Ben Affleck's Batman

Recently, I've been following rumors that the new, upcoming Batman film by Matt Reeves will not be part of the DCEU and will not star Ben Affleck.  Reports following these rumors have so far confirmed that these rumors are not true.  All I have to say is, thank goodness!  I think of every live action interpretation of Batman that I've seen, with the possible exception of Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck's is my favorite.  "He should play the shark!," as Kevin Smith would say.  This drive to belittle Ben Affleck, Zack Snyder, Batman V Superman, and to want to replace Affleck's Batman with a younger Batman seems bizarre and a little confusing to me.  Could it be that these people want a more Aryan Batman?  That would, I think, not be in keeping with the spirit of the character, who many creators have depicted as Jewish (all right, fine, in Batman V Superman he appears to be Christian).  Note to studio execs who may be reading this: don't listen to every internet troll you come across.  They seem to be a mix of kids messing around on their parents computers, folks who haven't actually seen the movie in question, and bots who aren't even human.  But Batman V Superman is a great film, and they should keep the Batman in question in The Batman and in all other live action Batman films for as long as possible.  Thank you.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

When I recently moved out of my apartment, one of the few of my possessions that I didn't pack up were my collection of David Fincher films.  Recently, I've been watching them, and one that I just got finished watching was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  This is not a perfect film.  I remember not really liking it the first time I watched it.  In fact, the only two things I really remember about it were the party in the bedroom scene and Ebert's negative review of the film.  However, after rewatching it, it really is a great film.  It may stand as David Fincher's most "normal" film, just a very well-rounded and well-developed affair, which makes it a spectacle to behold indeed.  Even if it is uneven, and somewhat superficial, it's a great film, sort of one of those emotional, satisfying, "Oscar" worthy and Oscar caliber films you might think of.  The performances are great, as is the cinematography.  It has a classic feel to it, even if it isn't quite a classic.  Certainly worth seeing, even if only as part of a David Fincher retrospective.

More Batman Adventures

Good to see you all.  Here are two more Batman comics.

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is an epic, classic-at-every-level Batman story with many twists and turns.  There are many suspects as to who the Holiday killer could be, and the ultimate solution to the puzzle will actually shock you.  Batman is very classically drawn here, with many great illustrations by Tim Sale.  The organized crime world of Gotham is here in full force, with many references to The Godfather, and all of the crazies from Arkham Asylum are here, too.  I can't think of a more old school, classic Batman story that's more satisfying.  Perfect for a rainy day.

Batman: Black and White Volume One and Two

This comic series, a collection of black and white comics from different creators, might evoke the strongest personal memories for me.  Very powerful, emotional, and intimate stuff here.  There's sort of a noir undercurrent with these stories, yet they are all so very different.  Each one, in its own way, is brilliant.  In particular, I really like the Neil Gaiman story and the story about the murdered cat.  Just a completely new spin on Batman.

To be continued. . .

Top 10

Just for fun!  Now with Mulholland Drive, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Unforgiven!  I'm sorry, but it was simply criminal not to have these on there!

1. Raging Bull
2. The Films of David Fincher
3. Prometheus
4. Mulholland Drive
5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
6. Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice/Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
7. The French Connection/French Connection II
8. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. Unforgiven

That should be everything, don't think I left anything out.