Batman 1989 Celebrates its 33rd Anniversary Today

 

One of the most influential films in cinema and superhero history has turned 33 years old, and it still leaves quite an impact and legacy to everyone who is a fan of a certain winger avenger of DC Comics. 

On this day in 1989, "Batman" made its way into theaters in the United States - bringing to life a darker and more serious interpretation of the Caped Crusader. Directed by Tim Burton and starring Jack Nicholson as The Joker and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, the film chronicles the Dark Knight's war against crime in his hometown of Gotham City as a new kind of criminal emerges to challenge him and plunge everything into anarchy and chaos.

Batman (1989) - Original Theatrical Trailer

To state how Batman's influence is still being felt to this day is a testimony to how powerful the film's legacy and marketing are. It helped bring the character back to his darker nature and roots following the numerous campy interpretations seen in comics, television, and media - especially the version played by the late great Adam West in the 1960's TV series. Batman 1989 was inspired by the comic book stories "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" and "Batman: The Killing Joke" - ensuring that Bruce Wayne and his alter ego were driven by a crusade to avenge the death of his parents while fighting for justice in a city ridden with crime and corruption. 

It's also worth noting that the soundtrack was composed by the legendary music artist known as Prince, with some late 80's pop music that can be consider interesting and wild to listen to. The score was composed by Danny Elfman, who's Batman theme still remains one of the most recognizable superhero themes ever and has inspired the version used in "Batman: The Animated Series" as well.

If you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to yourselves to do so. Michael Keaton's casting as Batman was criticized before the film's release in 1989, and after it came out it proved naysayers wrong and paved the way for more sequels and reboots to happen. In fact Keaton is set to reprise the role in "The Flash" and "Batgirl" films, and that's saying something about a man who literally can convince you he's the character by saying "I'm Batman" to your face. From the awesome looking Batmobile to the gadgets and the aesthetics of Gotham City itself, this film had it all and continues to prove it was ahead of its time.

Happy 33 years, Batman 1989!

Throwback Thursday: Iron Man turns 55 years old this year

As March winds down to a close and the world prepares for Holy Week proper, this final Throwback Thursday is perfect to revisit and celebrate the 55th Anniversary of one of the most iconic and popular superheroes in comics - The Invincible Iron Man! Apparently on this very month in 1963, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby debuted the armored alter ego of Anthony "Tony" Stark on the pages of "Tales of Suspense #39". After suffering a chest wound and being abducted by terrorists who force him to build a weapon of mass destruction, Tony instead builds a powerful suit of armor that helps him escape his captors. Upon returning home, the experience changes him and he decides to become a superhero - adopting the name "Iron Man" and going through several adventures that sees him augment the armor over the years and become a founding member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes - The Avengers.

As the character's popularity soars to this day in comics and other forms of media, Iron Man is also the "heart and soul" of Marvel Studios' "Marvel Cinematic Universe" - with Robert Downey Jr. having played the role of Tony Stark and his heroic alter ego since the eponymous superhero film debuted ten years ago in cinemas. As Avengers: Age of Ultron prepares to hit theaters in less than a month - we should be thankful the Armored Avenger helped pave the way for superheroes to be celebrated as they are today! Happy 55th Anniversary, Iron Man!

Throwback Thursday: Screen Junkies releases "The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Honest Trailer"

More than three years after the film hit theaters and didn't really meet expectations for fans and critics alike, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 pretty much signaled the end of the Andrew Garfield era of Spider-Man Movies - but it is still appreciated by some for delivering one of the most iconic versions of the Spidey costume in live-action. The overstuffed plot and villains however didn't give the film much breathing room, and is one of the contributing factors to Sony Pictures starting from scratch and making a deal with Marvel Studios to bring the webhead to Marvel Cinematic Universe - which finally happened in last year's Captain America: Civil War and continues with this month's "Spider-Man: Homecoming".

Honest Trailers - The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Now Screen Junkies is revisiting the "sins past" as it were, with a new "Honest Trailer" video on Marc Webb's ASM 2. Seeing it is just believing and laughing at some pretty bad and awful moments of what is a "premature reboot" of the Spidey franchise in film.

Netflix releases the first teaser trailer for "Castlevania"

In what certainly started as an AWESOME throwback by showing a classic Nintendo Entertainment System being started up after popping in one of the most critically acclaimed platform action games of all time, Netflix and Konami have released the very first teaser trailer to their animated "Castlevania" series - which arrives on July and sees the last of the fabled Belmont clan taking on the lord of darkness himself, Dracula.

Check out the teaser trailer below, entitled "Vengeance".


Castlevania | Teaser: Vengeance | Netflix
Catslevania whips its way to Netflix on July 7!

Throwback Thursday: Celebrating 20 years of Mortal Kombat: The Movie

TEST YOUR MIGHT~!

Exactly 20 years ago this week, New Line Cinema, Threshold Entertainment, and director Paul W.S. Anderson adapted one of the most popular AND controversial video games into film -  a game conceptualized by Ed Boon and John Tobias and produced then by video game company Midway Games.

The end result was Mortal Kombat -  a 1995 movie that pretty much was everything that a video game movie should be and then some - over-the-top action with lots of violence and gore that saw a handful of warriors engaging in a tournament that determined the fate of the world.

If that formula sounds cheesy or ambitious, it certainly was for its time... But this film adaptation had all the elements that made the game it was based on extremely popular to those who enjoyed fighting games and finishing off their opponents in gruesome fashion. Not only that, it featured a trained cast that pretty much embraced their roles well and gave life to "Klassic Kharacters" that were essential to the plot of the games and movie in Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage, Bridgette Wilson as Sonya Blade, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung (YOUR SOUL IS MINE~!), and Christopher "Highlander" Lambert as Rayden.


Mortal Kombat 1995 Trailer
As one of the earliest and highest grossing movies based on a video game, Mortal Kombat succeeded in becoming #1 in the box office and inspiring a franchise of live-action adaptations based on the series. It's follow-up, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, was more of a forgettable sequel than anything else and failed to live-up to expectations. Fortunately in 2011, a reboot of the live-action series was realized after the release of the short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, which inspired the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy that ran for two seasons. The reinvigoration of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise under Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios also helped to renew interest in the series, with a new Mortal Kombat film is now currently in development with James Wan signing in to produce it.

The Immortals - "Mortal Kombat" Music Video 1995
So let's end this Throwback Thursday journey with the Music Video that'll get everyone dancing... The theme song to "Mortal Kombat" as done by The Immortals.

Mortal Kombat was released in theaters in August 18, 1995.

Happy Birthday to the man behind The Dark Knight Trilogy - Christopher Nolan!

It's July 30 and a Throwback Thursday... And also the birthday of the man behind what would become one of the most definitive interpretations of Batman in film for all time.

Today, British-American director and visionary Christopher Nolan turns 45, and ten years ago he started a journey for one Bruce Wayne (as portrayed by Christian Bale) that would be chronicled in 3 films that make up "The Dark Knight Trilogy" and focus on a man becoming a legend and symbol for good and justice.

Today, those films still stand the test of time, and serve as the inspiration behind what is now being being forged as the DC Cinematic Universe. It's not a part of that world... But Nolan himself served as executive producer for the first foray in that universe with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel in 2013. The director's exploits and work also extend to action and sci-fi gems like Memento and Inception, but it goes without saying that his mark in the superhero film industry certainly left it's mark for all time.


Again, Happy Birthday Christopher Nolan!

Throwback Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving ala Batman Eternal!

Pretty much what this #ThrowbackThursday teaser poster of last year's Batman Eternal portrays! It's been a year since the series was teased... And it's going strong as ever!

Hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving this year! :D

Throwback Thursday: Batman: Arkham Asylum turns 5 Years

As the world acknowledges 75 years of Batman this year, 2014 also marks many micro celebrations that fall within the Caped Crusader's long decorated history throughout comics and all forms of media. In fact, this week honors the 5th anniversary of arguably the first video game to depict The Dark Knight and his world flawlessly, and open doors to an array of sequels and follow-ups that would expand the gameplay and storyline in more ways than one.

That game is Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, DC Entertainment, Eidos Interactive, and Rocksteady Studios' "Batman: Arkham Asylum".

Released in August 25, 2009 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and later for the Max OSX, Arkham Asylum is based on the Batman mythos as depicted in comic book continuity, but spiraling into its own universe beginning with this chapter. Written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini, the game sees The Caped Crusader successfully capturing his longtime nemesis and adversary The Joker, and then driving him all the way straight to Arkham Asylum to put him behind bars. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a well orchestrated plan by the Clown Prince of Crime, as he breaks free with the help of his trusty assistant and love Harley Quinn and decides to lockdown Arkham and trap The Dark Knight within. With the inmates unleashed and a twisted diabolical plan that threatens all of Gotham City, Batman must put a stop to The Joker's plans... Whatever it takes.

Batman Arkham Asylum Trailer
Not since the Sunsoft NES Batman game has a game faithfully depicted Batman as he was intended to be, but Arkham Asylum beautifully made that concept a reality, and literally made players "BATMAN" as they used his fighting prowess, excellent detective skills, and useful array of gadgets to thwart The Joker's schemes and defeat all the crazy baddies going in a rampage inside the institution. Rocksteady literally created a template with their first attempt, combining all iterations of Batman seen through the years and successfully installed a realistic world that saw The Dark Knight come to life, using the Unreal Engine 3 with satisfying visuals and results. Additionally, Batman: The Animated Series voice actors Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their famous roles as Batman, The Joker, and Harley Quinn for this game, giving it a much needed boost in familiarity for fans of the franchise and the DC Animated Universe.

Truly, Arkham Asylum is one for the Batbooks, and finds itself etched as one of the definitive experiences in Batman history. Gameplay was just as easily addictive, and as it opened doors for an inevitable sequel in Batman: Arkham City in 2011, a prequel in Batman: Arkham Origins in 2013 (which was developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal), and the upcoming next-generation title with Batman: Arkham Knight - which will be the final installment in the Batman: Arkham Series coming in 2015.

If you haven't played Batman: Arkham Asylum, there's no better time than now to experience it.

Throwback Thursday: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock turns 30 Years!

It's time for another Throwback Thursday entry, and it celebrates the 30th year of one of the most memorable Sci-Fi films I've been lucky enough to witness and see for my generation!

One of the most decorated franchises in Science Fiction media, TV, and Film history has definitely got to be Star Trek, and Gene Roddenberry's brainchild was truly a concept ahead of its time. Teaching many to "Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before", the series started out in 1966, following the voyages of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Captain James. T. Kirk (William Shatner), which would include decorated officers like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) among the cast. The series would run for 3 years, and it's popularity would be explored anew in a short lived animated series, as well as other shows over the decades that featured another generation of explorers and facets set in the universe the original show introduced.

However, one of the most memorable experiences of most Star Trek fans including myself was with the films released by Paramount Pictures, the first six of which prominently featured the The Original Series crew, including Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, and of course George Takei, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig back and continuing their adventures well beyond their younger days and five-year mission to explore strange new worlds. Beloved among them was is easily considered to be the unofficial "Spock Trilogy" - which started in June 4, 1982 with "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Kirk and his crew not only had to face a deadly enemy from their past who returned to unleash havoc, but also had to deal with the consequences of their victory... Namely the death of their Half-Human/ Half-Vulcan friend, Captain Spock.

To note everything in a nutshell would be challenging, but this post is here to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of one of the most important sequels in Trek history, which challenged the beyond and set upon Trekkies the return of one of the most important characters in the series - Star Trek III: The Search For Spock.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Trailer
Released in June 1, 1984, The Search For Spock was directed by Leonard Nimoy - the legendary actor who played the part and immortalized the role himself. intended to undo the heart-wrenching conclusion that its predecessor had by resurrecting Spock and reuniting him back with his dear friends. Unfortunately, the path to his second chance at life was both mind-boggling and difficult to comprehend, as Admiral James T. Kirk and his loyal crew of the Enterprise had to go through great lengths to complete that task. Before he nobly sacrificed himself to save the ship for destruction, Spock mind-melded with Dr. McCoy and imparted his Katra - "his living spirit" onto his other good friend, ensuring a part of him would be remembered and passed to his father, Sarek. Unfortunately Kirk and his crew did not know that, and also left Spock's body in the newly born planet Genesis, which was to be his final resting place after their battle with the madman Khan Noonien Singh.


Spock's Death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Despite Spock's passing due to excessive radiation exposure from the Warp Core, his body miraculously "became one" with the Genesis planet. This effect is noted by Kirk's son David Marcus, who created and goes to the newly born world aboard the U.S.S Grissom along with Saavik. This "miracle" however is overshadowed by the fact that the illegal "Proto-Matter" used is slowly causing the planet to wither away and combust, and the convenient intervention of a group of Klingons led by Kruge, who believe Genesis is a weapon by the Federation against the Klingon Empire and intend to steal its secrets for themselves.

The Destruction of the U.S.S Enterprise
Following suit, going against direct orders, and stealing the Enterprise to go to Genesis and reclaim Spock's body, Kirk faces Kruge and the Klingons and is able to succeed in retrieving his old friend who is rejuvenated and back among the living. Unfortunately this is not without great costs, as the Enterprise is destroyed to prevent it from falling into Klingon hands and David is killed while trying to protect Saavik. The noble sacrifices made however ensured Spock's resurrection though, as his Katra is reunited with his healed physical self, much to the joy of his family and friends in Vulcan.

If you enjoy Science Fiction and fantasy, I would definitely recommend watching "The Spock Trilogy", and the Star Trek films of that era truly showed that travelling into the great unknown and facing overwhelming odds is what makes it exciting to behold. The J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot and it's 2013 sequel draw lots of inspiration and literally make nods to the films, and arguably they wouldn't have existed without the success and fandom they have enjoyed through the decades. While Wrath of Khan was LITERALLY the epitome of what a fantastic Trek movie should be, The Search for Spock is the sequel that carries things forward and brings us to a new chapter in the lives of the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Star Trek III!

Throwback Thursday: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Exactly twenty years ago, Warner Bros., DC Comics, and legendary Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm delivered quite the Christmas present to loyal Batfans on Christmas Day, as the very first full-length Batman animated feature was released in theaters and brought a new unique and original vision to The Dark Knight in cinema.

That movie was Batman: Mask of The Phantasm, released on December 25, 1993.

Heavily inspired by the classic Batman origin story "Batman: Year One" but spinning into an original tale of its own, Mask of the Phantasm saw the Caped Crusader taking on a mysterious new for called "The Phantasm", who left a trail of death on its path by slaying some old and retired mob bosses of Gotham City. Falsely accused of the murders, Batman relentlessly pursues this new criminal, but his mission is complicated by the return of a lost love, as well as the lingering presence of his eternal arch-nemesis, The Joker. In order to solve this case, The Dark Knight must piece together clues from his past and the present, and see whether he can rekindle an old romance at the same time...

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) - Theatrical Trailer

Literally a blast from the past and perfect for Throwback Thursday this Christmas week, Mask of the Phantasm is literally one, if not THE BEST Batman animated film that has appeared in the Caped Crusader's long and thriving history. Featuring the immortal voices of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill as The Joker, this animated film opened doors and showed the potential of the then young and thriving DC Animated Universe, and helped keep the Batman hype and interest alive following the previous year's live-action release of Tim Burton's Batman film sequel, Batman Returns. The animation was luscious, and the OST was simply memorable and breathtaking, especially with music artist Tia Carrere's ending theme for the film, "I Never Even Told You".

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - I Never Even Told You

Happy Twenty Years, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm... And prepare for Batman's 75th Anniversary next year!

Throwback Thursday: Tropic Thunder turns 5 years

Five years ago, who would have thunk that Ben Stiller would hit a gold mine and gather some of the most talented and zaniest bad-ass mofo actors to walk the face of the planet in one sensational hit comedy!?

Of course, I'm talking about none other than the 2008 laughtrip hit "Tropic Thunder", which stars and was directed by Stiller himself, with a cast that includes comedian Jack Black, newly inducted "Iron Man" at the time Robert Downey Jr., Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte, and a special unexpected cameo role by action star Tom Cruise himself! It was released on August 12th that year, and became certified gold thanks to awesome crack up jokes, undeniable schizophrenic like performances, and the kind of silliness and absurdity that'll make you turn over laughing like crazy.

Five years later, and I'm still bombed as heck by the trailer alone. Let's start the recap... And warning, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE and HILARITY will ensue.