michael keaton-related stories
The Geek Beat: 20 Years of Batmania
Filed under: Comic/Superhero/Geek », The Geek Beat »
20 years ago on this very day, Tim Burton's Batman was released into theaters. Think back, stretch your creaking bones, and let's go on a trip down memory lane.
I was all of seven years old when Batman came out (I know, a lady never reveals her age, but when have I ever acted like a lady?), which means I have only vague recollections of the pre-release period. I remember we were buzzing about it at my school, and that it was looming on our radar long before we were out for the summer. But while I remember that shadowy poster of the Bat symbol decorating my multiplex, I can't recall the casting of Michael Keaton, the eager whispers of Jack Nicholson and his hidden make-up, or the trailers. Event movies were so different in my childhood. They just seemed to happen overnight, and were probably the better for it. Movies will always be magical to me, but I really long for those days before the Internet and its marketing mania. (Yes, I realize the irony inherent in my saying that, but at least I make it fun, right? No, don't answer that.)
Because I was all of seven, and thus too young for Frank Miller, my exposure to Batman was purely through Adam West reruns. I knew Gotham City as a place of goofy villains and BAM! and POW!, so to say that Burton's version terrified me was an understatement. I don't remember what I went in expecting (I know it wasn't Adam West), but I do remember being absolutely horrified by Nicholson's Joker. Maybe I was still reeling from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? the year before, but his acid-soaked origin left me faintly ill, as was every shot of him sans whiteface and lipstick.
I was all of seven years old when Batman came out (I know, a lady never reveals her age, but when have I ever acted like a lady?), which means I have only vague recollections of the pre-release period. I remember we were buzzing about it at my school, and that it was looming on our radar long before we were out for the summer. But while I remember that shadowy poster of the Bat symbol decorating my multiplex, I can't recall the casting of Michael Keaton, the eager whispers of Jack Nicholson and his hidden make-up, or the trailers. Event movies were so different in my childhood. They just seemed to happen overnight, and were probably the better for it. Movies will always be magical to me, but I really long for those days before the Internet and its marketing mania. (Yes, I realize the irony inherent in my saying that, but at least I make it fun, right? No, don't answer that.)
Because I was all of seven, and thus too young for Frank Miller, my exposure to Batman was purely through Adam West reruns. I knew Gotham City as a place of goofy villains and BAM! and POW!, so to say that Burton's version terrified me was an understatement. I don't remember what I went in expecting (I know it wasn't Adam West), but I do remember being absolutely horrified by Nicholson's Joker. Maybe I was still reeling from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? the year before, but his acid-soaked origin left me faintly ill, as was every shot of him sans whiteface and lipstick.
Review: The Merry Gentleman
Filed under: Drama », Theatrical Reviews »
By Scott Weinberg (originally published 1/22/08 -- Sundance Film Festival)
The title of Michael Keaton's directorial debut -- The Merry Gentleman -- is meant to be pretty ironic, because the only true gentleman in the movie is anything BUT merry. He is, as a matter of fact, a cold-blooded assassin who contemplates suicide after completing every contract. Even the normally perky Kelly Macdonald is generally quite miserable too, here playing a woman on the run from an abusive husband -- and a woman who just (unknowingly) became friends with that assassin guy.
Professional hitman Frank Logan is at the end of his rope. Clearly fed up with a life spent taking lives, Frank finishes up his latest contract, and then hops onto a rooftop ledge and considers a long plunge. At that same moment, on street level, a sweet young lady named Kate looks up to appreciate the new snowflakes -- and catches a glimpse of Frank. She screams, he slips and falls (backwards), and when the cops show up they find pretty much nothing. But the next morning (once a corpse is found in an upstairs office) two smart detectives pop up to ask Kate a few questions about the man she saw.
Needless to say, a killer of Frank's expertise is already well-aware of what the witness saw.
Exclusive: 'The Merry Gentleman' Trailer Premiere!
Filed under: Drama », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
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Cinematical has just received this exclusive trailer for The Merry Gentleman, starring Michael Keaton and Kelly Macdonald. Not only does Keaton star here, but it's also his directorial debut -- and with it he gives us a story about a suicidal hitman (Keaton) who forms an unlikely friendship with a woman he finds underneath a Christmas tree. In his positive review from last year's Sundance Film Festival, Cinematical's Scott Weinberg called The Merry Gentleman a "crime drama that brings a strange sense of warmth, dark humor, and even some odd romance to a potentially dreary tale" -- adding that Keaton does "a fantastic job on both sides of the camera," creating "a straightforward "people" story, albeit one with a little more brains than usual."
On a personal note, we're all huge Michael Keaton fans here at Cinematical -- we're pumped to see the man back in action and honored to premiere the trailer for his directorial debut. The Merry Gentleman arrives in theaters on May 1.
To view a larger version of this trailer, click here.
400 Screens, 400 Blows - Where Are They Now?
Filed under: Columns », 400 Screens, 400 Blows »
I don't know about anyone else, but I thought that was a pretty exceptional summer, as far as good, entertaining movies went. I've seen summers in which almost every movie seemed mediocre and not one standout ever emerged (2000 and 2006, for example). But this year, there were at least five standouts and at least five more really good movies. Call me crazy, but I caught up with Speed Racer on DVD this week, and even that one didn't seem so bad. (Sure, it's no Iron Man. I think it probably plays better on the small screen, although I did have trouble with the length and with the annoying Spritle character.) And, of course, we saw a lot of stars at their best this summer: Robert Downey Jr., Heath Ledger, Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller, James Franco, Meryl Streep, Penelope Cruz, etc. Good times! It was all so exciting that I nearly forgot about some of my other favorite stars.
It's weird. You can get caught up in the ebb and flow of this business and it may not occur to you that, say, Neve Campbell hasn't been around lately. I miss her. I interviewed her in early 2004, just after Robert Altman's The Company came out. That was a masterful film, a great piece of work, on which Neve had writing and producing credits. It looked like she was really going places: from there, she was poised to play the great silent film star Louise Brooks in a biopic. I saw her again in James Toback's twisted When Will I Be Loved, which I liked more than just about anyone else.
Jodi Benson & Michael Keaton to Play Barbie & Ken in 'Toy Story 3'?
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Disney », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels »
Now here's a fun little scoop from IESB.net: Turns out that not only will Jodi "Ariel" Benson be returning to the Toy Story series to reprise her role as the legendary Barbie (such a doll) , but this time she'll be dragging her boyfriend into the story. And according to IESB, that Ken doll's voice will be provided by none other than Michael Keaton. So that's why you cover the press junkets for video flicks like The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning -- so you can score cool information like this.Best known as Batman, Beetlejuice, Johnny Dangerously, and Mr. Mom, the always-cool Keaton is no stranger to the voice acting business. He recently did some fine work in Pixar's Cars, and his pipes can also be heard in certain episodes of King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Anime fans will remember that Keaton also provided a voice for the U.S. version of Miyazaki's Crimson Pig (aka Porco Rosso) back in '92.
Mr. Keaton would be joining a very familiar crew: Returning for round three are Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Wallace Shawn, and (of course) John Ratzenberger. Toy Story 3 -- which apparently centers around our favorite playthings' misadventures at a day-care center -- won't hit theaters until the summer of 2010, but if that's how long it takes to make a worthy follow-up to two of the sweetest animated films ever made ... then 2010 it is. Obviously we'll bring you the latest on TS3 as soon as it pops up.
After Images: Batman (1966), (1989), (2008)
Filed under: Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », After Image », Columns »
On a cloudless January day in 1966, Los Angeles was such a dull small town that children could be alerted to something as small a skywriter at work. My parents must have been watching the Rose Bowl, as they did every New Year's Day. In those days we lived five miles or so away from the arena, on the heights over the Arroyo Seco. They saw the plane on TV buzzing the big game and urged me to go outside and have a look. Up in the sky, the small plane, low enough that you could hear the drone of the engine, spelled out the words in smoke B-A-T-M-A-N I-S C-O-M-I-N-G.
Monday Morning Poll: Your Favorite Batman?
Filed under: Action », Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Monday Morning Poll », Polls »
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Finally. After God knows how many trailers, TV spots, viral sites, movie posters, merchandise, fan art, contests, Batman Anonymous meetings ("Hi, my name is Earth ... and I'm addicted to Batman), and an assortment of tomfoolery, The Dark Knight will officially arrive in theaters this Friday. And I've heard shows are already sold out through March 2011. Right on! That said, this might be the week you want to reflect back and read your favorite Batman comics, watch your favorite Batman movies, or spend some alone time with your favorite Batman.
Which brings us to this week's super awesome Monday Morning Poll: Who is your favorite Batman? For this we're sticking solely to folks who've played the Caped Crusader on the big screen. Since a lot of Bat-fans have come to adore Kevin Conroy's voice performance, we'll include both live action and animated versions. For me, it's a toss up between Christian Bale and Michael Keaton. Bale has the looks and the charm, but Keaton had that "insanity factor" -- one look in his eyes and you knew this guy had a few screws loose. Tough choice. Where do you stand?
Sundance Review: The Merry Gentleman
Filed under: Drama », Independent », Romance », Sundance », Theatrical Reviews »
The title of Michael Keaton's directorial debut -- The Merry Gentleman -- is meant to be pretty ironic, because the only true gentleman in the movie is anything BUT merry. He is, as a matter of fact, a cold-blooded assassin who contemplates suicide after completing every contract. Even the normally perky Kelly Macdonald is generally quite miserable too, here playing a woman on the run from an abusive husband -- and a woman who just (unknowingly) became friends with that assassin guy.
Professional hitman Frank Logan is at the end of his rope. Clearly fed up with a life spent taking lives, Frank finishes up his latest contract, and then hops onto a rooftop ledge and considers a long plunge. At that same moment, on street level, a sweet young lady named Kate looks up to appreciate the new snowflakes -- and catches a glimpse of Frank. She screams, he slips and falls (backwards), and when the cops show up they find pretty much nothing. But the next morning (once a corpse is found in an upstairs office) two smart detectives pop up to ask Kate a few questions about the man she saw.
Needless to say, a killer of Frank's expertise is already well-aware of what the witness saw.
Alexis Bledel Gets Not Only a Lover, but Mr. Mom and Carol Burnett Too!
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Fox Atomic »
Well, Gilmore Girl and Traveling Pants star Alexis Bledel no longer has a Ticket to Ride. Instead, an early name change has her getting into The Post-Grad Survival Guide for Fox Atomic's upcoming comedy, and the supporting cast is falling into place. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Zach Gilford, one of the stars of the television series Friday Night Lights is in final negotiations to play Rory's love interest. Also joining the cast -- Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, and Rodrigo Santoro (300). Man, I hope this is decent, just to get a chance to see Keaton and Burnett -- hopefully together.Bledel stars as a girl named Ryden Malby, who has just graduated from college and has "to move back home with her eccentric family while trying to find a job, meet the right guy, and figure out where her life is headed." Santoro is going to play an infomercial director and neighbor who becomes Ryden's friend and confidant, but there is no word on who Keaton and Burnett will play. Considering the eccentric family angle, I'm hoping for some sort of dad and grandma deal -- Carol would be perfect as Alexis' grandmother. As for the neighbor, will Ryden find a lucrative future in the infomercial biz, peddling special fryers, rotisseries, and weight loss products? The possibilities!
Filming will begin on the project this Monday in Los Angeles, under the directorial eye of Vicky Jenson -- director of Shrek and Shark Tale. It'll be interesting to see what she makes of this live action comedy, but really, I'm just psyched for Carol.
Are You Interested in a 50-Something Batman? Kevin Smith Is!
Filed under: Action », Casting », RumorMonger », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Justice League, Justice League, Justice League... The casting choices are finally coming out, there's no big stars attached thus far, and that's not even the reason everyone's apprehensive. It's just got the mad stink of possible crap. But Kevin Smith has a great idea that he shared with MTV. While he thinks it may be wise to cast the action flick with unknowns, "It's not like you can put Brad Pitt in it and he's gonna be more important than f***ing Batman. Or Superman," he does think that one old pro should return to the fold and take on Batman once again.Not George Clooney. "For me, it's like, I would definitely cast Michael Keaton as Batman. I thought Michael Keaton was an awesome Batman. And in a world where they don't want to crossover with what Chris Nolan is doing in Dark Knight, I mean, why not cast Michael Keaton?" MTV brings up the age factor, because the guy is 56, but Smith says: "I'd be nice if Batman was the older man. He plays such an integral part in that movie, from what [I heard] -- he's kind of the lynchpin upon which the entire machine turns. So it would be nice to see."
I have to say, I totally agree. Keaton still has the jaw, and has kept himself in good shape, so why not? As long as the script isn't completely terrible, and they put some effort into filming, I bet people would just go to see him again and relive old movie days of Batman. Sometimes the best thing for a franchise is just a little shift to keep things fresh and amp up excitement. I think it would be great if Batman returns, but do you? Sorry about the pun... I couldn't help myself.
Harrison Ford Returning for 'Indiana Jones 5'?
A Trailer for Gyllenhaal and Maguire's 'Brothers'
Ron Weaseley Has Swine Flu
Quick List: Romance for Boys
Christian Bale's Rollercoaster Career
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