Wherein I dare to be unpopular!

[Amethyst Hunter]

I am one of the few people on the planet who won't be seeing the new Batman movie. I tend to avoid things that are popularly raved over, because in my experience I've never liked them, and life is too short to waste it sitting through crappy movies IMO (Been there and done that too many times to count; God how I wish I could get back my 99 or so minutes I spent obtaining a severe migraine from the Blair Witch because I was dumb enough to fall for the hype. Most un-scariest movie ever). Besides, I never liked Batman (or any of those other popular 'icons' like Superman or Star Wars, for that matter) anyway. And as far as I'm concerned, the only 'true' Joker is Jack Nicholson's. He'd eat Heath Ledger for breakfast. (Ditto Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne versus the flavor-of-the-month's Batman.)

[Sylvia727]

I haven't seen the new movie yet, but I plan to. I see the old icons as more of an archetype than a character, so it doesn't bother me when someone else tries to copy the original's success and fails artistically.

I know what you mean about hype aversion, though. I still haven't seen some classic movies because I know they'll fall short of the expections that have been communally built up. I think the lower your expectations when you go in, the more they're raised and the better you think of the movie. So even if it's a great movie, if you were expecting an awesome move, your main impression will be the fall, not the greatness.

[Rapscallion]

I'll have you know that the only true Joker was Cesar Romero!

I have to admit that I have avoided the Harry Potter books on the grounds of hype aversion. They're apparently good - millions of copies and thousands of fan sites attest to this. This new Batman? I'll probably get around to seeing it when the huge crushes at the cinemas die down, since the first of this new run was pretty good - it's a better retelling of the original, more realistic.

Superman - never really cared for that mythos. "I'm invulnerable unless Kryptonite is involved, and wow look at all the Kryptonite around here! All these crooks can get their hands on it easily."

Rapscallion

[anriana]

For movies, I don't go by hype, I go by http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ Anything over 90% is pretty much going to be a good movie, anything 50%-90% has potential, and anything under 50% should be avoided unless you want to mock it.

For someone who doesn't like Batman you seem to care quite a bit about your favorite actors.

[Greenday]

I heard Heath Ledger did a crapload better than any previous actor for the Joker. I'm dieing to see this movie. Batmin Begins was ridiculously good. And this one looks a lot better.

Superman is just a lame character. Same reasons as Raps. What good is a superhero if he can't be beaten? A mineral that practically can't be found is his ONLY weakness? How boring.

[Boozy]

I have to admit that I have avoided the Harry Potter books on the grounds of hype aversion.

I avoided those books for the longest time, too. Just to be ornery.

Finally, I broke down and gave them a shot. I got halfway through the third book and gave up. They're fun, and I can see the appeal, but they're definitely for kids. I need something meatier and more mature.

I look forward to reading them to my children some day.

As far as the Batman movie goes, my husband made a good point: You can't trust the reviews as far as Heath Ledger's portrayal of Joker goes. Who's going to be the asshole who pans his final performance? No one, that's who.

[Slytovhand]

AH - I think I love you...well, maybe like a little bit and start from there -

And as far as I'm concerned, the only 'true' Joker is Jack Nicholson's. He'd eat Heath Ledger for breakfast. (Ditto Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne versus the flavor-of-the-month's Batman.)

I was talking about this with my co-worker last night (about Bats - not Joker). Keaton did a great job, especially since his normal genre is comedy. He did a great straight player. Jack Nicholson... yeah... Like someone's gonna be better than him??? (ok.. bypass the scripting element...)


Greenday ...

What good is a superhero if he can't be beaten?

Well - other than the obvious??????

(although, I too profess a certain...boredom... with the Supes... and the other obvious silliness of it all)

[Greenday]

I just find it boring to see a superhero that can never be beaten. It's really lame. Batman is just a regular guy who did a crapload of weight lifting and training.

[Slytovhand]

I just find it boring to see a superhero that can never be beaten. It's really lame. Batman is just a regular guy who did a crapload of weight lifting and training.

So... would that mean that in a way, you're only problem with Clark Kent's alter ego is that he doesn't go by the name Boringman??

What actually surprises me about him is that with all of his superpowers, and his virtual invulnerability (other than that rare kryptonite, which any 2-bit mugger can find just lying around anywhere...), is that somehow they can still manage to pile up decades and decades of material... what the...?????

[IDrinkaRum]

I prefer the Original Superman, George Reeves. So there. (And yes, I love the old Black & White shows of the Original Superman show).

I'm thinking of waiting until the new Batman movie comes out on DVD to see it - not sure yet though.

And no matter who else plays Batman, Adam West is the only one who can pull off those tights!

[BlaqueKatt]

Jack Nicholson... yeah... Like someone's gonna be better than him???

Actually Heath Ledger played Joker straight out of his original appearance from the comic book-psychotic and bloodthirsty(he kills around 20 people-including burning one to death)-Jack Nicholson's Joker was from the tamed down version in later years or the tv show(and from what I remember didn't kill anyone).(they had Heath read "the killing Joke" which is where Joker paralyzes Barbra Gordon(batgirl-the commisner Gordon's daughter-{that joker also killed Robin} by shooting her in the spine.) Director Chris Nolen has brought elements from the comic book* into the movie while Tim Burton just redid the TV show version. Heath's Joker routinely kills off his own henchmen, and burns money he extorted from the crime families, he took half their combined money and then burned it saying "All I need is dynamite and bullets, and those, thankfully are very cheap"

Heath Ledger was a character/method actor, and the following is a quote on him playing the Joker:

" I’m not going for the same thing he went for. That would be stupid. It is also two very different directors with different styles. Tim Burton did a more fantastical kind of thing and Chris Nolan is doing nitty gritty handheld realism. I love what [Jack] did and that is part of why I want to do that role. I remember seeing it and thinking how much fun it would be to put on that mask and attempt to do something along those lines. But it would obviously be murder if I tried to imitate what he did."

*Ra's al Ghul
Lucius Fox
the various crime families

[Slytovhand]

I'm intending to go see it on the big screen either later today, or tomorrow... and by big screen, I mean the BIG screen...Imax type.

When I think of a Joker, I think of a psycho like a Jack - but the script didn't allow for him to do it the way he truly could have (such as in a darker version...). Let's face it, even when he's not acting he'd be in character (remember that mugshot of him when drunk?? )

Oh - although it was 'darker', I was totally unimpressed with the actual story line of B Returns...but that's just me (and a couple of others...).

[AFPheonix]

I don't know that I'll see it in theaters, but we'll probably pick it up when it comes out on dvd. Won't have to deal with stupid kids kicking the seats and sticky floors that way.

[Amethyst Hunter]

For someone who doesn't like Batman you seem to care quite a bit about your favorite actors.

Actually, I don't have *any* 'favorite' actors. There are ones whose performances I tend to like, but let's face it: they're actors. As a general rule, they're one of the most fucked-up groups of people you'll ever see.

I'm not saying that Ledger is a shitty actor. From what little I saw of him, he was decent and could well have become another big name if he hadn't died. It's like what Boozy said, who wants to be the O NOES HEATH HATER! by giving his last film a shoddy review (whether or not it deserves it). I'm sorry that he died the way he did, but he wasn't a god, he was human. I think that's what bothers me the most about all the hype. "Let's pay our respects to him by drooling all over his final movie!" It's a little late to pay respects now, I'd say (and if he hadn't died, I daresay there'd be a couple of reviewers out there who'd have ripped his performance to shreds even if it was any good - that's Hollywood for ya, sadly).

I watched the first Batman movie when it came out on video, because someone in our family had rented it and although as I said I'm not a Batman fan I liked the way Keaton and Nicholson played their respective characters. (Keaton at least didn't overdo the OHHH ANGST! of his character - too much drama and I stop caring about whether your character lives, dies or pukes mushrooms) The other Batman movies (up to that fiasco called B&R, that is) I only watched out of sheer boredom if they happened to be on local cable and there was nothing better to see. Kilmer sucked and I got the impression that Clooney was only doing it for the money (which he probably was, and figuring the salaries of the rest of that cast, that's probably the only reason they signed on as well!).

Catwoman was a good 'villain', and though I think that Michelle Pfeiffer's had way more teeth than Halle Berry, Berry still did a good job with her take on the character (though the movie itself wasn't all that great either).

All the other ones sucked ass though. I was actually hoping that Tommy Lee Jones's Two-Face would blow Jim Carrey away, but alas, it was not to be.

AH - I think I love you...well, maybe like a little bit and start from there

Hey, everybody has to start somewhere. XD

[miyon]

I am one of the few (Ditto Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne versus the flavor-of-the-month's Batman.)

I havent seen it yet, going tomorrow I think. But about your flavor of the month Batman, Christian Bale is an amazing actor. Ledger is getting all the hype about is he the best joker ever etc. But Bale is the best batman mainly because just about all of Bale's role he is amazing.

These are some of the highlights of his acting.

Equilibrium
Empire of the Sun
Velvet Goldmine
Reign of Fire
The Machinist