Good and balanced discussion of movie Batman. When discussing movie Batmans, it’s important to remember these two:
First, the 1940s movie serial:
And, of course, if you want hardcore, kick-ass, dark, and gritty:
Braff also needs to be in the mix if you’re discussing the various depictions of Alfred:
Re: The discussion of Kirk’s personality in the alternate Trek timeline.
Loved new Trek movie. The only thing that disappointed me was the Kobayashi Maru scene – initially, at least.
I mean, here it was, this absolutely pivotal and core story from the Star Trek mythos. We’d been hearing about it for, what, 27 years? And we finally see it go down, and Kirk just breezes through it being a brash, nonchalant, little shit about the whole thing. And it’s all but obvious that he’s done some kind of something wrong to cheat.
BUT, after pondering that for a couple days, I adopted this perspective:
In this timeline, Kirk IS more of a brash prick. He still has the same personality and smarts, but he hasn’t had his dad to whack him in the back of the head and teach him to develop some humility. So it makes sense that he’s acting like an ass, with a devil-may-care attitude.
I like to think he was more subtle in the Kobayashi Maru in the first timeline.
Also, I was just thinkin’ about how it’s the holidays, and realized that the GWC Crew never take a week off. No re-runs. No skips. Thanks, y’all!
yeah, it’s a bad thing to start off podcast experience with the GWC crew. Because i got spoiled… Now i am always amazed how other podcast skips a month without updates…
OK. This is not a rant about the movie. It’s about people who have seen the movie. Let me explain. Since the film was released and now that the DVD is out, being the resident Trek expert ahem nerd, I get approached and asked questions. I’m cool with that. I’m all about sharing the knowledge and evangelizing Trek. What drives me batty (hehe for the Batman arc…keepin’ it real) (where was I? Oh yeah) What drives me batty is when they say, “Ooooh that’s how it happened?” speaking in terms of original events as dxf mentioned with the Kobayashi Maru. “So Spock designed the Kobayashi Maru?” No. “Chekov was on the Enterprise when it launched?” No. “Who is Pike?” Ugh! Then it’s followed by, “I hope Khan is in the next film.” head 'splode
I like the film. Once I accepted the whole alternate timeline thing, I was cool. It’s not the Trek I grew up with and it doesn’t hurt anything I’ve loved from the past. Yet these misconceptions…People! It’s an alternate timeline. Everything that happened, happened. This is new, all new. Forget what you know or think you know. Sit back and enjoy. This is turn off your brain Trek. (oops, showed my hand there). Alright. Alright. It’s JJ cool Trek. Fonzie Aaaaaa
I like your interpretation. Makes sense. When looked at that way, it’s a perfectly valid depiction of young Kirk in the new timeline.
Upon watching Star Trek the 2nd time, I caught something that I think I glossed over before. When Pike is talking to Kirk in the bar scene Pike remarks how Kirk’s apptittude scores are off the charts, etc. For whatever reason, that didn’t sink in the first time I saw the movie. So this new Kirk IS a super smart, one-in-million kind of guy. I thot they’d missed that detail, but now I’m pleased to see it’s there.
So while the Kirk in the old time at that age was a super-serious fast track academy cadet, this new Kirk is someone with the same smarts and initiative, but this Kirk didn’t have George Kirk as a father to push even (even by example) to join Star Fleet. I’m good with that.
Here’s another thot about the Kobayashi Maru scene in the recent movie.
I thot it was so cool when Kirk takes a bite of the apple. I thot, what a great homage to Kirk eating an apple in Wrath of Khan when he says “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario. I don’t like to lose.”
Well, after listening to the audio commentary on the new Star Trek movie it turns out that apparently the apple was a total coincidence!! Wasn’t meant as a call back to Wrath of Khan at all!! Part me finds that dissapointing. But then again, I suppose it was a case of J.J. Abrams being lucky. So I’ll take it.
That’s one that I never read. Any good?
I’ll need to find it and then it will be in the mail to ya.
I thot so as well. I thot I was reading too much into it. I didn’t catch that the first time but while watching it with my wife I said that to her. She just rolled her eyes and said, “Geek.” I replied, “Thank you but really I think they meant that.”
I haven’t listened to the commentary yet. I’m disappointed as well.
Sean,
You’re spot on about Ladyhawke. Loved it when it came out and have loved it since. Just watched it on Netflix instant the other day. There is nothing cooler than Nevar trotting that HUGE warhorse down the stone floor of the cathedral. A level of awesomeness difficult to equal in my opinion.
Batman? Here are my thoughts on the whole who’s your favorite batman question. I believe that the movies really have to be taken as a whole, and the character not picked out for evaluation. For me, the Tim Burton batman with M. Keaton will forever be my favorite. I say this as a huge fan of the new batman as well.
I think that Burtons vision just really captured me from the getgo. When I saw it I thought, this is a comic book brought to life, in every detail. I loved the contrast between Wayne’s debonair confidence and sense of humor and the badass persona he assumed when donning the costume. This to me is batman’s real power: The art of total disguise and the morphing of one character into another seemlessly.
I love the scene during the party at Wayne manner when Wayne interupts The journalist Knox and Vicki Vale with the line:
Wayne “actually it’s Japanese.”
Knox “How do you know that?”
Wayne “Because I bought it in Japan.”
Very matter of fact, but disarming at the same time. This is the quintisential Bruce Wayne to me - but I admit to only being a novice at batman lore.
Oh and we can’t forget:
Wayne “Oh and Alfred…”
Alfred “Yes Mr. Wayne?”
Wayne “Give Knox a grant.”
I also loved Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Again, I feel that the comic book-like quality of the character really comes to life. I loved the Heath Ledger performance as well, but I agree with Audra, it was a little to “real” for me. With Nicholson I was both amused and scared.
Joker “You are a viscious bastard and… I’m glad you’re DEAD!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpDQAMPCwuY
It just doesn’t get any better than that!
d
They already made that movie. It’s called Gymkata. 
Love that movie (in fact, I’ve just added it to my Netflix queue). I’d seen it before Batman, and while I surprised to see the same actor, I never thot for a second that he was just Mr. Mom in a Bat-Suit. Likewise in Beetlejuice and Pacific Heights. Good acting overcomes previous experience, IMO.
And yet, you count Mr. Mom as a detriment to Michael Keaton’s Batman. :rolleyes:
Awesome flick! Speaking of actors reinventing themselves, you’ll never think of Robert De Niro the same way ever again. 
There’s also andiminga, and probably a few others.
It’s been about 3 weeks since I last heard from him. 
I had to drive 6 hours to my in-laws for Thanksgiving so i got caught up on my podcasts. I am almost finished with 195 but love this podcast. WOOT! I have finally made the list of “someone posted on the forms” mentions on the podcast. I was the one that posted the PETA New Moon ad NSFW here is the link. And yes Chuck is right the photo was Very Photoshopped.
Best Batman: i first got introduced to Batman in college with the Dark Knight comics so I am use to the dark and brooding Batman so like the Bale Batman, if he just wouldn’t mumble.
Best Batman Babe: Everyone mentioned Batman girlfriend’s but what about the female villains, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy
Best Batmobile: The Keaton batmoible is cool but I grow up on the Adam West batmoible. Cheesy as it is it is still the batmoible
Hello everyone. I’m a new member, but I’ve been enjoying the podcast since the dreadful gap between BSG’s 3rd and 4th seasons, and I’m a total noob when it comes to message boards, so I want to apologize in advance if this inexperience is painfully apparent.
Enjoyed the Sagan arc immensely, and I wanted to thank you guys for doing it, particularly Sean. Cosmos and the Contact novel had a profound effect on the way I look at the world around me, challenging my preconceptions at every turn. That is one of the main reasons I love Science Fiction so much. It is not merely built to reinforce our old beliefs, but to call them into question, to examine our world in new ways that brings us closer to the ever unattainable truth. As Douglas Adams inexplicably pointed out, it is not the answer that enlightens us, rather we must search ourselves for the correct questions. That, or build a planet-sized supercomputer to do it for us.
That said, I was thoroughly pleased to learn your new set of casts were in part about Batman. I’ve been collecting Batman related comics off and on since 1994, and if you’d permit me to do so, I can recommend a few stories to try out.
These are a few of my very favorite Batman tales:
-Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One”
-Jeph Loeb’s “The Long Halloween”
-Alan Moore’s “The Killing Joke”
-Grant Morrison’s “Batman and Son”, “The Black Glove”, & “Batman R.I.P.”
and on to my very favorite Bat-writer, Greg Rucka. His entire original run on Detective Comics early in the decade, as well as “Death and the Maidens”, the very satisfying “Gotham Central” series and “The Question: Five Books of Blood” are among my favorite comics in my collection. Currently, he’s working on what is bound to be legendary in the Bat-universe, Batwoman’s origin in the pages of Detective Comics. If you haven’t heard of this, you need to give it a try. The story is only very nearly outdone by the incredible artwork by J.H. Williams III. The way it’s written, you don’t need to know what’s going on in the other titles or need really any knowledge of what’s come before, basically because this is the first in-depth exploration of Batwoman’s character. I am a guy, and Batman’s my favorite hero, but this story is the best Bat-book being put out right now, and for me personally, the best in a very long time. The story runs through Detective Comics 854-860, the last of which is set to release in December. Here is my attempt to post some of the interior artwork. I hope it worked. Like I said, I’m really new at this.
As for my favorite Movie stuff…
Favorite Bat-actor is Micheal Keaton. Grew up with this movie, but I’m of course loving the new movies.
Favorite Batmobile is also from the 1989 film. I have zero love for Christian Bale’s Property-damage-mobile. Batman for me was always about stealth and detective work, with brute force as the last resort.
Anyway, can’t wait for the new cast. I’m checking iTunes now.
6:21 pm Although, I suppose you guys do deserve a week off for a change.
welcome, Mr U-daho! nice debut!!
Welcome aboard, Duncan. Glad to see the tradition of excellent first posts continues.
Keep checking iTunes, or keep an eye out for an announcement here or on the blog. The new 'cast is due to hit any time now.
Listened over the holidays…
I’m not in the Harry Potter group, nor in the I hate the new stuff/fad group. I’m sick of all the vamipre movies coming out. It seems to me that Hollywood is just trying to make as much many as they can by putting as much vampire crap as they can. Like if Back to the Future wasn’t made in the 80s and came out this year, it would have vampires in it. Know what I mean?
I’m torn between Michael Keaton and Christian Bale as the best Batman or Bruce Wayne. If I had to pick, I’d say MK as Batman (Bale was too intense) and Bale as the best BW, but I could really go either way. I agree with Chuck that I’d rather watch the Bale movies though.
No one mentioned Eartha Kitt! I’m a sad fastcart. Alicia was too close to jail bait age for me to pick her. But, I can’t really decide otherwise except Michelle Pfeifer. (Uma didn’t act her part well from my memory.)
With Audra talking about villains, I think the main villian in Trek XI is the mining ship from the future. That thing is scarier than her captain will ever be.
Did you guys ever see Lady Hawk?