Ben Affleck is Batman? And Other News Around the Net
So Ben Affleck will be playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel (currently titled Superman vs Batman). How about that? I have very mixed feelings about this announcement, but this isn’t coming from a place of being an Affleck hater. Quite the contrary, I have been a fan of Mr. Affleck since the beginning of his career (I’m talking School Ties days!). I’ve always enjoyed his work. I think he’s a terrific actor, equally adept at playing comedy or drama. I’ve always thought so, but what really made me a fan of Mr. Affleck was listening to his candid and hysterical participation in the commentary tracks for Kevin Smith’s early films, specifically Mallrats and Chasing Amy. Mr. Affleck is OK in Mallrats and superb in Chasing Amy, but he is so funny, so genuine and so likable on the commentary tracks that I was solidified as a huge fan of his. When considering Mr. Affleck as a superhero, one must of course consider Daredevil. I am in the minority here but I am a big fan of that film. I think it’s great, a nice serious take on the Daredevil character, and I thought Mr. Affleck was terrific in the title role. I have always been bummed we never got a sequel (particularly since the narrative was positioned, at the end of the film, for a sequel to take on the classic Frank Miller Daredevil story-line “Born Again,” which I would KILL to someday see on a movie screen).
So why am I having a hard time imagining Mr. Affleck playing Batman? To be honest, I’m not sure. It might be that he is just too big a name for the role. He’s a great actor, but not necessarily the type who vanishes into his different roles. I am wondering if he as Ben Affleck is too well known to portray this character — will be be able to see Batman when watching him, rather than Ben Affleck? Or is the issue that I have always found him to be a very likable performer — might he be TOO likable to portray Batman, a very grim character?
I am dubious, but on the other hand I am pleased that Warner Brothers are shooting high and looking to assemble a high-profile cast for the Superman sequel. We’ll all see how it turns out on July 17, 2015…
In other news:
This could be one of my favorite articles I’ve ever read on-line: Devin Faraci at badassdigest.com on How Lost and The X-Files Are Exactly Like All His Failed Relationships. So funny, and his analysis of those two shows that both collapsed in the ninth inning is spot-on perfect.
Between Party Down and Parks and Recreation, I’ve become a huge Adam Scott fan. I like this trailer for his new film A.C.O.D. (Adult Child of Divorce):
http://youtu.be/9zQ9Q3WoloA
We are far, far away (see what I did there?) from knowing if J.J. Abrams’ new Star Wars films will be any good, but fans (like me) of the original trilogy have been pleased by recent news that ILM is building up their model shop again for work on the new film (rather than relying entirely on CGI) and, even better, that the new films will be shot on film, rather than digitally (as Episodes II and III were). Stylistically these feel like the right choices.
This is a fantastic behind-the-scenes photo from Dr. No.
Love this report of the 20th anniversary celebrations for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the greatest of the Trek TV series.
Speaking of Star Trek, gotta love this “honest trailer” for Star Trek Into Darkness (click here for my original review):
I just re-watched Cloud Atlas and I am even more convinced that the film is one of the finest masterpieces of the last decade. It was my favorite film of 2012 (despite Time Magazine’s naming it the WORST film of the year!) and I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Click here for my original review.) Go check it out. Have a great weekend! I hope to see you back here next week as I (finally!) wrap up my Star Trek Into Darkness cartoons, post my review of Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, and lots more fun stuff.