The Weekend of The Bat

Well, hello!

My, we have had a busy last few weeks!
Between Internet companies, writing projects, pre-production, generalities, awards shows, and new celebrity babies - there has not been much time to visit during the noted chaos. However, the good news is that I will be appearing on this Blog all week to distract you with conversational escapades - we have much to discuss.

First, I have heard that I have received numerous messages about my last post, regarding Starbucks and much has happened since. There appears to be a full-on "Save Our Starbucks" movement suddenly transpiring in towns across the country. Further, I have been mysteriously receiving Free Mocha Frapuccinos as of late- nothing but great news all around!

Onward to today's topic: The New Batman Movie

Big Bats & Big Bucks...
Over the course of the weekend, many of you may have seen the new Warner Bros. version of Batman movie, "The Dark Knight" - also known as Batman 5.

According to Box Office numbers, the movie rang up $158 Million dollars of your money this past weekend, surpassing Sony's Spiderman 3 (Of which, I still have yet to view) and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Of course, if you factor inflation - is the film really more profitable than the mentioned?

Holy Cow, Batman!
Ah, I appreciate the good news and forward thinking projections. However, there are a few obvious questions: Were ticket prices, the cost of distribution, and economic climate the same in 2006 and 2007?

By standard of today, I would say the movie will be lucky to break even. If you factor all of the above costs and expenses including financing, production, and marketing, which incidentally the movie cost more than $200 Million to produce, at the very least minimal payday can be expected.

Really, I would dare say that in present economics, it is far more expensive than ever for studios to produce a big budget tentpole movies. However, there should remain at least two or three more good weekends, before slipping into oblivion.

The Bat Buzz
Months prior to the release of the film, we were bombarded with marketing hype (Nice work on the part of the WB Marketing department - all geniuses).

Undoubtedly, the film captured the benefits of few unusual circumstances that far exceed the usual superhero movie marketing machine, that was perfectly pitched and aggressive distribution strategy. Of course as some have said, gas prices may have made a night at the movies an attractive alternative to a summer road trip (Sad).

Even more important, it is rather comical that all of the buzz now AFTER the release of the film is about how much money was made over the weekend. So you see, all that money saved on gas, was spent at the movie theater, which in turn went to the studios. Proving my point, money is a matter of temporary transference from one to another.

Is anyone as concerned with the content of the film and whether or not a good story was told for 2.5 hours of the victim (I mean, movie watcher's life)? One can hardly find a single review of Dark Knight, under all of the hyperbole about the Box Office receipts. Admittedly, there is a very unusual sense/order of priorities in this town.

Perhaps the biggest buzz of the film's pre-release marketing was its emphasis on the Heath Ledger's role as Batman's nemesis, the Joker...

Know Your Role
I recall the original Batman in 1989 (Starring Michael Keaton along with the always screaming Kim Bassinger) and had seen the movie in the theater with my best friends.

We enjoyed the movie, but most important we enjoyed Jack Nicholson as the lovable, eccentric, and a little scary Joker character. Jack's mastery of the tormented character was amazing (Jack does have the ability to portray the 'less than stable' characters in a very convincing manner).

This particular brand of Joker brought by Ledger was a dark, dark, dark character - but, as well, so is this version of Batman (Christian Bale).

Quite frankly, I am not a fan of Christian Bale. I have an association reference hindrance; meaning that whatever character I first see an actor play - they are forever that character in my mind, regardless of the future roles in which they may play.

In the case of Christian (Although fellow a Brit), I had first seen him in Brett Easton-Ellis screenplay American Psycho. Christian Bale (Through no fault of his own) will always be the unlikeable psychotic character, Patrick Bateman.

Having said, despite a sinister, maniacal approach to Joker, Ledger will always be Sir William Thatcher from A Knight's Tale (2001).

On Television: Be sure to catch the "Batman" series of shows (Batman Tech and Batman Unmasked: Psychology) currently airing on The History Channel.



*The photo image above is promotional still shot from the Movie The Dark Knight and is provided by Warner Bros.