Nolan's Batman Trilogy Gets Posterized by Florey

Artist Florey has created a set of spectacular posters in honor of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and I really like them... a lot!!! I love the softness of the images and the muted color palette that Florey employs with each one of these posters. My favorite of the bunch is Batman Begins, because it prominently features The Scarecrow (the best character in all three movies as far as I am concerned). Check out all three of the posters in full detail after the jump...

'The Dark Knight Rises' Characters Painted In The Style Of The New Yorker Cartoons by Julian Birchman

Batman is dominating the Net after the launch of The Dark Knight Rises and there are some really cool things floating around out there based on the character. In my perusing of various webpages I came across these awesome drawings by artist Julian Birchman on his blog Sitting Too Close. Julian uses a painting style very similar to the classic New Yorker Magazine cartoons look in his work, and he has two excellent ones featuring memorable scenes from Nolan's recently released third Batman opus. The first one is from the part where Bane unmasks the Bat, and the second comes from their awesome rematch fight set among the police officer/people's army rebellion at the end of the film. Check out more of his awesome here and check out the Bat photos after the jump...

5 Reasons Why 'The Dark Knight Rises' Was The Greatest Comic Book Movie I Have Ever Seen: A Rant by Mike CCD

Everyone knew that Christopher Nolan was gonna bring the funk when he unleashed his 3rd Batman movie. The dude has never really disappointed with any of his films, and his last 3 (Batman Begins, Inception, and The Dark Knight) are freaking epic... so naturally I wasn't surprised that it was wonderful. But after leaving the film Thursday night/Friday morning after the midnight show and contemplating it over the weekend, I feel like this movie is by far the best comic book movie I have ever seen. Now before you geek maniacs start throwing your ergonomic keyboards at the screen and scream to your mom for more meatloaf to eat alone in your basement domain, relax for a second. I said that it was the greatest comic book movie that "I HAVE EVER SEEN"... which means it is MY OPINION. But since I am not a troll I won't just make a comment like that and then let you guys argue whether or not I am correct... I plan on giving you guys 5 reasons to back up my assertion. After reading it, some of you guys might see it my way, others may not. Even if you don't think it is the greatest comic book film ever, I'm sure anybody who sees it will love it. Enjoy the rant after the jump...

Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy Gets The Marathon Treatment At AMC Theaters

I remember seeing Batman Begins in the theater and thinking to myself  "Wow... comic book movies just changed forever." I was a huge fan of Memento and I was looking forward to seeing what a cerebral director like Nolan would offer to the Bat-verse. Turns out Begins was just the tip of the iceberg, as "The Dark Knight" exceeded all the lofty expectations it had and showed that even a mediocre actor such as heath Ledger could deliver a tour de force with the right director pushing him. So now we are counting down the final 30 or so days until the third film, "The Dark Knight Rises", hits theaters. And the excitement is building to a fever pitch. So how could they possibly make this event any cooler? How about a movie marathon featuring all three films at AMC theaters? Yes please!!! Check out the details after the jump...

Happy Dragon Pictures Gives The 1966 Batman Opening Credits A New Spin

I am a huge fan of the 1966 Batman TV series starring Adam West, and I have been thoroughly enjoying the replays of it on the awesome channel The Hub. But when I came across this re-imagining of the animated opening credits sequence from Happy Dragon Pictures, my jaw hit the floor. These guys subbed in all of the characters from Chris Nolan's Bat-verse and it looks totally rad. See the full video after the jump...

Nolanverse Batman Posters by Alexander Stojanov

These three posters from Deviant Artist Alexander Stojanov are unbelievable... they are so well done. The artist used Drew Struzan's famous Blade Runner movie poster as inspiration, and I have to say that it was an excellent choice for a frame of reference. You will find all three posters (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises) in full size after the jump.

'The Batman Complex' Is Something You Need To Watch If You Love Nolan's Dark Knight

Here is a cool fan made trailer that is making the rounds on all the big geek sites ( /Film, Topless Robot, etc)... which means I usually wouldn't have posted it since those guys had it covered. But this one is to cool to ignore. Here you go:



Here is what the creator of the faux trailer, The Man Batman, has said about the vid:

The gist of the idea revolves around a few fun topics, mainly the whole “what is real?” train of thought, and also every fans desire, deep down or upfront, to be Batman at least once in their lives. LOL. And so, I tried to craft a story where we see what happens when someone takes their dream of being Batman a little bit too far. An idea, after all, is a truly resilient parasite. ;)

While some of it is still left a bit ambiguous (both unintentionally and intentionally – while there’s only so much that can be strung together, I often like to leave a little bit open so as to see what fellow fans are able to imagine/create)… I wanted to focus more on the character aspects (and a bit of the tragedy as well), and attempt to move past the initial shock of the psychological twist. One aspect I tried to hint at was the paralleling descent of both Bruce and Cobb. As Cobb and the team go deeper into Bruce’s mind, they start to encounter the truly dark issues that his subconscious houses. As a result, Cobb himself gets caught up in the obsession of all that lingers in the mind of a Batman. There are a couple fun things in there that are best left to surprise, but all in all, I’m relatively happy with how it turned out. It’s fairly fast paced and doesn’t leave much room to breath, which helps amplify the tension I think. But that’s just me.

Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight & The Machinist all in one? YES PLEASE!!! Would you watch this? Please leave some comments in the section below!!!

Hartter Takes On One Of Nolan's Other Movies, 'Insomnia'

My boy Sean Hartter is at it again. His posters have been featured on CCD too many times to link, but this time he gives us a very cool minimalist approach to Christopher Nolan's 'Insomnia'. Check it out:

Here is what the artist had to say:

"Love this and every other Christopher Nolan film, was watching it today and had an idea for a minimalist type poster design."

Is It Gonna Be 'The Long Halloween' Or What???

Word came out over the weekend that Variety has sources over at Warner Brothers saying that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be playing Alberto Falcone in 'The Dark Knight Rises'. This is huge because this means that the story MAY contain elements from the Batman story arc called 'The Long Halloween'. The story was written by Jeph Loeb & drawn by Tim Sale, and is one of my all time faves... ever.

Alberto Falcone

To stay away from spoilers for those of you who may have not read 'The Long Halloween', just know that Alberto Falcone plays a huge part in the story. This also seems to signify that we may be seeing some more of one of CCD's favorite actors, Tom Wilkinson, reprising his role of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone from 'Batman Begins'. That is a great turn of events in my opinion.

Sofia Falcone

If this is true, I am going to put this out there right now. Marion Cotillard is rumored to have been cast in 'The Dark Knight Rises' as well... and I am venturing a guess that she may be Sofia Falcone, daughter of Carmine and sister of Alberto. Sofia is also pretty gangster... and another big key to the story arc in 'The Long Halloween'. These little connections are starting to make all of Nolan's casting choices make a lot more sense. I am extremely happy, since this is what I have been waiting for since I read 'The Long Halloween' many years ago. I strongly recommend the book to any Batman fans, as it takes place in its own continuity and can be picked up and read with no prior knowledge of Batman continuity needed. We shall see. I for one can't wait.

This Is The Superman.... Really???

So, according to E! Online actor Henry Cavill (most notably of Tudors fame) has been cast as the new Man of Steel in Zack Snyder's reboot of the Superman franchise. He is also appearing in the visually stunning director Tarsem's upcoming film Immortals. I really trust Snyder (considering how good 300 & Watchmen were), and Christopher "I am amazing" Nolan is the producer... so I'm sure this is fine. But to be honest with you, I don't know how I feel about this one... I kinda liked True Blood's Joe Manganiello (Alcide the werewolf) for the part better. What do you guys think? Does Mr. Cavill have what it takes to be Clark Kent/Superman? Let us know in the comment section below.

So We Got Catwoman & Bane... Here Are My 5 Reasons Why This Can Be Great

Very Catwoman-esque.... no?

This is Hardy before and after Bronson... dude can get jacked for a role!

So Ann Hathaway is going to be Catwoman & Tom Hardy is gong to be Bane in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight Rises'... and the Internet has been all a buzz about this. But this is CCD, and we are not just going to give you the same old story you are seeing on every other site. Instead of the typical "good or not good casting" bullshit, I am going tell you my 5 reasons why this is truly a good thing. Here we go:

1. Both of these guys are great actors - This should not be a throw in, it should be the most important requirement. Yeah, their are a ton of hot chicks who could wear the cat costume or muscle bound steroid freaks to be Bane 'the Bat Breaker'... but isn't better to get two actors who can pull the part off "physically" and also be able to give a great performance? It's not like Hathaway isn't smoking hot... and Hardy bulked up big time for Bronson (see the picture of him). This is the right move. I expect nothing less from Nolan.
2. Both stars are bankable and on the rise - Hathaway is on fire with the critics raving about her latest flick 'Love and Other Drugs' and was an Oscar darling a few years back with 'Rachel Getting Married'. She has been associated with tons of big budget flicks and arthouse indies... and she always seems to come out right side up. Hardy has been better and better in every successive movie he has made. 'Layer Cake', 'Rock n Rolla', 'Bronson'.... and then he completely stole 'Inception' from Leo DeCaprio & Joseph Gordon Levitt when he got onto the screen in the second half of the film. The dude is on fire... with the impeccable reps and media love these guys got, you couldn't ask for a better one two punch.
3. Catwoman and Bane work well in the Nolan-verse - Nolan has made it his business to make the Batman universe that he creates real... as real as you can make a movie about a guy who dresses like a bat. Ra's Al Ghul was not the constantly regenerating comic character in Nolan's world... he made him practical. Scarecrow was a psychologist that wore a potato sack mask... Ledger's Joker had the painted face and the purple suit, but that's all the goofiness Nolan would allow. Nolan's Joker was much more brutal (like Alan Moore's Joker) and cold blooded. Hathaway's Catwoman needs to be much more hi-tech burglar and gymnast instead of the Cat-Lady that Halle Berry portrayed. Hardy's Bane needs to be less goofy and muscles & more sinister and brooding the way his character is in the comics. This is the guy who hatched the plan that almost killed the Batman and left Bruce Wayne with a broken back... he is not a mental slouch. Hardy should kill this part.
4. These two are not so hard to look at - Hardy is a dreamboat of an actor (at least that what my chick friends tell me) and Hathaway is beautiful. These two are not hard to look at... not by a long shot. They are both pretty faces that can back it up with good chops, but at the end of the day no matter how good they can act you can't portray looks. These two got that... and that's important for these characters especially Catwoman. She needs to be seductive and appealing, sexy and confident.... it can't be any other way.
5. There is no real reason why these two villains should be together - This can not be an adaption of 'Hush', nor 'The Long Halloween', nor 'Knightfall', nor any of the other Batman stories that were rumored to be the source material of Nolan's third flick. Catwoman and Bane never really had a storyline together... at least not that I could remember. Could it be that Nolan will take small pieces of each of these wonderful Bat stories and give it his own unique spin? Yup, probably... and these two total opposite types of villains will play out wonderfully.... bet that.

So what do you think? Are Hathaway and Hardy a good fit for the roles of Catwoman and Bane? tell us in the comment section below.

Will This Nude Wolfman Be The Next Man Of Steel?

Easy girls.... simmer down now. We all know just how much you guys love Joe Manganiello, aka Alcide from True Blood fame. You love him for what a great actor he is and how wonderful he delivers his lines... oh, fuck it... lets be real. You guys love ole Alcide because he has a stomach like a washboard and the face of an angel. A ruggishly hairy angel... but an angel none the less. Well, the Internet rumor mill is churning and the Wolfman is being mentioned for the role of Kal-El himself in Zack Snyder's reboot of the Superman franchise. Jon Hamm of Mad Men has long been rumored to be what Snyder and producer Chris "The Dark Knight" Nolan are looking for in the new Superman... and actor who is 35-40 years old and can be convincing in their vision of the franchise. Manganiello is certainly in that wheelhouse, and he is in top physical condition (right KMG and the rest of you ladies out there???), so lets see how it goes. You know how the Internet works. On his Twitter, Manganiello had this to say:

Just to be clear... as of today, I am not "negotiating" to play Superman... but keep your fingers crossed and thanks for the wishful thinking!!!

This is clearly a denial, but one that is peppered with a specific denial. He may not be negotiating to play the role just yet... but that does not mean he is not discussing the actual role. He is just not up to the specific point where they are talking money. I personally love the idea of Joe the Wolf as Superman, and that's where I stand on the topic. How bout you guys? What do you think about True Blood's most honorable wolf taking over in the Big Red Cape? Let us know in the comment section below. Oh, and just to jog your memory (especially you ladies), here is one more picture of Joey Abs himself.... now, what say you ladies??? Yea or Nay?

Read The Inception Prequel Comic Now....

Check out this really cool prequel comic for Christopher Nolan's upcoming blockbuster movie Inception. The movie opens this weekend, and is Nolan's follow up to The Dark Knight. It stars Leo DeCaprio and Ellen Paige, and looks absolutely awesome. This comic only appears online and is called The Cobol Job. Click here to shoot over to the Yahoo page where the comic is set up and don't forget to check out Inception this weekend.

Why You Should Watch Batman: City of Scars

The minute I read about the quality of this 30 minute fan made film from the father and son team of Bat In The Sun that cost $27,000 to make, I wanted to post it. But I decided that I wanted to watch it first, and this was 30 minutes long... not your typical 5 minute clip. Now, I thought it would be good considering how much praise its garnering around the net, but geeks like me tend to over exagerate a bit when something cool comes across their face. Could it really be that good??? The answer is yes... yes it is!!!

The film jumps in right after the action of The Dark Knight, and stars Batman tracking his nemesis The Joker after an escape from Arkham... The Joker is cool, and Batman looks and sounds great. But the real cool thing is the supporting characters that are featured, such as Harley Quinn, Scarface, and Mr. Zsasz. The fight scenes were cool, and all in all I do not feel that I wasted 30 minutes on this. I can not wait to see what they do with the sequel to The Dark Knight, but this will definetly hold me over for the time being. Enjoy the film and please tell me what ya think in the comments below!!!