Mini Movie Reviews Of Recently Watched Films: The Grey, Snow White & Huntsman and Pusher

The Grey (2012)

Once more into the fray, Neeson readies to dance with wolves.

Liam Neeson, Taken 2 star and the man with all the hype right now, powered The Grey to box office success early this year. It opened at #1 and more than doubled its budget domestically taking in $51 million. Neeson plays Ottway, a man with a troubled past who knows how to kill killer wolves. When Ottway and several others are part of a plane crash in the middle of the snow, they fight for survival against the killer wolves. The characters square off with the wolves, the conditions and themselves. Directed by Joe Carnahan (The A-Team), the film is a surprising success to me, because it has a very indy feel and is more emotional and dramatic than thrilling. The Grey also leaves you with a slightly open ending, which is rare in a Hollywood film, but maybe its less-Tinseltown than I thought it would be since it was distributed by Open Road. It’s a watchable movie, not quite the action-thriller I expected, but there is enough there with Neeson, Dermot Mulroney and the storyline to keep things interesting. When the film cuts to black, you aren’t eager to go back, but there are much worse things you can do with a 100 free minutes and a desire for a decent flick.

Pusher (1996)

Drug dealer Frank shows off his GTA pose in Refn’s ‘Pusher’.

With 2012’s release of a remake of Pusher for American audiences (though the film is set in London), I decided to look back again at director Nicolas Winding Refn’s (Drive) original version. I have seen the film before and was introduced to the trilogy by a past writer for our site, when he talked about Pusher II as a Film-U-Missed. Refn’s original film follows Frank, as a small time drug dealer in Copenhagen, who gets caught up in too deep with debt to guys like Milo and his henchman Radovan. Frank all but kills his best friend Tonny (played by Mads Mikkelsen and believe me, how his Tonny survives as long as he does is a mystery…he’s the ultimate shit-talker), gets arrested by the cops, jips his mom out of money, his sometimes girlfriend and still can’t get out of the debt he owes Milo, due to a bad deal he was offered by a former confidant. The film is interesting from start to finish and offers an intimacy that is palpable. Apparently the actors did real cocaine while filming to add to the realism. Still, the story does have some trip ups, particularly the in and out intensity in the slice of life moments and Frank’s underdeveloped relationship with Vic (his stripper would be girlfriend). Pusher has been hailed over time, but I’ve seen it twice and still can’t say it is an entirely moving piece, akin to Pulp Fiction let’s say. I think something gets lost in the translation and the lower-budget style. Still, Refn had worked his way out of my good graces and then delivered Drive, which hooked me again. Check Pusher out for an example of his earliest work and if you are a fan of gangster or drug films.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

A sip of a white russian (aka Caucasian) is not enough for Charlize’s evil queen.

Two Snow White movies were released this year. One starred Julia Roberts (Mirror Mirror) and was a Disney film, the other starred Kristen Stewart and was darker. Which did better at the box office? Snow White and the Huntsman and it was no contest. I guess it is not the late 90’s anymore. K-Stew and Chris Hemsworth square off against evil, soul sucking queen Charlize Theron in Huntsman. The film is a visual spectacle, with some of the best effects I have seen in a movie. Additionally, while tonally not up my alley traditionally, the darker matter gave this one an element of watchability for me that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Hemsworth is underrated as an actor; he appears to be more than just muscle (although that is his specialty, still). Theron is strong as the queen, her power trips and beauty work wonders for the film. K-Stew is the weak link, not because she can’t act, though that is debatable, but more so because she pales in comparison to others of note here. A pack of dwarves add some pseudo comic relief, with Ian McShane and Ray Winstone among those that have their faces transported onto midget frames. This one ends a little weird, but is worth it for the effects and Theron’s strong performance. The film made almost $400 million worldwide so naturally, a sequel is in the works.

‘Sinister’ Infringes on ‘The Shining’ Territory

I believe there comes a time in every little girl’s life when they start craving to be scared. Perhaps this is only for girls with a strong father-figure, knowing they’ll always be projected. I’d never felt this inclination. Of course, I’ve never been a girl, either. I remember this phase hitting my younger sister and her begging our dad to rent a copy of The Shining on VHS. I was only vaguely around when she and her friend stayed up late to watch it. My only memory of that viewing was my father fast-forwarding the scene of a decomposing naked woman, lest I grow up to have a leper fetish. It must’ve helped. I’ve never been turned on by that scene.

In the many years since that half-aware viewing, I’ve come to respect The Shining as the ultimate horror film. It’s very easily the greatest haunted house movie ever made. I know I’m not alone in this opinion. It’s an easy one to share when one of the masters of the medium tackles a genre overrun by musical stabs and bloodletting. Stanley Kubrick took Stephen King’s story and didn’t make a movie designed to scare its audience. He made a horrifying film.

I’ve been thinking about that masterpiece a lot lately. What with having recently visited Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights and the upcoming documentary Room 237 receiving more and more exposure. I’ve seen The Shining a number of times now and its blu-ray sits proudly on my shelf. I have numerous Kubrick books and poured over analyses of the film and still struggle with interpreting much of it on my own. It’s obviously a film that invites a number of viewpoints, allowing a film like Room 237 to exist. Lord knows what my pre-teen sister and her friend could possibly have thought of it a couple of decades ago.

Ethan Hawke’s “Oswalt” contemplates suicidal tendencies in the scary ‘Sinister.’

Though I don’t feel I have a complete grasp on that film and probably never will, I’m firm in the belief that it’s the best “horror” film I’ve ever seen. It’s a genre that’s eluded me for most of my life. I’d been far too afraid to scare myself purposely with movies. I slept with the light on until I was at least close to high school age. In my defense, I read Deion Sanders slept with the light on, so this move was completely justifiable to me at the time. Once I allowed myself to gaze upon movies designed to frighten me, I found them to be severely lacking. There were boobs, blood and musical stabs a-plenty. Hokey-ness was the order of the day, even if unintended. These were films designed to bring high-schoolers together on a Friday night. I’m glad texting didn’t exist back then. Little screens lighting up the theater have a tendency draw one out of the experience. I’ve been searching to find a horror film I enjoy as much as the best of another genre. I enjoy the Paranormal Activity series’ effectiveness. I love the tension and all out surprise waiting in store in The Descent. I admire the moral justice doled out in blood and body parts in the Saw franchise. However, it’s easy to see how The Shining rises above them all. I’d never been able to find a companion in quality until I saw Sinister.

‘Sinister’ Compares Favorably To Kubrick’s Horror Masterpiece

I’m more than aware of the boldness of such a statement. Expectations instantly rise into the unattainable. I didn’t really want to put it that way, but it had to be done. Especially when the content of the films can be compared so readily.

Just last week, I read a tweet stating the job of a critic is to expose the films that need exposure. At the time of this writing, Sinister has made close to $40 million. Its production budget as reported by BoxOfficeMojo was a mere $3 million. It’s hardly a movie you may think requires exposure, but it does. I almost didn’t see it. A barely-fresh 62% score on Rotten Tomatoes was steering me in the opposite direction. Don’t listen it. This film is masterful.

Ethan Hawke is Ellison Oswalt, a true crime author holding onto his last bastion of hope in attempt to recreate the success of his bestselling “Kentucky Blood,” a number of years (and books) ago. He moves his family to a town where his reputation for digging up dirt and throwing it on the potential incompetence of the local police department earns him a move-in day visit from the sheriff. Ellison’s family is a reluctant pawn in his game of chasing the latest shattered community, but even they don’t know the harm’s way he’s he placed them in. He’s moved into the house where the family he’s writing about was murdered.

That sounds like any generic set up to a haunted house tale, but you can also draw parallels to Kubrick’s film. A writer moves his family to a new home in order to complete a book. That home happens to have been host to bouts of murder. And you can bet the man of the house is driven slightly mad as a result.

Where Sinister diverts from your typical horror fare is in its presentation. Ellison Oswalt appears to be living in a thriller revolving around the true crimes he’s happened upon. A fateful and convenient box of 8mm home videos and their projector await him in his new attic and he’s given some starting points from which to work in uncovering his localized crime scene. When a link appears between them, it’s obvious he could be getting the kind of material that would lead to him back to the mountaintop of success.

DJ Mixmaster E.Hawke searches for that rare vinyl to jump start the party.

Director (and co-writer), Scott Derrickson, makes the most visually appealing and technically brilliant horror film this side of Kubrick you could ever hope to expect. And again, it’s due to the tone of the film. I believe he treats the story as a thriller with some horrifying aspects. A movie that values story over scary. There’s a standout sequence in which Ellison searches around the dark house for the source of his terror wielding a baseball bat (I was about to point this out as another The Shining parallel until I realized Jack Torrance was armed with an ax. The bat was in “The Shinning,” a “Simpsons” parody). He falls asleep on the couch, framed by the barren instrument of the previous occupants’ deaths (a tree) and only awakens under the burning light of a new day. It’s a bravura set piece in a film littered with them.

The directorial flair Derrickson provides is matched by the performances he gets from Hawke and Juliet Rylance, Ellison’s wife, Tracy. The acting chops normally demanded by “a scary movie” are significantly south of Brando, which is why this film almost elevates itself above its own genre. If it weren’t for the things that go bump in the night, you’d think you were watching a film befitting a different mood altogether. Hawke and Rylance have a necessary tete-a-tete that could have been lifted from suburban dramas American Beauty or Ordinary People.

These are a few of the things that make you understand you’re watching something other than a conventional horror film. I had hoped this fact would not be lost on the viewing public accompanying me at the showing I attended. I was not ashamed of humankind. Wave after wave of groups of either gender emerged from the theater relaying the same opinion: Sinister was the scariest movie they’d ever seen.

If I’ve failed to convey how frightening the movie is, I apologize. Make no mistake that just because I feel the film transcends its own genre doesn’t mean it’s not very much a horror film. It isn’t immune to a few jump scares and those friendly musical stabs alerting you to something terrifying taking place, but plenty of them were rooted firmly in story and are thus excusable. The haunting image of the prevailing villainous façade driving Ellison’s nightmares ensured I would feel the same when trying to fall asleep just hours later.

I should say that Sinister is not The Shining. That should be obvious just from the title differences. Sinister is far more straight-forward and comprehensible than Kubrick’s epic of terror. The scope is also far more intimate in the Oswalt’s new family home, as opposed to the open expansion of the Overlook Hotel. It is not like The Shining. They are two very different movies. However, Sinister is the best horror film I’ve seen since The Shining, making it the best fright film in a generation and reason to put them in the same sentence.

The Latest Mini Movie Reviews From My Amazon Prime and Redbox Rentals

You can read past posts like this here, as always.

Contraband (2012)

“Rib-eye” failed to receive Wahlberg’s congratulatory text regarding his latest tatt.

Mark Wahlberg is a guy I usually turn out to see. I missed Contraband in theaters but caught it on Blu-ray and came away with the knowledge that it is an above average thriller. Wahlberg plays Chris, a reformed smuggler married to Kate (Kate Beckinsale). When Kate’s little brother gets caught dumping drugs for baddie Tim (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris has to pay off the kid’s debt or pay the price. Needless to say, Chris re-enters the smuggling game, only to see all hell break loose while he is in Panama. Sebastian (Ben Foster), may or may not be the confidant Chris has always thought he was, and his alcoholism plays a role in drama back home in New Orleans while Chris is away. This one takes the usual twists and turns and can be difficult to follow, but the in your face direction and solid acting from a notable cast makes up for it. One downside, there’s not much to do here for Beckinsale, who is under utilized in the damsel in distress role. Additionally, is Ribisi becoming increasingly thrashed in roles or what? Nothing mind-blowing, but certainly a worthy rental for fans of the actors or heist movies.

Haywire (2012)

Gina Carano gives Channing Tatum a beating for making her watch “Magic Mike.”

Steven Soderbergh’s low budget action movie in the minor vain of a Bourne film, pits MMA star Gina Carano in the female lead as an agent who is caught up in a plot to kill her. I stayed away from the film ‘til now, despite my interest in Soderbergh and a stellar supporting cast, including Michael’s Douglas and Fassbender, as well as Ewan McGregor. A bit of a mistake on my end, because I thought that Carano would be so bad as the lead that I wouldn’t be able to deal with it. I was wrong. While she doesn’t blow you away with acting talent, her fighting skills are formidable and she is believable enough in the role as an agent who “doesn’t do dresses.” The direction is typically solid, the music by David Holmes is great and though the plot is not stellar, the film works. It mixes The Limey with Out of Sight in a way (two of Soderbergh’s previous efforts) to decent enough effect. Again, you won’t leave the viewing with your tongue wagging, but it’s quality enough for fans of Soderbergh or action fans who can handle something a bit different, since the action is more artfully done and less in your face. Not bad.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Despite the appearance of a love triangle, this is not from “Twilight.”

“I volunteer as tribute!” The same words that Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss says in the movie, I was saying to myself after being suckered in to watching another teen movie. I’d risk death rather than sit through this again. The reviews suggested that we had a better film than the Twilight’s of the world, and while I don’t have first hand knowledge of that franchise, I certainly hoped for better from the first film of this one. The film, based on the popular book, is essentially a code name for a game show where kids fight to the death and the winner is able to live. This film however, naturally (spoiler alert!) broke the typical rules by having two winners because they were willing to die for each other (supposedly). Josh Hutcherson, pequeno by a dwarfs standards, plays Katniss’ love interest and a love triangle of sorts (sounds like Twilight doesn’t it?) is formed since Katniss was in love with Gale back home (outside of the deadly game). It’s all so clever to set up the trilogy and I was let down yet again by sifting through the waste of the film, which features a The Running Man style game show in a futuristic woodsy (Twilight again!) setting. I’ll pass on the rest of the films from here on out. Shame.

Antichrist (2009)

"The Horror. The Horror." A lighter scene from von Trier's Antichrist.

Lars von Trier’s Antichrist is sure to confound most viewers. Consider myself among them. The film is a horror film sort of mash-up in an avant-garde, art house, independent style. The first few minutes are incredible, with Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg engaged in porno style intercourse. The camera shows it all. They are so caught up in their activities, that their young child decides to bolt out of the window and fall to his death. Shocking and heady stuff. The rest of the film devolves into a moody game of cat and mouse between Dafoe’s doctor and Gainsbourg’s patient adding to their complex relationship. The horror begins to take place from there on out, with elements of Saw series mixed in. It’s a weird vibe that is difficult to recommend. The first five minutes are appointment viewing and may hook you, but the rest of the film will leave you feeling confused and disappointed if you are anything like me. Take that for what its worth.

Headhunters (Hodejegerne) (2011)

Roger Brown. Gettin' down.

Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters is a very strong film. I will get that out of the way up front. The Norwegian pic combines thrilling and dramatic elements to create its own very unique space. It’s a Fatal Attraction meets The Fugitive sort of combination, without me thinking too much about it. Headhunters is about headhunters, who are hiring specialists. Roger Brown is a headhunter who steals art and sells it on the black market to significant effect, fleecing his clients to support his statue-esque wife. A plot is hatched against Brown to infiltrate his company and everyone from his wife to lover to cops to reporters and the list goes on are involved. It’s a who knows what and who can you trust meets chase film. Fun stuff. The violence is in your face and hilarious (some scenes are too great to giveaway) and the tension is gripping. Strong direction, a cool plot and some unique circumstances make this a can’t miss film, assuming you can handle subtitles. Not an issue, this one is well worth your time.

The Game (1997)

Michael Douglas is unrivaled at portraying "power". See Gekko, Gordon and The Game.

The Game is Fincher’s newfound classic, which was recently released on Criterion Blu-ray and DVD. The film is a fun one with Michael Douglas playing a man (Nicolas Van Orton) who has too much money, nobody to share his life with and needs the game to shake up his boring life. Douglas has never really been better than he is here. Sean Penn, strong in a supporting role as Douglas’ brother, gives Nicolas a birthday gift that is the last thing that he would want. But he needs it and the game begins in a wild manner with Nicolas’ life turned upside down. He tries to remind himself that the things that happen (his near drowning, being shot at, left for dead in Mexico, among them) are part of a game but they seem far too elaborate to be really setup. Truth is, they are and I think that’s why the film was not received to great effect upon its initial release. But Fincher’s brand is strong and the performances are epic, making this one gain a popularity now (its been among my favorite films since its release) that is past due. If you haven’t seen it, you must do so and if you have, it’s certainly worth reliving. The Game may not be one you want to play but its sure fun to watch.

Here is the latest batch of mini reviews of The Movies I’ve Recently Seen From My Amazon Prime Video Account

As always, check here for other mini reviews columns tacking several movies of various years in time.

I’m Still Here (2010)

When JP rocks the mic, he rocks the mic right.

This is the second (or third) time I have seen this film in its entirety and it gets better upon repeat viewings. This remains an overlooked gem of a comedy, with Joaquin Phoenix playing an out of his mind Joaquin Phoenix in the mockumentary. Phoenix skewers the media and celebrity with his plan to quit acting and become a rapper. If the premise didn’t give it away, you will watch in awe at the events that transpire. One of the beautiful things about this hilarious film is that it is unrelentless and never gives in to viewers. We want answers but don’t get them. The joke is never up, but it is always on us. Phoenix hip-hop career fails and falls deeper into drugs, depression but so many celebs are in on the fun, yet never give us the satisfaction of knowing. You’ll enjoy the scene where he rails on Leo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire’s predicament by comparison to his. Or the moment where he orders some hookers on a drug fueled binge. Or his epic fight with a…you get it. If you appreciate this sort of thing, this is high art and epic acting at its finest.

Elizabethtown (2005)

Dunst and Bloom lack romantic fire in Cameron Crowe's off-kilter pic.

Orlando Bloom once had a failed attempt at becoming a mainstream lead, and this was his test to the market. Here, Bloom, opposite Kirsten Dunst, got his rom-com on in a Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) film. If you can’t hit here, you probably don’t deserve your spot in the lineup. Unfortunately, for Bloom, Dunst carries him in this pic. He shows little comic chops as a man down in the dumps from a failed shoe design that cost Nike-esque company billions of dollars. His Drew meets Dunst’s, Claire in middle America on his way to his father’s funeral. The film lacks a spark amongst the leads, despite Dunst’s best efforts and Crowe’s script fails to recapture the glory of some of his past successes. I think this one also stung his career, because with his struggling follow-up We Bought A Zoo, it’s been more than a decade since he’s had a hit. Hopefully, his career can rebound at some point, but this one is an unfortunate pass, due to a lack of laughs or romance for that matter. Too bad.

The Warriors (1979)

The Warriors bare the burden of their battles with bare chests in vests.

“Can you dig it?” If you are familiar with Shaq’s often used refrain, he is quoting this cult classic. The Warriors, which its been years since I have seen, is a gang/escape film about a gang trying to get back to their Coney Island turf, while dodging rival gangs and the cops. The acting is stale, but the plot surprisingly works and the tension is ratcheted up during several key scenes in Walter Hill’s directorial effort. The Warriors, the titular gang, are wrongfully pinned for a murder they didn’t commit which places them at the mercy of countless rival gangs, including guys with bats in baseball unis, girls that lure them with sex and guys that use roller skates to capture them. The classic sound of clanking bottles, which has reverberated over the years with me – “Warriors, come out to play!” is effectively used in a climactic scene. This is one to just revel in for its genre if you are chilling on a Friday night. Can you dig it? I did.

Three Reviews of Movies I’ve Recently Seen From Amazon Prime Video & More

You can see previous versions of posts like this as well.

Shame (2011)

Michael Fassbender’s Brandon shows little shame and pushes the issue.

Michael Fassbender stars in Shame, a film made with his frequent-collaborator-as-director Steve McQueen. Fassbender plays Brandon, a single playboy with a sex addiction and aversion to commitment. His phobia manifests itself in several ways throughout the film from excessive porn to playing the field to one-night stands to attempts at more with tragic consequences. His sister, Carrie Mulligan’s Sissy, invades his space, which only complicates matters. Sissy is a mess and challenges Brandon’s limits. Shame is insightful, thought-provoking, avant-garde and challenging.  The film likely demands repeat viewings for true enrichment. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and fans of McQueen will likely eat it up as well. It’d be a shame to miss it. There, I said it.

Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen’s cop Bullitt roasts ‘em in his iconic ride.

Bullitt is a classic cop film, known for it’s groundbreaking and lengthy car chase scene. The scene is often referenced as an influence in Hollywood and in particular to action directors. That is the reason I saw the film, which stars another Steve McQueen, with his iconic blonde crop. Bullitt, the titular character played by McQueen, has an edge that goes against the grain to other San Francisco cops. This makes him hard to love at work or at home. Still, Bullitt manages to present genre conventions that might have seemed radical in its day. I can’t say that I gleaned much from Bullitt as even the thrilling car chase, while long and innovative, felt a bit underwhelming. That being said, I could definitely feel its influence in modern films, so I don’t want to sell the film short. Check it for the scene if you haven’t and perhaps you can feel more rounded as a result.

Harold and Maude (1971)

Harold and Maude make a connection in the film of the same name.

Another film set in San Francisco, Harold and Maude, which was recently released on Criterion Blu-ray, inspired my viewing through Amazon Prime. The film is about a loner boy (Harold) who is attention starved and privileged and therefore creates elaborate pranks, mostly surrounding death. He will hang himself; cover himself in blood; etc. – much to the chagrin of his mother. Harold meets Maude at a funeral and an unlikely friendship is thus struck, Maude getting Harold to explore himself more and find more joy in life. It’s a coming of age tale, oddly amusing, but nothing overly resonant. The film, which is now received as a cult classic, is worth seeing for Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort’s off-kilter chemistry that undeniably works on screen. See it if a fan of the era or curious as to what the hubbub is about, but temper your expectations accordingly. It’s funny in that peculiar sort of way.

Reviews of Movies I’ve Recently Seen From Amazon Prime Video & More

Goon (2011)

Sean William Scott's Doug Glatt enforces in the comedy "Goon."

Goon stars Sean William Scott as a young buck tough guy who takes out the opposing teams best player in hockey. A goon is known as a fighter and checker, someone who can protect his own team’s skilled players and put fear into the opponent. Goon was not the greatest comedy on Earth, but Liev Schreiber’s Russ Rhea character, an aging goon himself and the man who may be replaced by Scott’s Doug Glatt as the enforcer of the hockey league, does yeoman’s work. Goon also features Jay Baruchel (Glatt’s best bud and writer on the project) and Alison Pill (love interest to Doug) in supporting roles. Nothing worth true interest here, its cliché after cliché’ but for sports fans hanging to with nothing to do, you could do worse, I suppose.

The Good Heart (2009)

Brian Cox's Jacques surveys some pathethic work in "The Good Heart."

The Good Heart is an overlooked little indie starring Paul Dano and Brian Cox. Dano’s wayward drifter, Lucas, is taken under the wing of the possibly dying Jacques (Cox) since he has no family. Jacques teaches Lucas to run his bar, which serves only locals. Lucas’ transformation from homeless man to regular old chap goes well, until a woman enters the bar and thus the duo’s lives. Cox steals the show, primarily in the film’s first half, where his curmudgeon ways seep through every poor of his being as he attempts to teach Lucas’ life’s lessons. This one is worth seeing and has a surprise ending, which changes the mood of the film a bit, but can’t keep it from being recommended. A nice surprise overall.

Everything Must Go (2010)

Will Ferrell's Nick Halsey takes control of his home in "Everything Must Go."

Will Ferrell’s under the radar film, where he plays a man (Nick Halsey) who loses his job and wife in the same day. Nick must learn to survive and does so for a while on his lawn, since he’s been locked out of his house. His promising career and marriage in shambles, not to mention being a reformed alcoholic, Nick learns to cope with the help of his neighbor Samantha (Rebecca Hall) and Kenny (the real-life son of Biggie Smalls, Christopher Jordan Wallace, who played a young BIG in Notorious). Nick’s sponsor, Michael Pena, also plays a role, and one with a twist as well. ‘Go’ is Ferrell at his non-Middle America best (see ‘06’s Stranger Than Fiction), and a role, which he seems to enjoy branching out into every now and again. Decent enough, but not ground moving.

When Would You Pre-Order a Movie (Blu-ray) Before Even Seeing The Movie in a Theater?

After the shootings in Aurora, we at The Film Nest briefly debated the merits of still going out to a movie theater. I mused that it made more financial sense to buy a brand new Blu-ray for twenty bucks as opposed to buying two tickets to sit down in a movie theater and brave sitting through talking fools, lit-up smart screens and back-kicking bastards.

Unless you’re indulging in a second trip or seeing a re-release of a favorite, you’re walking into a theater blind. But it’s a temporary outing. You’re just sampling something you hope you’ll enjoy. If you don’t, the night ends and life goes on. The typical Blu-ray buying experience is the opposite. You’ve probably already seen the movie and liked it. That’s why you felt justified in purchasing the disc, bringing it home and making it a part of your life. But there are some people that buy movies on Blu-ray, blindly.

The downfall of buying blind is that when you buy a Blu-ray, you own it. As Tyler Durden says, the things you own end up owning you. What you own defines you. Blu-rays are permanent, like a tribal tattoo, so you better be happy with your choice. You have to find a space for it on your shelf and prepare to face the scrutiny of others when they come to visit and scour over your collection to determine whether or not you have taste.

It’s because of this commitment to your collection that I’m not much of a blind-buyer. Regardless of logic and financial sense I’ll do my sampling of a movie in the theater before buying one. There are times when I’ve bypassed that logic. “Basic Instinct,” “Cape Fear (1991)” (which were both purchased during the same fateful trip to Circuit City years ago) and the Criterion “Armageddon” are prime examples of my happier blind-bought movies (these were all DVDs, but the principle remains the same). Then, there were times when it didn’t quite work out as well. “Dracula (1931)” and “The Invisible Man” leap to mind (apparently, I don’t much care for old Universal monster movies).

But, an interesting new tactic combining the movie theater sampler and the Blu-ray blind-buyer emerged this summer. When you pre-order a Blu-ray at Amazon, they provide you with a free ticket to go see that very movie in theaters. Not all Blu-ray pre-orders accompany this deal. It started with “Prometheus,” carried on with “Ted” and has most recently popped up with “The Bourne Legacy.” (Pre-order your Bourne Legacy and get your movie ticket here: http://amzn.to/NcRavD.) I didn’t end up seeing “Prometheus” or “Ted” in theaters anyway and I’m planning on following suit with “The Bourne Legacy,” so nowhere would it have made sense for me to take advantage of this deal. And even if I had planned on seeing them, I wasn’t about to make a commitment to their Blu-rays. Those are shiny circles I won’t allow to be placed around my finger, much less place them on myself ‘til death do us part (don’t think I’m not willing my Blu-ray collection to somebody when I die, because I am. That person’s going to be both pleased and envied).

Since I’m wary of the blind buy, but am really interested in the concept of committing to buy a movie and then getting to see it on the big screen all for one price, the question I’ve asked myself is: in what circumstances would I take advantage of such an offer?

You could have seen Ted for "free" by buying pre-ordered Blu-ray from Amazon.

A few years ago, some friends and I made a list of the “Five Directors Whose Next Movie We’d See in Theaters No Matter What.” It doesn’t matter who’s in it or what it’s about, but the seat for our butts can be reserved based purely on the name displayed at the close of each opening credit sequence. This list will largely resemble that one for me. Films by the same director can normally be counted on to carry the same aesthetic. If you like a few of them, chances are you’ll continue to like the same style. The interesting thing with that challenge was you didn’t know what movie was coming next (at least that wasn’t the point). You’re blindly swearing allegiance to someone and putting your faith in their product. With the Blu-ray deal, you’ll at least have a sense of what the movie will be. You’ll be able to see trailers and descriptions and even reviews before having to plunk down your cash for a plastic disc. But not for this exercise. These are the circumstances in which I’d take Amazon up on their offer and willingly blind-buy their Blu-ray for the opportunity to see the same movie in theaters for free.

IF IT’S DIRECTED BY DAVID FINCHER

This was the biggest no-brainer (or as Ras Kass would say, “a Kobainer”) of the list. The man can do no wrong. He was one of the chief reasons I got into film as much as I have when he debuted “Fight Club” and I own every one of his movies in the hi-def format, save for “The Game” (which will be resolved when it’s released in September) and “Alien 3” (which the man himself disowns, discounting it from being included in the club). Oh, and “Panic Room” is still awaiting a hi-def release, but I have the three-disc DVD to tide me over until then. Was I afraid when it was announced he’d be directing “a Facebook movie?” Yes. Was I stupid for ever doubting him? Unequivocally. When “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” came out, my girlfriend didn’t want to go because it looked a little too glum. I said, “It’s Fincher.” She recanted the errors of her ways. At this point, there’s no real idea what he’s doing next, but rest assured I’ll be owning it and Amazon can already add my money into its yearly sales projections if they decide to offer this deal for whatever it is.

IF IT’S DIRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO

Like Fincher, Q.T. has a style, but his is even more prevalent since he’s a writer-director. Everyone knows what it is and everyone knows why Q.T. is the coolest cat in the biz. I’ve purchased movies based on the fact that he wrote them (“From Dusk ‘Til Dawn” and “True Romance”) and his being in the director’s chair practically guarantees money being set aside from my paycheck. His only directorial efforts I don’t own are “Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.” These obviously aren’t my favorite of his films, but I wouldn’t sneer at owning them if we weren’t constantly teased by the possibility of them being bundled as “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.” “Inglourious Basterds” was my favorite movie of 2009 and “Django Unchained” is my most anticipated of the rest of the year. I’m not fluent in any other languages, but I know for sure that Tarantino means money.

IF IT’S REALEASED BY PIXAR/DISNEY ANIMATION

Two or three years ago, I wouldn’t dream of putting a slash and adding Disney Animation to this entry. However, with “Bolt,” “Tangled” and the promise shown in “Wreck-It Ralph,” the wonders of John Lasseter are evident. I have my faith that Disney Animation films can be as near-Pixar-quality as non-Pixar films can dream of being. The animation giant itself is still as close to a guaranteed path as anything when venturing out into the movie wilderness. Only one of their titles doesn’t sit snugly on my stuffed shelf. The widely dismissed “Cars 2.” And there’s good reason for it not to mingle with everything else. It’s not a particularly good movie. However, there would be far more tragic things than purchasing the studio’s one true misfire (which in theory would help fund their more ambitious features), especially when it’s currently the only way you can own “Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation.” Much like the power of Christ compels the demon to leave Linda Blair’s body, so does my completest nature to own the title. My faith will be rewarded in future endeavors.

Those are the only sure-fire slam dunks out there for me. If that’s the case, how did I ever get to five directors? Two of them were Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson. I’d still put them on such a list today. Just not this list.

With Nolan, the one thing that stops me short of putting him on this list is that not counting “The Following,” there are still two of his movies I don’t own. “Insomnia” and “The Prestige.” While they’re both perfectly good, I’ve never felt the need to add them to my collection and as much as I’m holding out hope Nolan wows me every time out into the future, there’s proof at the moment that I’m not as dedicated a fanboy as I am in other cases.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a slightly different beast in that I own everything he’s done except for “Hard Eight,” though I’ve been very willing to own it (mainly due to the opening twenty minutes) and might if it were released in hi-def. Until then, the DVD stays un-bought. After “Django Unchained,” “The Master” is my second most-anticipated movie still to come this year. However, as I’ve discussed with others, his style has undoubtedly changed from his “Hard Eight,” “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia” days. “Punch-Drunk Love,” “There Will Be Blood” and what we’ve seen so far of “The Master,” carry a far more shaggy-dog aesthetic compared to the polished sheen of his first three outings. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that at all (as proven by my owning his two recent forays into the medium), but I feel there’s more potential for things to be rockier than I’d like. “The Master” could make me feel a fool in an instant for being cautious, and I’d love to eat my words.

As for the fifth director I had on that previous list, it was Michael Moore. Love the man. Love his movies. I just don’t own them. That’s all there is to say.

With one final plea to Amazon and movie studios, please know that just in case “Prometheus,” “Ted” and “The Bourne Legacy” didn’t accomplish what you thought it would with the deals you were offering, don’t give up. Firstly, most people are far less particular with their movie collection than I am, but even the harshest of us will buy into the concept for the right vehicle. You know my three. What would guarantee your blind-buy?

Capping Off Christopher Nolan’s Batman/The Dark Knight Trilogy of Films: A List of Awards

Here is a list up with some thoughts from myself, The Rake and “Countdown to The Dark Knight Rises” author and Batman historian of sorts, Prodigal Son. For brevity’s sake, I’ll refer to the movies as Batman Begins (BB), The Dark Knight (DK), and The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR). TDK and TDKR look too similar so as not to confuse anyone. If no movie is mentioned specifically, just assume I am referencing ‘The Christopher Nolan Batman/Dark Knight Trilogy’ as a whole. Needless to say, there are SPOILERS GALORE here. So, don’t read if you haven’t seen the films. Enjoy!

BIGGEST BANG OPENING

PS: Since BB starts with a flashback of Bruce chasing Rachel and falling into a well, the only opening bangs in the series are in that film’s sequels. I’m going with the airplane hijack/kidnapping from TDKR. I loved it. The vertical plane. The wings snapping off. And the shot of Bane and his man strapped together while the hollow plane falls around them toward earth. Beautiful.

Rake: Yeah, that left a nice impression.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Rake: Christian Bale. He had to carry all three films and did so well. Ledger’s Joker would be a close second, but really he didn’t have that much screen time to work with comparatively. Bruce’s cockiness off-set by his tortured soul really reverberated.

SURPRISE PERFORMANCE

Rake: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. I didn’t think she was right to play a sexy villain that was once played by Halle Berry, and to me, she’s nowhere near that class from a sex appeal standpoint, but she held up acting-wise and didn’t look too bad in the end. Also provided a few quips that maybe TDKR needed being such a “dark” film.

WORST CASTING

Rake: Katie Holmes as a DA in BB. It’s not so much that she was a bad actress, just that she was way too young to be a tough as nails DA, IMO. In her defense, she was better looking than her replacement in TDK. Which leads us to…

WORST CASTING PART 2

Rake: Replacing Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. Looks-wise she’s not up to Bruce Wayne material. Sorry.

HOTTEST DAME

PS: This is essentially a four-horse race, between Rachel I (Katie Holmes), Rachel II (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard). Despite looking massive while coming in from the rain in TDKR Tate/Cotillard is taking an L to Kyle/Hathaway. As the longest tenured member of my Top 3 (since 2008’s “Get Smart”), Hathaway brought diabolical sexiness to the unmentioned Catwoman in a suit that left a little to be desired, but a ballroom dance scene that comes in second only to former Bat-girl, Nicole Kidman, in “Eyes Wide Shut.”

Rake: Cotillard and her rack, no contest. Honorable mention to a pre-TomKat Holmes in BB, when Batman picks her body up and she’s almost passed out.

BEST PIECE OF BAT-GEAR

PS: The Bat-pod. I like it just fine in DK. I love it in TDKR. The flipping tires, allowing it to make insanely sharp turns or to come to a standstill did it for me. That and it made Anne Hathaway bend over a lot.

MOST JAW-DROPPING MOMENT

PS: In DK, when Batman runs a cable through the frame of the semi-truck Joker’s manning, causing it to snap and flip forward end-over-front was awe-inspiring.

Rake: I like when Batman jumps off the building at night in Japan in DK. That was dope.

MOST DISSAPOINTING THING FROM EACH FILM & TRILOGY

Rake: BB-Liam Neeson being a bad guy

DK-Two Face’s turn of strength (He’s a symbol of hope who once he gets an acid face starts one-punching people without issue.)

TDKR- The end shot when Alfred looks at Catwoman with Wayne and says nothing. Cheesy as fuck. I thought it was a little easy for Wayne to be with Kyle and I would have preferred that Alfred looks up and it cuts to black without seeing the two together. I like to be left wondering, even though we knew Batman was around due to Robin adventure.

BEST SHOT

Rake: I like the silent few seconds of Ledger’s Joker hanging out of the cop car in DK.

BEST BRAWL

PS: The Joker loved the pain of taking a punch, but those “brawls” were so one-sided. It really comes down to Bane breaking Batman or Batman breaking Bane’s facemask. I’m going with the latter, for the fear in witnessing Bane throw some column-bashing destructive flurries toward Batman’s body with cheetah-like speed (if cheetah’s could punch).

BEST NON-BATMAN/NON-VILLIAN CHARACTER

PS: No cliché’s here, I’m gonna go with Alfred. He didn’t supply Bruce with all the tools and he wasn’t fighting crime alongside him, but the old man who answers Bruce’s door was game from the get go and never put himself before Bruce. As close to a father as the adult Bruce would ever know.

BEST VILLIAN

Rake & PS: The Joker (thought it would be someone else?)

WORST VILLIAN

Rake: Scarecrow, who by comparison to the others was a little tame (and not tough).

BEST VILLAIN-CONCOCTED SCHEME

PS: I loved that Scarecrow attempted to enact a very time-honored Batman-villain idea of poisoning Gotham’s water supply, but with the added technological twist of setting off the fear toxin by using a microwave-emitter to vaporize the water inside the bodies of Gotham’s inhabitants. Smart idea. He just couldn’t execute.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

PS: Do I go with Bane as he clutches the strap of his vest like two backpack straps? Do I go classic with the Batman costume? I’m going Joker’s custom-made green and purple suit. Combine that with the tinged green hair, the craggy white makeup and of course the smile-like scars and you have an icon.

Rake: Joker’s make up job was unequivocally extraordinary.

BEST THING ABOUT EACH FILM

Rake: BB, The League of Shadows training sequence and an original origin story.

DK, The acting of all involved. Top-notch main character casting, truly.

TDKR, The supposed conclusion to the story juxtaposed with Robin getting his start.

WORST THING IN TRILOGY

Rake: Steelers Nation appearance with Hines Ward and Roethlisberger showing up.

PS: Yeah, I’d like to think this glorifying celebration allows one nitpick. I hated the fact that Pittsburgh Steelers were in TDKR. It’s not even because I abhor the team (though it doesn’t help), it’s still a quick distraction during a monumental scene. The River City football players didn’t have recognizable faces and it didn’t lessen the impact when the field cratered beneath their feet.

Rake: A little bit of that, but for me, mainly ‘cause I hate the team.

BEST MOVIE

Rake & PS: The Dark Knight

Give it up for originally controversial pick of Christian Bale to play Batman. He owned role.

“LEAST GOOD” MOVIE

PS: BB is the stepchild of the series to me.

Rake: I’m not sure that it’s fair to use that title, but TDKR. I think that the runtime was a little bloated and story could have been tightened up some. A lot of little twists. Still a strong film though. Read my review if you doubt me. I have mixed feelings about the very end. Almost would have preferred no denouement, but I suppose some of it was necessary.

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT

PS: What’s the one resounding moment from the series that will reverberate for years to come once the series is long gone and it’s been rebooted time and again? I think that’ll be Joker showing up unannounced at a meeting of the mobsters in DK and performing his “pencil trick.” It’s not every day you see the ol’ banging-of-a-thug’s-face-onto-a-free-standing-pencil-embedded-in-a-table-so- it-penetrates-the-brain-through-the-eye-socket routine performed to perfection.

THING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED

PS: I guess I wish Arkham Asylum had more of a role to play in the trilogy. It exists in BB as Dr. Crane runs the facility, but perhaps if it somehow played the role of courtroom in TDKR or some of the escaped convicts came from that direction, it could have allowed some potentially brief glimpses of the most beloved super-villians in existence. It’s a very fanboy-esque desire of me, for which I feel shame, but it could have been subtly cool.

MOST EMOTIONAL SCENE

PS: TDKR really screwed me up, emotionally. Alfred gives the tearful speech to Bruce, pleading for him to stop playing Batman. Batman gets his back broken by Bane. Bruce triumphantly makes the leap to the ledge, being cheered on by the masses. Batman returns to save Gordon from his icy exile and lights a flaming Bat-symbol. Alfred pleads for the forgiveness of Martha and Thomas Wayne’s gravestones for letting Bruce die. And that final scene, when Alfred’s surprise leads to his nod of acknowledgement knowing Bruce is safe and happy and that Batman is no more. I sat in my theater seat and wanted to cry, knowing it was all over. That’s the one that got to me.

Rake: When Bruce escapes from The Pit in TDKR. I was welling up a touch. But you know how I feel about the very last shot…unnecessary.

BEST THING THAT HAPPENED IN ANY FILM

Rake: The death of Rachel in DK. To me, that is when this set of films separated itself from others. Like when Damon’s chick dies at beginning of Bourne 2 – same thing.

PS: I mentioned it in my countdown piece for DK, and had thought of it as the “Most Diabolical Twist.” Concur.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Rake: In the end, I thought the trilogy was about Bale and Batman (as it should be). Scarecrow was a scientist/doctor with gas and a mask. Joker didn’t want to kill Batman, he was entertained by him too much. Bane was just a leader of an army. I thought Bane would be more menacing than he was to be honest. He talked tough and could fight, but what else? The villains, despite their performances, were no match for the man in black. As for Robin…

Special thanks to Director Christopher Nolan for tackling these films. In lesser hands, we all know what could have become of the Dark Knight character. Joel Schumacher anyone!?

Countdown to “The Dark Knight Rises”: Part 11 of 11 – A Look at “The Dark Knight Rises”

If you missed it here is Part 1 of 11: Introduction to Batman “The Gift”

And here is Part 2 of 11: A look Back at Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’

And Part 3: ‘Batman Returns’

And Part 4: ‘Batman Forever’

And Part 5 ‘Batman and Robin’

Part 6: ‘Batman: The Animated Series’

Part 7: ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’

Part 8: ‘Batman: Arkham City’

Part 9: ‘Batman Begins’

Part 10: ‘The Dark Knight’

Eleven weeks ago, when I started looking back at how Batman has played out over the years in visual media and even further back when the thought occurred to me to do this, the objective was both to hype myself up and anybody following along for The Dark Knight Rises.

There were two points at which I became afraid of lathering too much anticipation on the film. The first came when I had procrastinated on watching as much “Batman: The Animated Series” as I needed to in order to finish the column by my self-imposed deadline. In order to do so, I binged on 75 – 80 percent of the series over two weekends. The thought occurred to me. How much is too much? Will I get sick of this character after spending so much time with him and in his world in such a short amount of time? He might be my favorite superhero, but how much exposure can you have before it starts to grate on you? Spaghetti is my favorite food and though I’m sure I’ve claimed in the past that I could eat it every day of my life, it almost certainly isn’t true. Variety helps. Morgan Spurlock probably liked McDonalds before he made Super Size Me and then this happened:  http://youtu.be/ATYJx3x0nyo. Ultimately, once the 88 episodes were powered through and I allowed myself to live a non-Batman life for a week until the next installment was due, my faith in the project was renewed when it was imminent that breaks would be had. I wonder how Batman does it night-in and night-out.

The other instance of heaping too much hope on a new movie came rushing toward me once I finished re-watching The Dark Knight. I’d seen it three or four times prior to then, but never in the context of what would come next in the life of the Caped Crusader. I recognized how great a film The Dark Knight was and couldn’t imagine it possibly being topped or even equaled. I instantly lowered whatever expectations I had for the trilogy’s conclusion for fear of being disappointed by it. The last thing I want is to not like a movie, especially one that I’d been excited about, even moreso one I’d been trying to hype up for close to three months and spent hours thinking, and tons of words writing, about.

A couple of years ago, I decided to stop hyping myself up on any movie. It was 2010. I made the decision to feel I’d burned myself on hype before a movie was ever released only to be let down. I’d devour stories (some of which I wrote myself), watch trailers, re-watch trailers, send links to people, make lists of what I was looking forward to, buy magazines for the sole purpose of gleaming more information and when the time came to sit in the theater to see the movie I was so excited about, I felt I had already seen it. There was no mystery left to discover. Unlike someone who thinks they can quit smoking cold turkey, I was able to give up my addiction with little issues. There were no late-night shivers. No body parts had to be amputated. And I definitely never ended up at a party hosted by Keith David.

I accomplished my goal by not visiting any movie-related websites and a steadfast refusal to watch any trailers or TV spots. I would literally turn my head, close my eyes or just talk to someone (imagine the courage). I was posed with the dilemma of “how am I going to know which movies exist and which I want to see?” For that, I’d just look at the IMDb release calendar, see who was involved in the production and read some synopses. What transpired was my favorite calendar year of movies since probably 1999. I’d feel extremely comfortable putting each of my favorite four films of that year (“Inception,” “Toy Story 3,” “The Social Network,” “Black Swan”) on the top of the list on any given day (though the order I just gave was their “official” ranking in my head). Could it be that the movies released that year were just that good? Or was it a product of not oversaturating myself in media related to the film before actually seeing the product? Since I can only have the first experience once, it’s not really possible to know. I’d had discussions with others about the results and the thing that changed my mind after my year-long Stanford Prison experiment came right back down to The Dark Knight. After all, The Dark Knight was a film I was super excited about. One in which I watched everything, read everything, looked at everything, waited in line for, talked about and it met every single expectation I could have possibly piled on top of it, if not downright exceeding them. So maybe, if a movie is good, it’s good, regardless of what baggage you bring into the movie theater. Maybe The Dark Knight Rises will do the same thing. It lives or dies on its merits as a film. Any disappointment or letdown would be due to that, not my months-long anticipation.

Those are the thoughts I brought with me as I sat down in front of the seven-stories-high IMAX screen and let the movie play out right before my eyes.

If you’d been following me on this journey so far, the chances are you’ve seen the film at this point. However, just in case you hadn’t, be sure to do so before reading further. The specifics of the film and how it fits into the legacy of the trilogy Christopher Nolan created is what I’m here to discuss rather than suggesting whether it is or isn’t worth your time.

The Dark Knight Rises accomplishes what every sequel sets out to. It capitalizes on the story preceding it and expands it onto a grander scale. The epic nature of the story is felt in literally almost every frame (for those lucky enough to see it projected in true IMAX theaters). The movie also manages to accomplish what so few movie sequels fail to do, which is circle back on itself and close the book on the multiple-film-spanning story it wanted to tell. Most sequels are set up to beget more sequels. Let us remember another Christian Bale-starring sequel, Terminator Salvation (not that we want to). In that way, the trilogy came to an end with an approach more akin to serialized TV shows. The long-form storytelling afforded television is remarked as one of the factors for the small screen having surpassed its silver brethren in quality. Luckily, the quality of The Dark Knight Rises is never in question.

We are immediately introduced to the series’ newcomers. Bane and his group of heathens hijack a plane for a specific passenger and Selina Kyle poses as a maid in order to invade the Wayne Estate in pursuit of some pearls. Bane is a brute using force to impose his will. Selina (whom I don’t believe was ever called “Catwoman”) uses finesse and wits to obtain what she wants. The latter event triggers Bruce to emerge from his eight-year self-imposed exile and seek out his new object of interest and take up the old hobby of protecting Gotham in menacing black garb.

Alfred is against the notion from the start. His heartfelt speech to Bruce about not wanting to see him re-suit up as Batman and to instead see him abroad with a wife and a knowing nod echoes a similar desire of Ben Affleck’s Good Will Hunting character to the titular man. Having seen how such a speech played out in the 1997 Oscar winner left little doubt as to how this one would end, but there were enough twists and red-herrings to make you believe it wouldn’t or at least not in exact form.

With Selina Kyle having trouble showing any loyalty to either Bruce Wayne or the man in costume, I presumed the partner he’d end up with was Miranda Tate. She’s the first woman Bruce ever really pined for since Rachel’s death in The Dark Knight and the first one we’d ever see him sleep with. This gave him the courage to entrust her with overseeing the one thing that could be transformed into a weapon large enough to destroy the city and the one Bane uses to control Gotham’s citizens.

The cage-faced ball of rage known as Bane is largely a mystery, though we’re given several details about what we presume to be his background. Whereas Scarecrow wanted to spread fear throughout Gotham in an effort to carry out Ra’s Al Ghul’s plan of destroying Gotham and Joker wanted nothing more to cause chaos and evil throughout the society, Bane is able to get the city’s population to do what some Americans talk about and Egyptians fulfilled – overthrowing the government. What the new world order actually creates is a dystopian wasteland that could have led to the events depicted in Children of Men. Bane gets Gotham to rise up like a great dictator then proceeds to rule them with an iron face.

After breaking Batman in a Selina Kyle-produced betrayal, Bane has Bruce banished to the underground prison in which he was raised to watch the city Bruce once loved and protected turn to hell on earth. The only hope allowed in the prison had been provided in story form. A child, the offspring of Ra’s Al Ghul, escapes the pit and the lifetime of misery it assured. Bruce summons the courage to continue living, the anger to get back in shape to return to Gotham and finally the fear of death to provide the adrenaline needed complete the task. The lesson afforded to him by his father at the beginning of Batman Begins comes back to propel him.

While Gotham is still a wintery hellscape, Batman returns to enlist Selina Kyle in his quest to return the nuclear bomb being paraded around the streets of Gotham like a megaton manifestation of oppression to its secure resting place. Commissioner Gordon has been sentenced to walk the icy plank and after all the Batman I’ve soaked in over the past several weeks, I’ve never felt the man in black to be more of a badass then when he has Gordon light a flare to reveal his emergence from the shadows and set off a flaming reminder of the symbol he represents.

Batman finally bests Bane in a mano-a-mano showdown in the middle of thousands of citizens/”Baners” duking it out. Only then does Miranda reveal herself to be kin to Ra’s Al Ghul, Talia (a fact IMDb seems intent on spoiling for you in its Cast/Character section of the movie’s page). Selina comes to Bruce’s rescue and his faith in her is rewarded. No longer is she on the antagonist end of the character totem pole and the woman Bruce is to share the rest of his life with is destined to be her.

Instead of leading us right to the ending we wanted and felt was preordained, Nolan forces the audience to wrench one last time as Bruce seemingly martyrs himself to save the city whose fabric he’s so deeply sewn into. His death is marked by a gravestone next to the parents who left him orphaned all those years ago, which started him on his journey. Alfred is beside himself with sorrow until providing that knowing nod while abroad we knew we wanted from its first mention.

Nolan’s trilogy has come to a close. And as it does, so does this series of articles looking back at the past and how things went from Adam West to superhero-on-film’s best. There’s already been talk of a reboot, as is inevitable. We all have to hope the timetable is longer than Sony gave to Spiderman, but rest assured this task won’t be carried out again when the film’s time in the sun comes to rise. I never did get too much Batman. Things were never ruined for me. In fact, I have more fondness for the character now than I ever did before. And I was wrong, by the way. My fears of this film not living up to what I wanted from it were unfounded. I should have known Nolan would never let me down, but it’s nice to know he followed through with the theme he set up in his first Bat-film. “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” After Joel Schumacher left the franchise for dead, Nolan brought about its resurrection.

Now, I get to watch all the trailers and TV spots I’ve been avoiding before I go see it again…