Batman Begins

[WayAbvPar]

Saw the trailer on Friday night before Ocean's Twelve (rent it....quite 'meh'). I was only half paying attention during the first part, but it started to look intriguing. Then I realized what I was seeing and got pretty fired up. GOD I hope they don't fuck this one up.

Trailer available as of today on the official site.

[Azaroth]

Warning: Movies may appear cooler than they are in reality.

[schild]

Warning: Movies may appear cooler than they are in reality.

Not this one. Batman Begins will be the best one since Batman Returns. That's not saying much unless you've seen a lot of German film, in which case it's saying alot.

It better be dark as hell - and looks to be. So all is well. But I can one up the Batman trailer with this:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Right-click, save-as). Looks to be delightfully evil.

[Arnold]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Right-click, save-as). Looks to be delightfully evil.

WTF, was that Yngwie Malmsteen busting his guitar?

[SirBruce]

I remain skeptical of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory after seeing the trailer.  Seriously, Willy Wonka was eccentric in the books, and he may have been dressed oddly, but I don't recall him being an effeminate poof.

I see your clip and raise you:
Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds
The Phantom of the Opera
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Bruce

[schild]

He was an effiminate murdering poof. Read the book again. Besides, he looks less poofy and more Ziggy Stardusty.

[SirBruce]

Mr Wonka was standing all alone just inside the open gates of the factory.

And what an extraordinary little man he was!

He had a black top hat on his head.

He wore a tail coat made of a beautiful plum-coloured velvet.

His trousers were bottle green.

His gloves were pearly grey.

And in one hand he carried a fine gold-topped walking cane.

Covering his chin, there was a small, neat, pointed black beard — a goatee. And his eyes — his eyes were most marvellously bright. They seemed to be sparkling and twinkling at you all the time. The whole face, in fact, was alight with fun and laughter.

And oh, how clever he looked! How quick and sharp and full of life! He kept making quick jerky little movements with his head, cocking it this way and that, and taking everything in with those bright twinkling eyes. He was like a squirrel in the quickness of his movements, like a quick clever old squirrel from the park.

Suddenly, he did a funny little skipping dance in the snow, and he spread his arms wide, and he smiled at the five children who were clustered near the gates, and he called out, 'Welcome, my little friends! Welcome to the factory!'

[Arnold]

It's funny Bruce should bring that up.  When I first saw the trailer, I thought Willy Wonka was being played by a manly looking woman, like Wendy Malick.  I sat there thinking, "It said 'he', in reference to Wonka, so why is the role being played by a chick???"

Then a few shots later, I realized it was Depp.

[Margalis]

I thought the new Batman movie was going to be based on Batman: Year One. Doesn't really look much like it. (The tone is completely wrong, however close the plot may be)

The cheesy montage of Bruce training was, well, cheesy. It likes like a typical Van Damme "guy goes off and trains then comes back for vengeance" sort of deal.

Batman:Year One could have made a really good movie but I guess it isn't super-heroey enough.

[stray]

Depp's Wonka reminded me of someone, but I can't pinpoint it. I know I've seen that person before. Maybe I'm wrong, but he's been known to mix acting with impression before, usually of someone well known...Sometimes several at once (ie. Jack Sparrow was Keith Richards/Pepe Le Pu, Ed Wood was Ronald Reagan/Casey Kasum, etc.). Maybe he'll say when it comes out.

[SirBruce]

Depp's Wonka reminded me of someone, but I can't pinpoint it. I know I've seen that person before.

For those who can't see the above image, click here.


Bruce

[HaemishM]

I wasn't able to see all the Batman trailer yesterday, it kept fucking up on me. I'm going to watch the Wonka trailer now, but let's face it, the character of Wonka was a bit of a fancy.

Now that I've seen the trailer, I want to stab Tim Burton. IN THE FACE.

[Ironwood]

Now that I've seen the trailer, I want to stab Tim Burton. IN THE FACE.

You mean you didn't want to before ?

[HaemishM]

Well yes, he's been marked for death since at least "Planet of the Apes."

But no one should be able to trounce on the memory of Gene Wilder like that.

[WayAbvPar]

Now that I've seen the trailer, I want to stab Tim Burton. IN THE FACE.

You mean you didn't want to before ?

It has been on my to do list for at least a decade now.

[schild]

But no one should be able to trounce on the memory of Gene Wilder like that.

Unless it's Johnny Depp. I mean christ, they didn't get Vin Diesel to play Wonka. They picked, in all probability, the best character actor we have alive today.

[Sobelius]

Sorry -- the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory trailer does nothing for me.

Yes, I have strong memories of the Gene Wilder version. Yes, I admire Depp a great deal. Yes, Tim Burton can do the fantastical well.

Yet nothing in this trailer makes me think anything other than: where are the oompa-loompa's when you need them to roll away the bloated thing that just showed up...?

[HaemishM]

Yes, I will agree with you there about Depp. However, based on what I saw, and my own feelings about the whole thing, no one, and I do mean NO ONE needed to do it. The movie version we already have, while decidedly reminiscent of its time period, was quite good enough to stand the test of time. Meanwhile, like Burton's Planet of the Apes, this will be here and gone again in a flash. It'll be the cinematic equivalent of a burp; a nice lingering taste of what I had for dinner, but forgotten as soon as the gas dissipates.

Tim Burton needs to go back to making his own movies instead of freak-ifying someone else's good story. Of course, if he does that, we have more Sleepy Hollow shite, so maybe he should just go away.

[Margalis]

Tim Burton needs to go back to making his own movies instead of freak-ifying someone else's good story. Of course, if he does that, we have more Sleepy Hollow shite, so maybe he should just go away.

You do realize that Sleepy Hollow was someone else's story right?

[HaemishM]

It still sucked. HARD.

[Big Gulp]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Right-click, save-as). Looks to be delightfully evil.

Great.  They applied the America McGee treatment to Willy Wonka.

Ambiguous homosexuality and "gothifying" something doesn't make it delightfully evil.  It makes it doubly gay.

[Rasix]

Seek therapy.

[schild]

The book was already delightfully evil inbetween the lines, you insane bunch of asstards. You all are obviously replacing the book with the movie in your brain. Go back and read the goddamn thing again.

[Ironwood]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a typical Dahl work :   A fairly easy on the brain childrens story that contained a fuck of a lot of nasty, evil subtext.

Wonka was ALWAYS clearly insane.  He was also quite clearly gayer than a treeful of monkeys.  He was a particularly nasty little sociopath and those here who seem to be delighted by him because 'he makes chocolate!!!!' SHOULD take Schild's advice and read the two books again.

HE WANTED TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD.  YOU DON'T GET MORE FUCKED UP THAN THAT.

For all the claims here about the 'old' film, I always disliked Gene Wilders portrait of Wonka.  I think it lacked darkness.  Some darkness.  The only bit that I thought was well done was his big-gay  boiled sweet boat ride scene.  

*Disclaimer - haven't checked out the new trailer.  Don't care to either.

[HaemishM]

I've read the book, and seen the movie. For all the dark subtext that exists in the book, I still think Wilder's version will be superior. It doesn't dispense with the darkness but it doesn't dwell on it, which I believe from the trailer (and past history with Burton) this new movie WILL dwell on it. And revel in it, until any good vibes will be drowned out by overdone weirdness for weirdness' sake.

Which is pretty much Burton's whole schtick. And that was interesting for a while, but like Marilyn Manson, it only works the first couple of times. THEN I WANT SOMETHING NEW.

In other words, get a brand new bag, Burton.

[schild]

And that was interesting for a while, but like Marilyn Manson, it only works the first couple of times. THEN I WANT SOMETHING NEW.

You're playing WoW, am i rite?

[HaemishM]

It's the new EQ. :)

[Paelos]

This tread is horribly mistitled

[SirBruce]

Whether or not Wonka was evil -- although for your D&Ders, Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Good might be more appropriate -- isn't the issue.  I think that sinister element was in the Wilder version and I'm quite sure it's in the Depp version.

The question is whether or not Wonka was an eccentric who dressed funny but was otherwise masculine, or if Wonka's fashion sense and manner bordered on the poffish gayness.  While I admit Wonka was a bachelor who took litlte interest in women and preferred the company of children (I know, pedophilia isn't really related, but I throw that out there for the misguided among you), I think he's far closer to being the former than the latter.

Bruce

[HaemishM]

Willy Wonka was a pedophile like Captain Kangaroo was a pedophile. Wanting to make children happy != Hi, my name is Michael Jackson. I don't recall Willy Wonka asking Charlie to sleep in the same bed.

Though I'm quite sure Tim Burton will try to suggest such a thing if you give him a chance.

[Paelos]

Just wait until Burton translates Augustus Gloop "falling in the chocolate river"

[HaemishM]

EWWWW.










EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.....

[Samwise]

Poofy?  I'd say downright prissy (the hair, the makeup, the delivery of the line about chewing gum).  Definitely not the Wonka I imagine - Gene Wilder's version was much closer.

[schild]

Gene Wilder's version was nothing like the book. That's why it's one of the most celebrated CHILDREN'S MOVIES. The book is not the celebrated Dahl work. James and the Giant Peach is - you all should really go read the book again with an adult mind.

[Teleku]

I'm going to have to say the original movie captured the dark undertones fairly well, imo.  Geene Wilders character does that subtly insanely evil personality great.  I'm not sure how I'm going to like this new one, and while I think it will probably suck, I'm willing to give it a try.

I can't remember though, in the original book, did Wonka say at the end all the other children were really fine, as he did in the movie?  Or did they all really get killed in horrible ways in the book...