributed in Batman related properties such as Fox’s TV Show Gotham and the upcoming Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
DC Entertainment released a statement today to The Hollywood Reporter about crediting Bill Finger.
“DC Entertainment and the family of Bill Finger are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement that recognizes Mr. Finger’s significant contributions to the Batman family of characters. “Bill Finger was instrumental in developing many of the key creative elements that enrich the Batman universe, and we look forward to building on our acknowledgement of his significant role in DC Comics’ history,” stated Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment. “As part of our acknowledgement of those contributions,” Nelson continued, “we are pleased to confirm today that Bill Finger will be receiving credit in the Warner Bros. television series Gotham beginning later this season, and in the forthcoming motion picture Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
This is great news to hear, as even Bob Kane stated in his autobiography, Batman and Me, that Bill Finger never got the recognition he deserved. And while it has certainly been too long, it’s good to see that credit is finally going where credit is due.
It only took three quarters of a century for it to happen.
While it is well-acted and extremely well-shot, granting views of Mt. Everest and the Himalayas that audiences have rarely, if ever, seen on film, Everest the film is difficult to describe as an enjoyable film. Like the climb up to Earth’s highest point that it depicts, the film becomes an endurance test, and after a while, it’s simply exhausting to watch as the mountain and the elements slowly tear down the characters the film spends its first hour building up. Yes, it is certainly an incredible story of courage and survival brought to life in the most respectful manner possible, without undue melodrama or unnecessary embellishment. But it’s also a grind of a film, and unless you’re fascinated by these types of stories or just in the mood for a film that you know going in is not going to end on the happiest of notes, it’s tough to recommend it as a fun way to spend a few hours at the movies this weekend.
The story of the 1996 disaster on Everest has already been documented in a number of books written by, among others, survivors from the expeditions that were on the mountain that day, and on film in the popular 1998 IMAX documentary, also titled Everest, which was in production on the mountain when the event occurred and whose crew helped in the rescue of the endangered climbers. But for those unfamiliar with the story, the film depicts the disaster from the point of view of the group of climbers led by New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants, whose founder, renowned climber Rob Hall (Jason Clarke, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Terminator Genisys), helped pioneer the business of guiding non-professional climbers to Everest’s summit. Among Rob’s group are Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a doctor and climbing enthusiast from Texas; Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), whose failed attempt to summit Everest the previous year drives him hard to succeed this time, and John Krakauer (Michael Kelly, Netflix’s “House of Cards“), a journalist from an outdoors adventure magazine embedded with the group in order to write about the trip and (Rob hopes) promote the experience to a wider base of potential climbers. Leading a separate climbing group is American Scott Friedman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who shares a friendly rivalry with Rob and enjoys ribbing the Kiwi about his “hand-holding” style of guiding climbers, a stark contrast to Friedman’s “If you can’t do it on your own, you don’t belong here” approach.
Rob and Scott’s groups are among a number of climbing expeditions that all set out to climb Everest in the Spring of 1996, all hoping to summit by early May. Though each of the groups, Adventure Consultants in particular, took great care to prepare their amateur climbers physically and mentally for the climb in the weeks prior to May 10th, no amount of preparation could have prepared any of them for the storm that swept over Everest with hurricane speed and force just after 3pm that fateful day, while less than half of the climbers were making their descent after reaching the summit just hours before, and the rest still attempting to reach the top.
For those at Everest Base Camp anxiously waiting for climbers to make it back down, including Adventure Consultants operations manager Helen Wilton (Emily Watson), and for the wives and loved ones of the climbers waiting at home, including Rob’s pregnant wife Jan (Keira Knightley) and Beck’s wife Peach Weathers (Robin Wright), there’s nothing to be done but hope for radio contact or a satellite phone call as the storm rages, the hours pass, and Rob and company face death in a half a dozen different ways stemming from prolonged exposure and/or oxygen deprivation. Rescue parties are only possible if and when the storm subsides enough for climbers to safely ascend with oxygen tanks and emergency equipment, but of course, that may be far, far too late.
If audiences plan to see Everest once it opens, it’s best to do two things: 1) DON’T refresh your memory regarding the actual events, who survives and who doesn’t, etc., and 2) DO see it in IMAX. It’s clear that Iceland-born director Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Contraband) intends for audiences to experience the film in that format, which comes as close to capturing the experience of being in the presence of the mountain and its formidable obstacles as imaginably possible. There are, of course, similarities in the visuals to what director David Breashears caught on IMAX film when he and his crew filmed Everest the documentary almost two decades ago, but that’s due, in some measure, at least, to Breashears himself being a consultant on this film due to his first-hand experience. One shouldn’t go into this film thinking, “Well, I saw the IMAX one years ago. I don’t need to see it again” because this version of Everest is a profoundly different viewing experience, far more intimate and emotionally-driven than its documentary short predecessor.
To that end, it falls to the talented cast assembled for Everest to bring to life in a compelling way the intrepid climbers, their own reasons for undertaking a potentially lethal adventure, and the relationships they maintain across great distances with their families and forge with those traveling with them. Jason Clarke, who has been wowing feature film audiences since 2012 with his turns in Zero Dark Thirty and Lawless, delivers an effortlessly charismatic performance as Rob Hall, whose reputation in the climbing community and in the commercial high-altitude climbing industry was defined by his devotion to his clients’ safety and his love of helping people achieve the impossible. In truth, there isn’t a single performance delivered here that wouldn’t stand out in a lesser production: Brolin is particularly arresting in a rare on-screen role where he has to project real, visceral fear; while Watson, Knightly, and Sam Worthington as Rob’s longtime friend and climbing colleague Guy Cotter all do fine work in limited screen minutes.
That said, for all its eye-popping visuals and heart-stirring performances, Everest does more or less follow the now-well-established conventional outline for disaster films. It introduces its characters and their motivations, establishes the dangers of what the characters face while foreshadowing threats they aren’t prepared for or potentially they might bring upon themselves, and then hits them with the horror that the audience can’t help but know is coming, leaving only who will survive as the only real dramatic question. Screenwriters William Nicholson (Unbroken, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and Simon Beaufoy (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Slumdog Millionaire) seem to take into account details from the most authoritative sources on the real-life events — the books and accounts written by those who survived — in a way that’s respectful of all parties concerned while avoiding parts of the story where those details differed in the accounts.
Most importantly, it avoids casting blame on any one group or individual for what happened or just why so many of the 34 climbers on the mountain that day were in harm’s way when the storm hit. While that certainly will help to avoid any controversy from dogging the film, it also renders the film devoid of any new insight or different perspective on the events as a whole. Put another way, audiences coming away from this version of Everest will not have learned anything about the events that hasn’t already been documented — they simply will have experienced the story in a different way.
And perhaps that doesn’t matter. As far as disaster films go, or any other genre film for that matter, following the formula doesn’t necessarily equate to creating a bad film, and it certainly doesn’t equate to that with Everest. The attention to detail, the film’s truly incredible photography of Everest itself, and the heart and sincerity in the performances of the cast put the film head and shoulders above most other entries in the genre. Does it play it safe with the story as far as it being a cautionary tale? Maybe. But it’s still a film experience you’re likely to be talking about long after you leave the theater, if for no other reason than to cite it as yet another reason you’ll never be a mountain climber.
Everest
Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Running Time: 121 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense peril and disturbing images.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins was out promoting his latest work Sicario and spoke to Screen Crush about what direction Blade Runner2 will take.
“We’re just treating the new one as what it is; it’s an entirely separate movie that will stand by itself. I mean obviously it has elements that connect it to the original. But it’s going to stand alone by itself as a movie. And I’m not going to do shafts of light coming through a window with rain just for the sake of doing shafts of light and rain — although it was really superb the way it was done. No, you have to think about the script and approach it anew.” said Deakins.
The film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Denis Villeneuve is directing with Ridley Scott exec producing. Written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, the Blade Runner sequel will take place several decades after the 1982 original, which took place in a dystopian 2019 Los Angeles.
Production for Blade Runner 2 is scheduled for 2016.
If you don’t live in 2099 anymore, it’s hard to put that in the title.
Marvel Comics Friday released a preview of SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 written by Peter David with art by Will Slinely. The first issue will be in your local comic book store on October 14.
This October, Miguel O’Hara is recharged, refueled and ready for action with a brand-new ongoing series for an All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1, the new series from webslinging wonders Peter David and Will Sliney! Eight months have passed since the end of Secret Wars. With a steady job at Parker Industries, a stable relationship, and a life in the present day – Spider-Man 2099 is no more! That’s right, Miguel O’Hara has hung up the webs. But when a dangerous new threat appears and puts his new life in jeopardy, he’s got no choice but to suit up once more. Donning some new threads and a new attitude, prepare for a wallcrawler unlike any you’ve seen before when SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 swings into comic shops this October!
Booster Gold and Blue Beetle appear to be headed to the big screen, as Tracking Board is reporting Greg Berlanti, the producer behind Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow is set to direct and executive produce the film. The online publication is also reporting that Sarah Schechter will also executive produce, while Julia Spiro will oversee for the studio.
As this news broke, Heroic Hollywood is reporting that Zak Penn is on the short list for screen play duties.
The feeling now is the film will be a buddy cop comedy that departs from the dark tones of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Booster Gold is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in Booster Gold #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. The character is initially depicted as a glory-seeking showboat from the future, using knowledge of historical events and futuristic technology to stage high-publicity heroics. Booster develops over the course of his publication history and through personal tragedies to become a true hero weighed down by the reputation he created for himself.
The replacement Blue Beetle created by Charlton Comics, and later published by Americomics and DC Comics, is Ted Kord, a former student of Dan Garrett, a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete. Kord and Garrett were investigating Kord’s Uncle Jarvis when they learned Jarvis was working to create an army of androids to take over Earth. Garrett changed into Blue Beetle, but was killed in battle. As he died, he passed on to Kord the responsibility of being Blue Beetle, but was unable to pass on the mystical scarab. Without Garret’s superpowers, Kord uses his many inventions to carry on the Blue Beetle name and fight crime.
Until we can get a second source, this story is considered a rumor.
A relatively new website PeelTheOrange.net is reporting that an unnamed source “close” to the situation has informed us that for the Marvel Netflix Phase 2 shows, they’re going dark – very dark. The source says that in 2018/2019, you can expect the following shows for Netflix:
2018: Moon Knight with Bushman as the main villain
2018: The Punisher with JIGSAW as the main villain
2019: Deathlok with Fixer as the main villain
2019: Spider-Woman with Madame HYDRA as the main villain
Since none of the bigger pop culture websites have pick up this story it is safe to say that this is more of an educated guess than a report. Punisher is already in Daredevil and it wouldn’t be a huge leap of faith to think that Netflix would give him his own series. I don’t know how big the group is, but there is a loud group of fans that want Moon Knight brought to life. Deathlok might be a stretch and Spider-Woman is definitely an interesting concept.
The report also mentions that the shows would be darker. Daredevil was pretty dark to begin with, but is this in response to the darker DC Cinematic Universe.
What Marvel character do you want to see brought to the small screen? Our vote would be for a Richard Rider – Nova Corps series in the vain of Star Trek.
Everest is the Hooters of September. The visuals are absolutely spectacular (sometimes even breathtaking), but the substance is shallow and void of any depth. I understand this will come across harshly to those of who haven’t seen it, but remember, looking good can only get you so far, especially when you are a feature-length film.
The story centers around the events of May,1996, when eight climbers died on Mount Everest: three on the north face, under conditions very foreign to the outside world, and five others on the south side. One of the best-known accounts of the 1996 disaster is Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. It’s important to note this film is not entirely based on the accounts from Krakauer’s book, but on tapes and eyewitness accounts of that day as well. Krakauer emerges in this story as merely a supporting character, played by Michael Kelly.
In a decision that will be forever questioned, screenwriters William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy focus the narrative through the eyes of Rob Hall (Jason Clarke). Hall is the expedition leader and owner of a company, Adventure Consultants, who was one of the first expedition outfits to turn climbing Everest into a financial gold mine. For $65,000 dollars you too can have the experience of lifetime as you push yourself up inhuman heights in pursuit of glory.
On this expedition we have a Texan in a Dole/Kemp t-shirt named Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a Seattle mail carrier Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), John Krakauer (Micheal Kelly), and from Japan, Yasuko Namba (Naoko Mori), who’s already claimed six of seven Everest summits. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role of another climbing company leader, Scott Fischer of Mountain Madness. This is an odd choice, taking the best actor in the film and relegating him to a supporting role. Gyllenhaal would have been more suited for the role of Rob Hall than Jason Clarke. Rob Hall is the focal point of a film that is focused on a hellacious event that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It requires an actor with the appropriate range to express the hell that they are experiencing up on that mountain. To be blunt, Jason Clarke doesn’t have the chops to pull of that type of performance. What we get from Clarke is a bouillabaisse of melodramatic nonsense.
While hiking up Everest, the group is consistently receiving weather alerts from expedition coordinator Wilton (Emily Watson). Once the group gets to 26,000 feet they enter a “death zone,” conditions best described as “hell on earth.” And that’s on a good day. A freak storm suddenly enters the area and we are kindly reminded once again Everest’s ability to kill. As Krakauer stated “It’s the mountain that has the last word… always.”
Everest has some of the best cinematography that I’ve ever seen in a film – period. Shot in the Italian Alps, the use of Imax cameras truly leave the audience gasping for air as we accompany the characters on their journey. Dario Marianelli, who composed the score, did a wonderful job of accompanying the seminal moments in Everest with the appropriate tones from upbeat to somber and mournful.
My biggest issue with Everest is the lack of characterization in this film. We don’t learn nearly enough about the members of this expedition to develop any sort of attachment. We know who they are, but we certainly don’t what they are. At one point, I thought we were headed in the right direction when it’s revealed that Hall’s wife (Kiera Knightly) is pregnant and that Weather’s spouse (Robin Wright) is at home. Even when they attempt to develop empathy through the story line involving Hall’s wife, they were so blunt and matter of fact about the whole thing it was as if it didn’t truly matter to either of them. Umm … you’re trapped on a mountain… your wife is pregnant with your child… don’t you think we should just explore that treasure trove of emotional weight a bit? I feel weird saying this, but it felt as if the mountaineers were barely acknowledged during the course of this picture. A film about climbing Everest and the climbers are barely mentioned. Sounds like a great idea to me.
It’s practically impossible to have a movie based on one of the worst disasters in the history of Everest anchored by thinly developed characters. Between the lack of characterization and the catastrophic casting mistake, Everest turns from being a great film to just being an ordinary film.
Even as we count the days towards the release of Star Wars:Episode VII- The Force Awakens, we are already receiving word about Star Wars: Episode VIII. Filming began this week for episode eight on Skellig Micheal (an Island near Portmagee which is in Ireland) and some major stars arrived for filming. Daisy Ridley (Rey) was seen arriving for filming via helicopter this week and also Mark Hamill was on set for the week long shoot. This confirms that they will be playing key roles in the next installment but to what degree, we just don’t know.
Compared to the previous episode, which featured gem mutants chasing people down in a hospital, this episode is surprisingly low key. It just involves Steven helping Sadie get ready for a talent show. No monsters, no magic powers, and none of the Crystal gems show up at all. Instead, it focuses on another supporting character having a moment with a parent.
The episode showcases how Sadie’s mom, Barabara the mail carrier, is overzealous when it comes to her daughter. Sadie, who is a bit of an introvert, wants to try new things but at her pace. Instead once she shows any kind of interest in something her mom is there to support her and push her into it to the point Sadie gets overwhelmed. The episode serves to say, sometimes people have the best intentions, especially with their kids, but can almost be smothering when they offer too much support and its perfectly okay to tell them to back off and give you some air so you can approach obstacles at your own pace. You just have to find a way to reach them.
Also, Steven puts on a dress and sings his heart out to save Sadie when it’s clear she won’t be able to sing on stage. Showing once again that Steven is willing to go the distance and do whatever it takes to help out his friends. Of course this is no different from any other episode when he’s willing to throw himself into battle to protect others.
Again a very low key episode, but fans of Sadie might find some joy in it.
Although still a newbie, most people on this site will recognize me for my articles on the horror genre. I love watching horror films and I enjoy sharing my views on them just as much. The dark and sinister things that scare most folks out there thrill me (with the exception of most torture porn). But today I would like to talk about an upcoming film from director Tom Hooper, The Danish Girl, which chronicles the trans woman’s journey to “self.”
This film stars Academy Award Winner Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. It is the story of the artist and illustrator Gerda Wegener (Vikander) and her husband, Einar Wegener (Redmayne). Lili Elbe, formally Einar Wegener, transitioned from male to female and is one of the frist known recipients of gender reassignment surgery in the world.
Painting of Lili Elbe
In the 1920s, Gerda Wegener asked her husband to stand in for a female model in a portrait. The initial portraits were well-received, which led to her making additional ones of her husband as a woman. The act of sitting for his wife as a woman awakened a desire within him. He realized that he enjoyed his “self” as a woman. He liked the way he looked and felt.
His female self, Lili Elbe, he soon discovers, is the real Einar and he transitions into living as a woman. This discovery will lead Lili to become the first ever recipient of sex/gender reassignment surgery. Gerda supports his decision, but it undoubtedly puts a strain on their marriage ending with her coming to the realization that Einar is no more. Lili’s childhood friend, Hans Axgil, portrayed by Matthias Schoenaerts, is also an integral part of the story as he causes a multifaceted love triangle with the couple.
I am quite excited for the arrival of this film. In our ever-changing world it’s great to see someone tackling this subject, transitioning/transgender issues, with care and sensitivity. We as a society often make fun of that which we do not understand and that which makes us uncomfortable. This films endeavors to tell a poignant narrative about the difficult evolution of one trans woman as she navigates her own self-discovery and realization.
Eddie Redmayne / Lille Elbe
This film comes at a time when new champions of gender equality/gender identity/trans advocacy are making extraordinary strides in the fight for acceptance and equality. With advocates like Janet Mock, Thomas Beatie (the pregnant man), Candis Cayne, Kim Coco Iwamoto, Chaz Bono, Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), and, most recently, Olympic Champion Caitlyn Jenner coming out as trans gives me hope the world is moving towards a place of “live and let live” and acceptance. A few years ago this kind of film dealing with this subject matter, with this type of star power would not have been a possibility. It is a welcome change.
Jeffrey Tambor and co
Also notable is to watch in the transverse is the Amazon Studios original series Transparent starring Jeffrey Tambor as the patriarch of a LA family who finally comes out to his three daughters as transgender. ABC Family is attempting to contact this subject with their new reality TV show Becoming Us, which revolves around a Midwestern teenage boy, Ben, who is coming to grips, not only with his parent divorce, but with his father transitioning into a woman, Carly. Did I mention that this teenage boy also has a girlfriend whose father is transgender? It will be interesting to see how things turn out.
It is refreshing to see the entertainment media tackling meatier subjects.
