I had heard about this little eight-minute "fan film" made for around $30,000 and being shown at the San Diego Comic Con, and how it had been lauded by many fans, including comic book artist Alex Ross and film maker/comics writer Kevin Smith. I was intrigued, but figured I'd never get to see it.
Luckily, TheForce.net was gracious enough to post it, and I spent much of the night on my Dial-Up Internet Service Provider downloading the large file containing the film.
I have to say it was worth the wait.
I thoroughly enjoyed Batman: Dead End from its dramatic beginning to its ambiguous climax. It was a terrific eight minutes, and wanted me thirsting for more. I love the character of Batman...he's my favorite fictional character behind Superman, and it's a close second.
Director Sandy Collora, a veteran of Stan Winston's special effects company, and a group of dedicated, hard-working people as his cast and crew have brought their vision of the Batman to life in a way that has yet to be fully realized by any of Warner Bros. live action cinematic efforts. Having said that, I must say that this is not the best representation of Batman on film...I give that to the animated Dark Knight of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. However, this is pretty close.
Clark Bertram is a muscular, panther-esque Batman, not unlike Alex Ross' version in his and writer/animator Paul Dini's Batman: War on Crime graphic novel. Collora and Bertram worked incredibly hard to have Ross' Batman leap off of the fully painted page. When Bertram's Batman first leaps from the rooftop, it evokes the classic mirror image from War on Crime, and that is a feat in itself.
Andrew Koenig, son of Star Trek's Walter Koenig, is a frightening, imitimdating Joker, the likes of which have never been fully realized on screen. Koenig's Joker harkens to artist Dave McKean's sinister and psychodelic Clown Prince of Crime from the graphic novel Arkham Asylum.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The inclusion of the Aliens and Predator from their eponymous film series was fun, exciting, and well done. Was their appearances overkill? Not for Sandy Collora, who obviously loves and appreciates these characters, and wanted them as enemies of Batman in his film. For the viewing public, it would be easy to see these characters' appearances as a little too much, particularly with the Predator(s), but it made for one hell of a twist.
I believe Batman: Dead End is a spectacular effort by Sandy Collora and all involved, and here's hoping this will open some doors for all of them in the film business soon.
Highly recommended...if you can download it!
Luckily, TheForce.net was gracious enough to post it, and I spent much of the night on my Dial-Up Internet Service Provider downloading the large file containing the film.
I have to say it was worth the wait.
I thoroughly enjoyed Batman: Dead End from its dramatic beginning to its ambiguous climax. It was a terrific eight minutes, and wanted me thirsting for more. I love the character of Batman...he's my favorite fictional character behind Superman, and it's a close second.
Director Sandy Collora, a veteran of Stan Winston's special effects company, and a group of dedicated, hard-working people as his cast and crew have brought their vision of the Batman to life in a way that has yet to be fully realized by any of Warner Bros. live action cinematic efforts. Having said that, I must say that this is not the best representation of Batman on film...I give that to the animated Dark Knight of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. However, this is pretty close.
Clark Bertram is a muscular, panther-esque Batman, not unlike Alex Ross' version in his and writer/animator Paul Dini's Batman: War on Crime graphic novel. Collora and Bertram worked incredibly hard to have Ross' Batman leap off of the fully painted page. When Bertram's Batman first leaps from the rooftop, it evokes the classic mirror image from War on Crime, and that is a feat in itself.
Andrew Koenig, son of Star Trek's Walter Koenig, is a frightening, imitimdating Joker, the likes of which have never been fully realized on screen. Koenig's Joker harkens to artist Dave McKean's sinister and psychodelic Clown Prince of Crime from the graphic novel Arkham Asylum.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The inclusion of the Aliens and Predator from their eponymous film series was fun, exciting, and well done. Was their appearances overkill? Not for Sandy Collora, who obviously loves and appreciates these characters, and wanted them as enemies of Batman in his film. For the viewing public, it would be easy to see these characters' appearances as a little too much, particularly with the Predator(s), but it made for one hell of a twist.
I believe Batman: Dead End is a spectacular effort by Sandy Collora and all involved, and here's hoping this will open some doors for all of them in the film business soon.
Highly recommended...if you can download it!