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Any Chicagoans (is that the word?) watching "The Dark Knight" filming?


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Any Chicagoans (is that the word?) watching "The Dark Knight" filming?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2007-04-25, 11:46

Apparently started up a week or so ago, downtown at an old post office (which is doubling for a bank in this movie). From the pics I've seen and stories I've read, it looks like Joker and his crew are robbing the bank. There's some schoolbuses involved in some way.

There was a small fire that broke out yesterday and made the news, but no one was hurt and filming wasn't disrupted too much.

Moogs and a few others, I know you're there in Chicago, right? Any dirt or good word? Any sighting of a guy in a black rubber suit or a cool, loud car?



Heath Ledger is the Joker, so it'll be interesting to see how he fits into this rebooted, more grounded franchise. I don't know how far Nolan and Co. will want to deviate from the backstory, but in this new, slightly-more-realistic take on the character/series, I'm not sure I buy the "falling into chemicals and turn white-skinned/green-haired, with an impossibly large smile".

I still like the idea of an ultra psychotic type who is seriously twisted and warped (laughs at pain and suffering, and enjoys causing it in others), has disfigured himself (cutting "smile lines" into his own face and traces it with lipstick) and uses powder/facepaint and contact lenses to heighten his scary, nasty vibe.

I don't want to see some garish, purple-suited asshat cackling and making bad puns for two hours, and being no more threatening/sinister than the neighborhood failed standup comic/part-time party magician.



Does the whole thing get filmed in Chicago? I imagine with all the buildings around (and people living and working in those buildings), the "spy shots" will come fast and furious (it isn't like they can make downtown Chicago a "closed set", after all.

Well, any good TDK news/info/tidbits/pics/rumors, put them here!
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709
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2007-04-25, 12:53

Speaking of Heath Ledger's Joker, I ran across a promo poster a bit ago that made me pee myself a little:







Only to find later it was actually a fake using Conrad Veidt from The Man Who Laughs:






Goddamned photoshoppers.

So it goes.
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kieran
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2007-04-25, 13:14

WWTDD has a picture up that claims to be a color test for Heath Ledger as the Joker

Heath Ledger- Joker

I can't wait until this movie comes out. I like the way that the Batman franchise is going now. They started to get a little crazy for a while.
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curiousuburb
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2007-04-25, 13:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I still like the idea of an ultra psychotic type who is seriously twisted and warped (laughs at pain and suffering, and enjoys causing it in others), has disfigured himself (cutting "smile lines" into his own face and traces it with lipstick) and uses powder/facepaint and contact lenses to heighten his scary, nasty vibe.
Been done. Sometimes well, usually badly.... </list of 'wannabe edgy' bands and/or album covers>

See also the self-mutilation extremists of tattoo/piercing/branding/scarification.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post

I don't want to see some garish, purple yellow-suited asshat cackling and making bad puns for two hours, and being no more threatening/sinister than the neighborhood failed standup comic/part-time party magician.
Been done. T,FTFY

All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
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Axl
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2007-04-25, 13:50

Too bad they didn't go with a Sin City style. The rebooted Batman should've been a straight adaptation from the comic books/graphic novels to the big screen. I remember you mentioning this as well.

I'm not a fan of Nolan's vision. He tries to ground Batman in our world, when we should instead be entranced in Gotham City's unrestrained fanciful elements.

I'm just sayin'

but yeah, I agree with your "ultra psychotic type". They just have to make Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns dammit!
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 15:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by kieran23kk View Post
WWTDD has a picture up that claims to be a color test for Heath Ledger as the Joker

Heath Ledger- Joker

I can't wait until this movie comes out. I like the way that the Batman franchise is going now. They started to get a little crazy for a while.
That was copped-to as a hoax/Photoshop job. If you check the Joker forum at superherohype.com, the guy owns up to it two days ago. He took a headshot of Ledger (doesn't even look like him, oddly) and grafted it on to a body shot of Orlando Bloom (as that character he played in LOTR, holding a color chart for testing).

I'll try to find the thread...

But it's not real (it showed both source images, so you know).

EDIT: Here you go, the Photoshopper explaining all... (it's really not that tight of a job, and I'm not sure why everyone on the planet fell for it...both sharp and blurry, stuff looks fairly "pasted on", etc.)



Quote:
Originally Posted by Axl View Post
Too bad they didn't go with a Sin City style. The rebooted Batman should've been a straight adaptation from the comic books/graphic novels to the big screen. I remember you mentioning this as well.

I'm not a fan of Nolan's vision. He tries to ground Batman in our world, when we should instead be entranced in Gotham City's unrestrained fanciful elements.

I'm just sayin'

but yeah, I agree with your "ultra psychotic type". They just have to make Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns dammit!
Talk about peeing your pants...yeah, after seeing "Sin City" and "300", I think I'd love to see a dark, funky noir-ish type of Batman done in that stylish way. It would be so fun to watch.

In any case, here's my make-up test for Ledger's Joker. No prosthetics (no exaggerated pointy chin or nose, or unrealistic ear-to-ear grin). Just a self-mutilating whackjob with a flair for the theatrical.



It scares me/gives me the creeps, and I'm the one who created it!



Imagine that guy sticking a gun in your face and robbing you (or worse), while laughing all sinister-like.


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2007-04-25 at 15:44. Reason: Posts merged
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 15:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by 709 View Post
Speaking of Heath Ledger's Joker, I ran across a promo poster a bit ago that made me pee myself a little:

Quote:
cool Photoshop mockup of Joker based on old movie guy


Only to find later it was actually a fake using Conrad Veidt from The Man Who Laughs:

Quote:
Original old movie guy in original B&W state



Goddamned photoshoppers.
Yeah, that was excellent work. It totally fooled me and I swore I was seeing Heath Ledger in that. Really nice work on the coloring (skin, teeth and gums, etc.) and adding the loose hair and all.
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Moogs
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2007-04-25, 15:40

I've not been downtown to see any of this, usually stuff is pretty well cordoned off anyway. It's not like New York where there are film crews all over the place, out in the open. Film shoots tend to be a little more controlled here in Chicago I think, though of course every film is different / has different needs as far as how many people are needed for "background clutter" / real city look.

Hey is the guy from Batman Begins going to be Bruce Wayne again? I think he was better than the rest of them. Michael Keaton too psycho, and George Clooney's movie is one of those that should be "un-made", right along with Cat Woman.

I actually thought Batman begins was the best of the ones I've seen, and by a pretty wide margin. Better acting, more interesting story, not so over-the-top with effects.

...into the light of a dark black night.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 15:53

Yeah, it's Christian Bale. And the same writer and director as well. And also Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman (yay!).



And news out today that Eric Roberts(!) has joined the cast, playing some criminal/crime boss. I actually like him a lot. I've always thought of him as a more accessible, sane (and more employable) Mickey Rourke. Or a poor man's Willem Defoe.



Katie Holmes has been replaced by Maggie Gyleenhhaheüéllll (that Jake guy's sister...I can't spell their last name if I tried)

And speaking of Mr. Defoe, I was watching some of the first Spider-Man movie on TBS the other night and realized that Willem Defoe would've made a good Joker (with a minimum of makeup required ), but he'd probably balk on playing two major comic book villains...
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Moogs
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2007-04-25, 18:20

No more Katie? That's too bad. She kind of fit in that role well; I guess there are too many "Zenu and U" seminars coming up for her to be both an actress and scientologist in training.

And Yep. Willem Defoe is a good bad guy. In general I didn't really dig either of the Spider Man movies, though they weren't nearly as cheesy as the first 2 or 3 Batman movie. Didn't even bother seeing Superman Begins or whateverTF it was called with Kevin Spacey as Lex. While I'm sure he makes a more compelling villain, you have to love the mishap-prone nature of Gene Hackman's interpretation of Lex. Sneaky, weaseling little underhanded bastard.

...into the light of a dark black night.
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cosus
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2007-04-25, 18:26

Isn't Batman suppose to take place i NYC?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 18:31

It's always been "Gotham City", which, yeah, everyone pretty much associates with NYC. But it's never really stated as such. Just a fictional city, but big and crowded, with skyscrapers, crime and so forth.

There won't be any "Chicago" mentions or references in the movie, just "Gotham City".

Maybe it's easier/cheaper to film in Chicago rather than New York?

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spikeh
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2007-04-25, 18:33

Architecture in Chicago is much more gothic and fitting, I'd imagine.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 19:18

My stab at a teaser poster, using my altered Heath Ledger from above and combined with some other crap (and I had to create the signal/bat from scratch...grrr).

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spikeh
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2007-04-25, 20:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
My stab at a teaser poster, using my altered Heath Ledger from above and combined with some other crap (and I had to create the signal/bat from scratch...grrr).

oh i love it! i'd like to see one of his head tilted down, with a big fedora on so it's like just his grinning mouth coming out of the shadows and then the same tag-line and stuff. Now please. (Just kidding. But I hope you can imagine what I imagine).
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psmith2.0
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2007-04-25, 20:44

Yeah, I don't have one like that though.

But I know what you're saying. If I can find a pic online of Ledger posed that way, I'd certainly "re-apply the makeup", put in a hat (or even an eye-covering shadow) and insert it into the poster!

I just don't know if a modern-day Joker (or guy, period) does the fedora thing.

I'm not thinking "comic book" Joker, "TV series Joker", Jack Nicholson Joker, etc. No purple suits, no bright, cartoonish green hair, etc.
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Kickaha
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2007-04-25, 20:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by cosus View Post
Isn't Batman suppose to take place i NYC?
The general explanation is:

Gotham City is NYC at night.
Metropolis is NYC during the day.

Of course, this worked better back in the pre-Guiliani scary-NYC days.
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spikeh
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2007-04-25, 21:14



That seems to be the look they have gone for. Not what I was hoping for...
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Brad
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2007-04-25, 21:22

Quote:
Originally Posted by cosus View Post
Isn't Batman suppose to take place i NYC?
For what it's worth, you (and others) may enjoy A Tourist Map of Gotham for some trivia and an excellent map scan.
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Foj
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2007-04-25, 21:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by spikeh View Post


That seems to be the look they have gone for. Not what I was hoping for...
Actually that's just his 'standing outside the trailer' look. Or he might have spent too much time in the pool.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 21:32

I'm following the shooting of these scenes at another site. There are pics of him and his henchmen wearing plastic clown masks, so I'm thinking that they're shooting some "coverage" shots, and there's no need for Ledger to have full make-up in place? It's a possibility...

I can't imagine them shooting out on a public area in a major city in daytime and giving away one of their "spoilers" or hold backs (what Joker is going to look like).

That's my take on it (which is shared by others I've seen online).

Then again, this Nolan series is such a different tone, there's a halfway decent chance that perhaps this Joker isn't white-skinned/green-haired or freaky-looking in the way we've come to expect. Maybe he's just a mean criminal who wears a clown mask when he's doing his thing? I could see things going that way too, although it would be weird they'd pass up a chance to put their own stamp on such an iconic character and not do something interesting with some makeup or whatever.

Would folks buy a Joker who didn't look like anything what we've grown to know for decades? Just a regular guy with maybe a little green in his hair?

I don't know...
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Majost
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2007-04-25, 21:39

Hmmm... any word on the times for any of the shootings? (probably not) I'd love to swing by and try to grab a peek at some of the scenes.

I know that a lot of Batman Begins was shot on Lower Wacker... I wonder if they'll do the same with The Dark Night.
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709
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2007-04-25, 23:17

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
And news out today that Eric Roberts(!) has joined the cast, playing some criminal/crime boss.
As Sal Maroni, which means we might get a nice little setup into Movie #3.

I wouldn't be suprised to see Selina Kyle pop up either now that I think about it (maybe played by Fariza Balk, or whatever that freaky looking chick's name is).

So it goes.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2007-04-25, 23:33

Yeah, baby! Bring it...Fairuza Balk all the way, in black tight leather.

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Moogs
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2007-04-26, 09:44

Scates, that poster is AWESOME. Dude, you got the skillz!

As for Gotham, I wouldn't at all be surprised if this movie was filmed in both Chicago and New York, and maybe other places to. After all, most of Gotham in Batman begins appeared to be CG stuff anyway. All they're really doing is taking bits and pieces of different cities to make the interior scenes look real, rather than trying to portray a particular city as a whole. For example, you won't see either Chicago or New York's skyline in the movie...

...into the light of a dark black night.
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psmith2.0
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2007-04-26, 09:54

I know the last one was filmed in Chicago and London soundstages for the most part (exteriors and "city stuff" - rooftops, the Tumbler chase, etc. - in Chicago and, I assume, all the indoor stuff in London).

They've never "given it away" by blatantly showing the Sears Tower or whatnot. I mean, if you actually live in Chicago, you're bound to recognize a few of the buildings. But the rest of us aren't supposed to be thinking "okay, now he's on the Dan Ryan and...hey, there's Comiskey!"

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Majost
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2007-04-26, 11:43

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I know the last one was filmed in Chicago and London soundstages for the most part (exteriors and "city stuff" - rooftops, the Tumbler chase, etc. - in Chicago and, I assume, all the indoor stuff in London).

They've never "given it away" by blatantly showing the Sears Tower or whatnot. I mean, if you actually live in Chicago, you're bound to recognize a few of the buildings. But the rest of us aren't supposed to be thinking "okay, now he's on the Dan Ryan and...hey, there's Comiskey!"

*Imagines the Batmobile dodging traffic cones and construction vehicles and stopped traffic on the Dan Ryan*
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curiousuburb
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2007-04-26, 14:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
They've never "given it away" by blatantly showing the Sears Tower or whatnot. I mean, if you actually live in Chicago, you're bound to recognize a few of the buildings. But the rest of us aren't supposed to be thinking "okay, now he's on the Dan Ryan and...hey, there's Comiskey!"

You mean like "Rumble in the Bronx" which has, uh... Mountains in the background of half of its Vancouver-as-NY filming?

Or do you mean surreal geographic shifts for the sake of plot... like transposing one street in Vancouver next to the Ferry pier (actually 20k away) in "Shoot to Kill"?

Directed by Mr. Non Sequitur, clearly.

All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2007-05-20, 09:18

Joker revealed?!?

Wow, neat idea! The official "Dark Knight" site went up a few weeks ago, although it was nothing more than a bat symbol:

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com

Starting about a week ago, when you clicked on the bat, you were taken to this site:

http://ibelieveinharveydent.warnerbros.com

A couple of days ago, this site came up:

http://www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com

Watch for a few seconds...I'm assuming/hoping this is also legit. People seem to think it is, and it looks like Heath Ledger. Look at that face! Yikes!



The story I hear is that he's already a bad guy, committing robberies and such. Batman intervenes in one and a zip line that he has fastened snaps loose and provides those facial scars. So while I was hoping for a scarred, scary Joker all along (a self-scarring one was my take), I like the idea of those horrible mouth scars being caused by Batman...there's some fuel for Joker's hatred!
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spikeh
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2007-05-20, 09:28

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Joker revealed?!?

Wow, neat idea! The official "Dark Knight" site went up a few weeks ago, although it was nothing more than a bat symbol:

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com

Starting about a week ago, when you clicked on the bat, you were taken to this site:

http://ibelieveinharveydent.warnerbros.com

A couple of days ago, this site came up:

http://www.ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com

Watch for a few seconds...I'm assuming/hoping this is also legit. People seem to think it is, and it looks like Heath Ledger. Look at that face! Yikes!



The story I hear is that he's already a bad guy, committing robberies and such. Batman intervenes in one and a zip line that he has fastened snaps loose and provides those facial scars. So while I was hoping for a scarred, scary Joker all along (a self-scarring one was my take), I like the idea of those horrible mouth scars being caused by Batman...there's some fuel for Joker's hatred!
Awesome. I hope they explore the fallibility of Batman a lot more too in the second movie. Great spot, pscates!
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