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Category Entertainment
Ryan Reynolds Talks To Google About Deadpool
I really enjoyed watching this interview with Ryan Reynolds, so I am sharing it here.
Deadpool Is THAT Good
Seriously, if you haven’t seen Deadpool yet, you MUST! One of the best movies ever made. Don’t wait for this to go on DVD! It is irreverent, full of foul language and violence, so be prepared, but you will laugh your ass off.
FitnessX Cover Shoot Sneak Previews
Here are a few behind the scenes images from the FitnessX Magazine cover shoot from earlier this week. What a wonderful experience, and great people!
Latinpost.com Repost Star Wars Episode 7 Spoilers, Rumors: Revisiting Original Trilogy Controversies From Special Editions
This is a repost from Latinpost.com (link: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/71553/20150812/star-wars-episode-7-spoilers-rumors-revisiting-original-trilogy-controversies.htm)
“Star Wars” has the largest fanbase in the world. No other franchise or brand can boast the numbers that the galaxy far, far away has.
Yet with all of its numbers, there has been a great deal of division within the “Star Wars” ranks. The prequels have been a source of animosity. However, the special editions have prompted equal or greater levels of vitriol against the creator George Lucas.
Lucas is no longer at the helm of the franchise and, starting on Dec. 18, fans will see a new cinematic galaxy owned by Disney.
With the first major step about to be taking, some have sought ways to bring fans to peace with the current versions of all the films in existence, including the Special Editions. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the changes (and some, such as the rocks hiding R2-D2 in “Episode IV,” fall into the category of overthinking details), Lucas most did most changes with some level of intent and major alterations usually had some rationale behind them.
With that in mind, let us look at some of the controversial changes to the original films and examine their impact and how they fit into Lucas’ overall vision. One must realize that in changing the special editions, Lucas sought to blend them better with his new vision for the series that was altered by the prequel films. As a result, the films could not simply work on their own, but had to fit a larger perspective and expanded universe.
Darth Vader’s “No!”
At the end of “Return of the Jedi,” Darth Vader is faced with watching his son die at the hands of his master or save him. In a series of closeups, the audience sees Vader’s plight and eventually watches in awe as he grabs the emperor and hauls him down a nearby precipice. The action plays without any dialogue, a moment of sheer cinematic beauty that has captivated for years since.
For the 2011 Blu-Ray release of the films, Lucas did some tinkering and added some dialogue to the scene. When Vader finally makes up his mind to throw away the emperor he utters the cry of “No,” taken out of “Revenge of the Sith.”
The moment in Episode III is one of the most parodied and defiled by fans and detractors, many noting that it turns the formerly dominant villain into a pathetic character.
However, Lucas himself confirmed those very intentions during an interview with the Rolling Stone back in 2005.
“He’s done a lot of horrible things in his life that he isn’t particularly proud of. Ultimately, he’s just a pathetic guy who’s had a very sad life,” said Lucas.
At the point in time when he shouts out the “No” in “Revenge of the Sith,” Vader has just found out that he has lost his beloved Padme. In fact, based on the emperor’s own words, Vader has killed the very thing he sought save. His shout is one of powerlessness.
By reminding viewers of that very moment in “Return of the Jedi,” Lucas hints at Vader’s own realization of his powerlessness to save Padme and thus his pathetic “No” turns into a rejection of his futile nature and thus seeks to compound his sense of strength and power in that moment using this very counterpoint.
He has finally done for his son what he failed to do for his wife and mother. It might not be the most subtle of ways to go about expressing the idea, but it certainly brings “Episode III” to consciousness right away, thus linking the ideas, themes and the overall arc of Vader’s transformation from a pathetic and helpless man to one in control of his destiny, no longer powerless to save his loved ones.
Hayden Christensen’s Force Ghost
Another controversial choice and undeniably misguided one for most fans (this writer included). Luke has just seen his father unmasked, so when he sees the force ghost he would likely recognize the face he has just seen. Why would he recognize the face of a man younger than him? How would he know that this is his father?
There have been a number of ideas regarding this change. The most obvious is that when watched in order of episodes, audiences grow to know Hayden Christensen as Anakin and seeing him at the end links the two trilogies together.
Another idea comes from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s speech to Luke early in the film where he states that once Anakin turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader, he ceased to exist as Anakin. Henceforth, by returning to the light, Anakin retains the physical form of his light side self; since he was last in the light as Hayden Christensen, then that would be the form that appears as a force ghost.
Han Shoots First
The Han and Greedo debate is at the forefront of most complaints regarding the special editions. In 1977, there was no doubt that Han Solo shot Greedo in cold blood, establishing himself as a selfish rogue that would not allow anyone to get the best out of him. That he eventually heads back to save Luke in the Death Star trench run represented a shift from the selfish murdering smuggler to a selfless team player.
In 1997, Lucas tinkered with the moment, having Han shoot after being shot at by Greedo. It has haunted fans since. Lucas has made changes in subsequent releases, bringing the shots closer together as if to appease fans, but the reality is that the late versions still have Greedo shooting first with Han retaliating.
So what does this all accomplish? By having Han retaliate, it softens him as a character. He still murders Greedo, but now he is only doing it because he was assaulted first. He thus becomes slightly less of a menace.
One interesting way to view this change would be from one of the major themes in Lucas’ saga — the aggressor ultimately falling on his or her sword. This theme was championed by David Begor in his “Defense of the Clones,” published by Bright Lights Film Journal.
The cycle of violence is a major theme in all six movies, coming to an end only when Luke Skywalker drops his weapon, realizing that his aggression will only beget more aggression; as noted, only when Luke does drop his weapon does the tide turn for the rebels and do they finally manage to defeat the empire. Prior to Luke’s action, audiences bear witness to characters on the attack repeatedly seeing that violence turn against them. We see it in the Jedi’s decision to start the Clone Wars. We see it in Obi-Wan’s impetuous attack on Darth Maul, pushing him to his near death. We see it from the Separatists and their multiple murder attempts on Padme. We see it from Anakin in his own misguided moments of violence, such as his aggressive assault on Count Dooku at the end of Episode II.
We see it in the subversion of bounty hunters going from the hunters to becoming the hunted.
In the original films, the Empire’s aggressive use of the Death Star in “Episode IV” and its seeking out Yavin winds up being its doom. At the end of that same film, Lucas includes visual allusions to Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” during the medal ceremony that celebrates the rebel victory, thus linking it to the Nazi regime. This suggests an empty victory, a fact confirmed at the start of “The Empire Strikes Back.”
On a smaller level, having Han shoot second thus perpetuates the theme, making Greedo a victim of his own violence. Of course, Greedo was already holding Han at gunpoint prior to the shots being fired and this in and of itself is a form of violence. However, in the “Star Wars” universe, where every character constantly shows off his or her weapon in broad daylight, it seems that a more overt sign of aggression is required for it to be complete violence.
How I Feel About The New Star Wars Trilogy
The new Star Wars trilogy got me riled up for a number of reasons, with the main reason being that Disney had gotten their hands on the franchise. Simply by virtue of Disney’s involvement, I was wary of how true they would be to George Lucas’s original vision. As a matter of fact, I initially resisted the idea of going to see “The Force Awakens”. However, it only took a few days after the film was released for me to cave in, and so I found myself watching the Disney version of the iconic sci-fi/fantasy story line on Christmas Day.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed “The Force Awakens” and thought Disney did a decent job of keeping the audience riveted, and the character development of the new characters was also acceptable. I went to see the film a second time on New Year’s Day, and that was when I began to analyze and dissect the story much more. I guess you could say the George Lucas fan in me awoke and began to scrutinize the details of the newest trilogy.
Though Lucas had initially spoken of developing three Star Wars trilogies, and even proposed and wrote out brief story elements of Episodes VII to Episode IX while filming “The Empire Strikes Back”, he never fully fleshed out those episodes. He was quoted in 1980, stating “It’s a nine-part saga that has a beginning, a middle and an end. It progresses over a period of about fifty or sixty years with about twenty years between trilogies, each trilogy taking about six or seven years.”
Somehow along the years, George Lucas lost the impetus to carry through with all three trilogies, and by the late 1990’s, stated that he had no intention of making the third trilogy, and would not allow anyone else to do so either.
Here’s an interesting excerpt from Wikipedia in which George Lucas responded to questions about the trilogies:
(link is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_sequel_trilogy)
In August 1999, at a press conference in New York City to discuss The Phantom Menace, Lucas described the “nine year commitment” required to make a Star Wars trilogy. In 2002, he said: “Basically what I said as a joke was, ‘Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we’ll come back and do another version.’ The thing I didn’t realize then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but I would be in my 70s too.” In 2007, Lucas described making the films at that age as “an idea that seemed amusing at the time, but doesn’t seem realistic now”, and suggested that ‘off-the-cuff’ comments he had made in earlier years had been misconstrued as absolute statements.
At a 1997 “Special Edition” press conference, Lucas said: “Everyone said, ‘Well, are you going to do sequels to the first three?’ But that was an afterthought; I don’t have scripts on those stories. The only notion on that was, wouldn’t it be fun to get all the actors to come back when they’re 60 or 70 years old and make three more about them as old people.” In a 1997 issue of Star Wars Insider, he said: “The whole story has six episodes…. If I ever went beyond that, it would be something that was made up. I really don’t have any notion other than, ‘Gee, it would be interesting to do Luke Skywalker later on.’ It wouldn’t be part of the main story, but a sequel to this thing.”
In an interview published in the February 1999 issue of Vanity Fair, Lucas said: “When you see it in six parts, you’ll understand. It really ends at part six. I never had a story for the sequels, for the later ones.” In 2008, after all six films had been released, Lucas said: “The movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that’s where that story ends.”
In 1999, when asked about the possibility of someone else making Star Wars films, Lucas said, “Probably not, it’s my thing.” In a 2008 interview in Total Film, Lucas ruled out anybody else making Star Wars films. Asked if he was happy for new Star Wars films to be made after his death, he said: “I’ve left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. There will definitely be no Episodes VII–IX. That’s because there isn’t any story. I mean, I never thought of anything. And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn’t at all what I would have done with it. The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story. Once Vader dies, he doesn’t come back to life, the Emperor doesn’t get cloned and Luke doesn’t get married…”
Then things took a shift following the 2012 Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm. I can’t say that I blame Lucas for selling Lucasfilm, especially since he was probably lured by the $4 billion for which he sold both the company and the rights to Star Wars. However, his most recent interview last month suggests that he may have deep regrets about having relinquished rights to his baby, Star Wars. He had some inkling that Disney was about to pull the rug out from under him when they informed him in 2012 that they would not use the story treatments he had submitted. The powers that be at Disney essentially flexed their muscles and pushed Lucas away.
Here is another excerpt from Wikipedia which summarizes some of the ideas Lucas had about later episodes:
Episode VII would begin roughly 20 (or perhaps 30–40) years after the end of Return of the Jedi (according to Lucas in 1980 and 1982).
R2-D2 and C-3PO would be the only characters who might continue through all nine films (Lucas in 1980, 1981 and 1983).
The trilogy would deal with the rebuilding of the Republic (Lucas in 1980).
“It’s like a saga, the story of a group of people, a family” (Lucas in 1980).
The focus would be on Luke Skywalker’s journey to becoming the premier Jedi knight, with Luke’s sister (who was not Leia) appearing in Episode VIII, and the first appearance of the Emperor, and Luke’s ultimate confrontation with him, in Episode IX (a storyline as planned pre-1980, according to A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back producer Gary Kurtz).
Luke would have a romantic relationship with a female love interest (Lucas in 1988).
The main theme of the trilogy would be moral and philosophical problems, such as the necessity for moral choices and the wisdom needed to distinguish right from wrong, justice, confrontation, and passing on what you have learned (Lucas in 1983 and 1989).
The key actors, Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Ford as Han Solo, and Fisher as Princess Leia, would appear, in their 60s or 70s (Lucas in 1983).
In Episode IX, Hamill would cameo, “like Obi-Wan handing the lightsaber down to the next new hope” (according to Hamill, in 2004).
“The other one — what happens to Luke afterward — is much more ethereal. I have a tiny notebook full of notes on that. If I’m really ambitious, I could proceed to figure out what would have happened to Luke” (Lucas in 1980).
Interviewed in 2012 after the announcement of the new trilogy, Lucas biographer Dale Pollock said that he had, in the 1980s, read the outlines to 12 Star Wars episodes planned by Lucas, but had been required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Pollock said:
“The three most exciting stories were 7, 8 and 9. They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters. I remember thinking, ‘I want to see these 3 movies.'”
The next series film would “involve Luke Skywalker in his 30s and 40s.”
Disney would probably use Lucas’s outlines as the basis for the sequel trilogy. “That’s in part what Disney bought.”
Author Timothy Zahn, whose Star Wars novel series, the Thrawn Trilogy, is set in the Star Wars expanded universe, was also interviewed in 2012. Zahn confirmed the sequel trilogy would not be based on the Thrawn novels, but said he had been briefed years before on Lucas’s plans for the sequels (Zahn had discussions with Lucas before the first Thrawn novel was published in 1991). Zahn said:
The original idea as I understood it—and Lucas changes his mind off and on, so it may not be what he’s thinking right now—but it was going to be three generations. You’d have the original trilogy, then go back to Luke’s father and find out what happened to him, and if there was another seventh, eighth, or ninth film, it would be Luke’s children.
directed by J. J. Abrams who co-wrote the screenplay along with Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of the screenplays for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. George Lucas was set to provide Abrams with advice as a creative consultant; however, he had no involvement in the film, with his representative saying Lucas “ideally would love not to see any footage until he walks into the theater next December. He has never been able to be surprised by a Star Wars film before and he said he was looking forward to it.”
The following text is from the most recent interview conducted with Lucas, in which he criticizes the most recent “Star Wars”film:
George Lucas has criticized the latest installment of “Star Wars,” the series he created, in an interview with Charlie Rose, describing the film as too “retro” for his taste and jokingly comparing the Walt Disney Company, which bought the rights to the franchise in 2012, to “white slavers” who had bought his children.
The hourlong interview, broadcast on Dec. 25 and released online this week, focused on Mr. Lucas’s legacy, which was celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors this month. But he was harsh in criticizing the film industry for focusing on profit over storytelling.
At one point he said that filmmakers in the Soviet Union had more freedom than their counterparts in Hollywood, who, he maintained, “have to adhere to a very narrow line of commercialism.”
Mr. Lucas appeared particularly unhappy with the direction the “Star Wars” franchise has taken since he sold the rights to it, along with Lucasfilm, his company, to Disney for $4 billion. He compared the sale to a breakup and a divorce.
“These are my kids. All the Star Wars films,” he said. “I love them, I created them, I’m very intimately involved in them.”
He added, trailing off with a laugh: “And I sold them to the white slavers that take these things and. …”
Mr. Lucas said that he decided to sell his company in part because his filmmaking interests had changed and that the more experimental movies he wanted to make would not be financially successful enough to ensure the health of the company and the well-being of its employees.
Still, he said he had begun working on another “Star Wars” film before the sale, including preparing story treatments and “working with a writer.” But, he said, Disney was not “that keen to have me involved.”
“They decided they didn’t want to use those stories,” he said. “They decided they were going to do their own thing. So I decided, ‘Fine.’ ”
The film that Disney made, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide since its release on Dec. 18 and received mostly positive reviews from critics.
But not from Mr. Lucas. On Mr. Rose’s show, he criticized the producers and writers of the latest film for emphasizing familiar elements of his previous work — some of which he said had issues — over innovation and storytelling of their own.
“The first three movies had all kinds of issues,” he said of the original trilogy, which was released between 1977 and 1983. “They looked at the stories and said, ‘We want to make something for the fans.’ All I wanted to do was tell a story of what happened. It started here, and it went there.”
“They wanted to do a retro movie,” he continued. “I don’t like that. Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different, make them completely different with different planets, different spaceships, to make it new.”
Getting over “Star Wars” is like getting over a lost love, Mr. Lucas said. He told Mr. Rose that he tried to approach it the way one would approach the end of a relationship, by focusing on the future instead of the past.
“You have to put it behind you, and it’s a very, very, very hard thing to do,” he said. “But you have to just cut it off and say, ‘O.K., end of ballgame, I have to move on.’ And everything in your body says, ‘Don’t, you can’t.’”
On Thursday, Mr. Lucas apologized for his “white slavers” remark and backtracked on his criticism of Disney.
“I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize,” he said in a statement released to several trade publications.
“I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of J.J. and Kathy,” he said, referring to J. J. Abrams, the “Force Awakens” director, and Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s president.
Who Has Portrayed Superman?
Superman Logo
With the new film Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice slated for release this March, I became curious about the actors who have been pivotal in forging the portrayal of the Man Of Steel over the years. I liked the summary on http://screenrant.com/superman-actors-trivia-list, portions of which I have copied and pasted here. I have omitted the actors who had a smaller impact on the Superman character for the sake of keeping this post manageable.
I don’t think anyone ever portrayed Superman as convincingly as Christopher Reeve did, so he will always be my favorite Superman. However, as a result of my decades-long crush on Dean Cain, I must have another favorite spot for him as well!
1. Kirk Alyn
In 1948, former Broadway actor Kirk Alyn was the first to don Superman’s cape in a live-action setting. Columbia Pictures’ Superman theatrical serial became an instant hit and young fans of the superhero were immediately mesmerized. For years prior, their imaginations did all the work based off a weekly radio broadcast starring the voice of Bud Collyer as Superman, but now they could see their idol in action!
The Superman serial was 15 episodes long, told Superman’s basic origin story, his job as a reporter at the Daily Planet and his friendships with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen; in the final episode, he battled the villainous Spider Lady. In 1950, Alyn would reprise his role in another serial – Atom Man vs. Superman. This time around the villain is Superman’s main rival Lex Luthor who, as Atom Man, terrorizes the good citizens of Metropolis with his atom disintegration ray.
Kirk Alyn
2. George Reeves
Notable Facts: First non-serial theatrical Superman appearance. First televised appearance. First televised color appearance. First fully-filmed take-off, flight and landing sequence.
Arguably, George Reeves was the most popular actor to every portray Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent, in both the feature-length film Superman and the Mole Men and the subsequent TV series Adventures of Superman.
Reeves is the only actor to ever play Superman in both a theatrical release AND in a TV series. He would entertain audiences for six seasons, with the first three seasons broadcast in black and white. While the remaining seasons were filmed in color, they wouldn’t be broadcast that way until the show was syndicated in 1965.
George Reeves
3. Johnny Rockwell
Notable Facts: First non-comic appearance of Superboy and Lana Lang.
Adventures of Superman was canceled in 1958, followed by the passing of George Reeves in 1959, so when ABC decided to reboot the show in 1961, actor Johnny Rockwell was chosen to portray Superboy. The project never made it past an unaired Superboy pilot titled “Rajah’s Ransom”, even though twelve full scripts were completed for the show.
Alas, the general public would never see Rockwell dressed as Superman, but footage from the pilot stills exists (it comes with the 62 DVD collection Smallville: The Complete Series) and a small clip from the show can be found in the documentary Look, Up In The Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman.
Johnny Rockwell
4. Christopher Reeve
Notable Facts: First full-color, feature-length Superman theatrical release. Significant upgrades in flying SFX. Introduced most classic version of costume. First “evil” Superman.
Superman: The Movie was first conceived in 1973 but wouldn’t see a theatrical release until 1978 with Christopher Reeve starring as the titular superhero. Superman I and Superman II were filmed simultaneously at the total cost of $109 million. Superman I proved to be the more popular of the two bringing in $300 million at the box office, while the sequel only brought in $104 million.
Over the next few years, Superman III and Superman IV, both starring Reeve and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthorn (who skipped number 3), would come and go in theaters with very little public support – together, both films only grossed $85 million on a $46 million budget.
Even with poor box office performances later in the franchise, Christopher Reeve’s name would become (and still is) synonymous with Clark Kent and Superman – arguably even more so than George Reeves.
Christopher Reeve
5. James Haymes Newton
Notable Facts: First TV series ever produced by Disney/MGM. First in-depth look at Superman’s teenage years. First appearance of Mr. Mxyzptlk.
Only a year after Superman IV: The Quest for Peace entered theaters, producers wanted to once again tap in the the lucrative TV market with a Superman show – enter Superboy starring James Haymes Newton in 1988. Newton would only sport the red cape for the first season due what the producers consider a lackluster performance, combined with his demand for a raise and a DUI arrest.
The show debuted during the 50th anniversary of Superman character and ironically, the actual character of Superboy had recently been removed from comic lore in The Man of Steel retcon by comic artist John Byrne. This was the first time the teenage years of Superman were explored. The show followed Clark Kent and Lana Lang as they reported on weird happenings for their college newspaper, The Shuster Herald (get the reference?).
James Haymes Newton
6. Gerard Christopher
Notable Facts: First appearance of villains Bizarro, Metallo and Toyman. First exploration of The Death of Superman storyline.
The second, third and fourth seasons of Superboy (re-titled The Adventures of Superboy in season three) saw many cast changes – the most notable being Gerard Christopher replacing Newton as Clark Kent/Superboy. The series also started taking on more “mature” storylines as time went on, including having Clark deal with the return of his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara. The series left the slightly-campy feel of season one behind and started placing Superboy in many perilous situations – becoming darker in tone with each new episode.
The producers, planning for a fifth and sixth season, had delved into “The Death of Superman” storyline at the end of the fourth season – even filming the demise of the superhero for the season’s finale. However, Warner Bros. placed a lien against the show and the series was canceled. Parts of the final episode were re-shot to tie up the series by revealing that Superboy had faked his death.
Gerard Christopher
7. Dean Cain
Notable Facts: First time the love life between Lois Lane and Clark Kent is explored. First series to keep Clark’s parents alive. First time Superman’s costume is explained.
The lien and resulting cancellation of The Adventures of Superboy were actually a plan by Warner Bros. to establish a series of their own called Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993 starring Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane. The show proved to be a whopping success with audiences and had a run of 87 episodes over the course of four seasons. The third season proved to be the most popular, drawing in an average of 15 million viewers a week.
Unlike previous television series, Lois & Clark (as its name implies) focused heavily on the love interest between Lois Lane and Clark Kent. While Superman showed up in every episode, he wasn’t typically the focus of the show, as series creator Deborah Joy LeVine wanted to explore more of Clark’s life. To that end, Clark’s parents were kept alive (unlike the Silver Age of the Superman) and he visited them frequently to discuss pressing issues. The show also addressed how Superman got his outfit – his mom, Martha Kent, made it for him – awww.
Dean Cain
8. Tom Welling
Notable Facts: Longest running live-action Superman series. Introduced several live-action versions of popular DC Comics’ characters. Only version of Clark Kent not referred to as Superman, doesn’t appear in costume.
A few years after Lois & Clark ended, writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar produced Smallville for the WB/CW, starring Tom Welling as Clark Kent. The show ran for ten full seasons and initially drew in 8+ million viewers – though those numbers reduced dramatically as time went on, eventually only pulling the attention of 3 million viewers for the series finale.
Smallville took a “no flights, no tights” rule per Gough and Millar – audiences can only see Clark fly once and only briefly see him in a cape in the final moments of the series finale. It did, however, introduce many members of the Justice League and brought to life several villains never before seen on TV, such as Darkseid and Doomsday.
Tom Welling
9. Brandon Routh
Notable Facts: Updated the look of Superman’s costume. Introduced Superman and Lois Lane’s son.
Almost twenty years passed since a live-action Superman movie was released in theaters, until Warner Bros. decided to pump over $300 million in Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh.
The story involved Superman returning to Earth after a five-year trip to Krypton to see if any of his people survived. Lex Luthor is once again the villain (like the original Superman movies) and he absurdly wants to create new land using crystals stolen from Superman’s Fotress of Solitude. The film’s “twist” – that Lois and Superman had a child who inherited his father’s super genes – brought on more jeers than cheers from audiences.
The movie was a disappointment to both critics and fans – many of whom also disliked the sleeker costume hip-hugging style briefs and a much smaller “S” on his chest. He did have the signature curl in his hair, though.
Brandon Routh
10. Henry Cavill
Notable Facts: First modified appearance of classic costume. Replaced Jimmy Olson with Jenny Olson. First shared universe for DC Comics. First Superman film in 3D.
Henry Cavill is the latest actor to play Superman in director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel but he certainly won’t be the last. After the underwhelming Superman Returns, fans of the character were holding out very little hope that they would ever see a good, modern version of Superman in theaters again. For the most part, Snyder quelled those fears.
Man of Steel, with all its super powered, action-goodness, wasn’t without its drawbacks though – erratic scene cuts, weak character development and a longer-than-necessary running time, make the film drag in some areas. Most critics and fans agree though, the film is a far better than the previous attempt.
DC Comics has been behind Marvel in the shared movie universe and Man of Steel is their first (weak) attempt to fix that situation. A sign attached to satellite high above the earth reads “Wayne Enterprises” and is the only thing tying Superman to Batman. It could have been stronger but at least it was there.
Henry Cavill
Actors Who Have Portrayed Batman
After seeing the preview for the upcoming release of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I became curious about which actors have portrayed Batman on the big screen. I stumbled upon a summary on http://www.denofgeek.us, which I have copied and pasted here. I have selected other images of some of the celebrities because the ones featured on DenofGeek were not the best.
As for the actor who in my personal estimation did the best job at portaying Batman, it’s Christian Bale. Hands down, the BEST Batman.
1. Lewis G Wilson
Wilson was the first and youngest actor ever to play the adult Batman, and also the least successful. At 23, the unknown thespian donned the cape and the cowl in the 15-part 1943 Columbia serial Batman. While he looked the part of the dashing playboy, his physique was more Danny DeVito as the Penguin. One critic described Wilson as “thick about the middle.” Maybe that was why he wore his utility belt just below his chest. Critics also complained that his voice was too high and that he had a Boston accent. That, of course, wouldn’t be the last time someone complained about Batman’s voice.
After Batman, Wilson’s career went nowhere. Most of his roles went uncredited. His next biggest movie part was probably in the 1951 cult classic Bowanga Bowanga. A few years later he was out of showbiz altogether. His son, Michael G. Wilson, however, fared better in Hollywood, becoming the executive producer of the James Bond series. Lewis G. Wilson died in 2000.
Lewis G. Wilson
2. Robert Lowery
Lowery took over the role in the follow-up serial, 1949’s Batman And Robin. Unlike Lewis, Lowery, 36 at the time, was a veteran actor, having already appeared in The Mark Of Zorro (1940), The Mummy’s Ghost (1944), and Dangerous Passage (1944). He also filled out the Batsuit better than Lewis, with his utility belt hanging where you would expect it on a non-octogenarian.
Though Lowery never played Batman in another movie, he did get to wear the cape once more and make superhero history in the process. In 1956 he guest-starred on an episode of The Adventures Of Superman, marking the first time a Batman actor shared screen time with a Superman actor. (The two also appeared together in their pre-superhero days, in a WWII anti-VD propaganda film called Sex Hygiene).
After Batman, Lowery enjoyed another 20 years in movies and TV. He died in 1971.
Robert Lowery
3. Adam West
The man logging the most hours in the Batcave, of course, was William West Anderson, whom you probably know better as Adam West. Either you love him for his goofy charm or hate him for blemishing the Bat’s image for several decades. His campy, over-the-top portrayal of Gotham’s Guardian infiltrated nearly ever medium, including a 1966 movie and several animated series.
[related article: Batman ’66 – The First Faithful Superhero Adaptation]
Legend has it producer William Dozier cast West after seeing him play a James Bond-like spy called Captain Q in a Nestlé Quik TV ad. He beat future Wonder Woman co-star Lyle Waggoner for the role. Dozier, who supposedly hated comic books, decided the only way the show would be successful was if they camped it up. So blame him.
Things would almost come full circle in 1970 when West was offered the role of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. West declined, later writing in his autobiography that he believed Bond should always be played by a Brit. Holy bad career moves, Batman!
After the Batman series went off the air in 1968, West was resigned to typecast hell. At one point, he was forced to make public appearances as the Caped Crusader to earn a living. Then, in 1977, he returned to the tube as Batman, doing his voice in The New Adventures Of Batman, and then on such shows as Super Friends.
West’s resurgence as a pop-culture icon began in the early ’90s when he starred as a has-been TV action hero in the pilot episode of Lookwell, produced by Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel. It wasn’t picked up but took on a cult following online (check it out here). Since then his cult popularity has increased and he now makes regular appearances on the animated series Family Guy.
Adam West
4. Michael Keaton
It took more than 20 years for Adam West to lose his exclusivity on Batman.
When director Tim Burton (who like Dozier was not a fan of comic books) and Michael Keaton were announced for 1989’s Batman, fans went bat-shit crazy, thinking their beloved superhero was going to get the Adam West treatment again. Keaton’s casting caused such controversy that 50,000 protest letters were sent to Warner Bros’ offices. In an effort to appease the naysayers, Batman co-creator Bob Kane was hired as the film’s creative consultant. And in case you’re curious, here is Keaton, Affleck, and a long list of other great castings that fans initially thought would suck.
Other Hollywood stars considered for the role of Batman included Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck and Bill Murray. But producer Jon Peters said he cast Keaton because “The image of Batman is a big male model type, but I wanted a guy who’s a real person who happens to put on this weird armor. A guy who’s funny and scary. Keaton’s both. He’s got that explosive, insane side.”
The studio and the fans had nothing to worry about. Keaton’s performance received favourable reviews and Batman killed at the box office. Variety magazine gushed, “Michael Keaton captures the haunted intensity of the character, and seems particularly lonely and obsessive without Robin around to share his exploits.” Keaton was rewarded by being the first actor to reprise the role on the big screen. And in 1992’s Batman Returns, Keaton again garnered positive reviews.
Of course, Keaton has now seen a career revival thanks to the spectacular Birdman.
Michael Keaton
5. Val Kilmer
When the Batman franchise was turned over to director Joel Schumacher, Keaton decided not to return.Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, William Baldwin, and Johnny Depp were reportedly considered as replacements. But the job was won by Val Kilmer – probably the most forgettable of the modern Batmen. Go ahead – try to remember. See? You can’t.
Schumacher became interested in Kilmer for 1995’s Batman Forever after seeing him in Tombstone (in which he played Doc Holiday, who Adam West also portrayed in a movie before he did the Batman TV series). Kilmer allegedly accepted the role without even reading the script or knowing who the new director was.
Schumacher quickly learned who Kilmer was, though, and the two clashed on the set. Schumacher later described Kilmer as “childish and impossible,” claiming that he fought with various crewmen and refused to speak to him for two weeks after the director asked his star to stop behaving rudely.
Kilmer’s performance got mixed reviews. As The New York Times put it, “The prime costume is now worn by Val Kilmer, who makes a good Batman but not a better one than Michael Keaton.” Bob Kane felt otherwise, saying he thought Kilmer did the best job of all the actors to have played Batman up to that point.
The movie performed better than Batman Returns at the box office, but Kilmer was destined to be a one-term Caped Crusader. Between his bad attitude and his concern that the superhero wasn’t getting as much screen time as the villains, he left the Batcave for good. Instead of filming 1997’s Batman & Robin, he did The Saint.
After Batman, Kilmer’s career headed downhill. Though it was probably 1996’s The Island Of Dr. Moreau that had more to do with that than Batman Forever.
Val Kilmer
6. George Clooney
Clooney’s movie career was just taking off when he was cast in 1997’s Batman & Robin, with his breakthrough performance coming just the year before in Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn. Producers probably felt they pulled off a major coup landing the soon-to-be mega-movie star. Those producers, along with Clooney, may regret that decision now.
Batman & Robin was a disaster, rife with homoeroticism, camp and those infamous Bat-nipples. Clooney once joked that he helped to kill the franchise. “Joel Schumacher told me we never made another Batman film because Batman was gay.” The actor also called the movie “a waste of money.”
Critics and fans agreed. In 1997, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “George Clooney is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series.” Batman & Robin received 11 nominations at the Razzie Awards and frequently ranks among the worst films of all time. It was also the worst box-office performer of the modern Batman movies. However, despite its many, many, many flaws, we will stick up for it a little…
But all that did nothing to hurt Clooney’s career. After Batman, he went on to super stardom, starring in Out Of Sight (with a cameo from Michael Keaton), Three Kings, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? over the next three years.
George Clooney
7. Christian Bale
Between Adam West and George Clooney, Batman seemed destined to remain a joke, at least when it came to live-action adaptations. Then came along Christopher Nolan. The Memento and Insomnia director was given the reins and he planned to reinvent the franchise, finally making the Dark Knight dark.
Among the early candidates for the Batman/Bruce Wayne roles were Billy Crudup, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Jackson, and Cillian Murphy. But Nolan ultimately chose Christian Bale, explaining that “he has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for.”
Bale got generally favourable reviews for 2005’s Batman Begins, with several critics saying it reminded them of his brilliant turn in American Psycho. Not so brilliant, it seems, was his uber-husky Bat-voice. One reviewer compared Bale’s guttural utterances to a “10-year-old putting on an ‘adult’ voice to make prank phone calls.” It got even more gravelly in 2008’s The Dark Knight, with NPR’s David Edelstein describing it as “a voice that’s deeper and hammier than ever.”
Even Kevin Conroy, the man behind probably the most recognisable Batman voice, chimed in, saying at a C2E2 panel in 2010 that Bale’s voice was “ridiculous” and implored the actor to stop doing it. If The Dark Knight Rises trailer is any indication, Bale hasn’t taken the advice. Still, while that film was not as well received as 2008’s sterling The Dark Knight, especially in the fan community, we still will happily come to the defense of The Dark Knight Rises.
Christian Bale
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