A vision for how they should have adapted DC Comics heroes in the 2000

[Airwings]

Hallmark channel would be an interesting fit for Marvelous film and story. It'd be interesting to see them delve into the superhero realm , and Captain Marvel would fit there very family friendly content.

Shazam is one of those DC characters I don't know much about beyond the film, but your story sounds interesting and visually , it would be a treat..

No less than three posts to reply to. I'm overwhelmed

I'll start with Shazam.
My story strays a bit away from what it is in the comics. I also go for an unexpected adaption when it comes to the genre.
Many genres have come and gone in the various DC films. But not all. So I was thinking (or we could say Cruise did that), why not try a little musical?

The idea with Hallmark just came to me. Because it would be quite fun to have yet another kind of production. And for getting the logo onscreen, before the film

Young actors have started to be a part of the films. B&S had Brandon Soo Hoo.
Now we get a whole bunch.
It was really difficult to find the right ones. I went back and forth with several possible for Billy and Freddie, Discovered some new choices too. I had to ditch most of the candidates and settle for the two best, or else I wouldn't get a film to write about.
The parents and foster parents were almost as difficult.
The only child character that was easy to cast was Sunny. I mean, look at that hair. Was he actually trying to be Sunny? LOL

 

[Airwings]

I like the concepts here with Aquaman 2. It mixes the grandeur and mythological elements with the more real world aspects of Arthur and Black Manta's backgrounds.

Paul Bettany is an interesting choice for Aquaman. Even though he's played villains and supporting roles in the past , it would be interesting to see him play a Leader for once.

He certainly has the physical stature being 6'3, and he also has a regal quality about him.

You can believe he is a Prince or a King. These pics are several years old I think, but he has longer hair here, and gives off an Aquaman vibe to me.

Thanks
I like Bettany as Aquaman too. He would perhaps be better than Jude Law.
Never mind that the pics are old. This film is from 2010
At that point in his career, he tried to be an action star with Priest and Legion. Both dystopian stories with a religious theme.
When he replaced Brad Pitt, the script reshaped the character without being a reboot (bc some cast remains), and added elements from actors such as Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, Johnny Weissmuller and Robert Redford.

I didn't mention some of the films that stood model for this sequel because it would be too much too read.
But I can reveal them now: Dr No, The Man With The Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy and Never Say Never Again.
Yes, it's Bond. James Bond.
These stories take 007 to a unknown territory, far from home. He goes to islands and even gets underwater. So it makes sense to use specifically them out of all the Bond films.
What's common in them are several things:
*speculative fiction plays a part in one way or another.
*locations are highly exotic.
*INTERIORS can be extremely beautifully designed, sometimes also strange and out-of-this-world.
*water is a recurring theme.
*there is often something high tech too.

It would be interesting to see how Verhoeven would tackle the hero. He has done controversial and violent sci fi films with their own atmosphere.
Can he blend in some of Bertolucci's "grand story" trademarks? What do you think?
In my alternative reality, Aquaman 2 is his return to Hollywood after sticking to making dutch films for a while. He said he was exhausted after the filming because he hasn't done action in a long time.

Do you think the film gets too realistic and political with drug trading, Mexican drug mafia, topics like pollution and climate change?

When you read about my first Aquaman film and then read about the sequel, things gets deeper (no pun). The whole matter about Atlantis changes into something else. Not everything was what it first seemed to be.
It definately puts things in a different perspective.
I really dig the Lemuria backstory. It strikes a chord in me

 

[Frodo]

Thanks
I like Bettany as Aquaman too. He would perhaps be better than Jude Law.
Never mind that the pics are old. This film is from 2010
At that point in his career, he tried to be an action star with Priest and Legion. Both dystopian stories with a religious theme.
When he replaced Brad Pitt, the script reshaped the character without being a reboot (bc some cast remains), and added elements from actors such as Kirk Douglas, Carlton Heston, Johnny Weissmuller and Robert Redford.

I didn't mention some of the films that stood model for this sequel because it would be too much too read.
But I can reveal them now: Dr No, The Man With The Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy and Never Say Never Again.
Yes, it's Bond. James Bond.
These stories take 007 to a unknown territory, far from home. He goes to islands and even gets underwater. So it makes sense to use specifically them out of all the Bond films.
What's common in them are several things:
*speculative fiction plays a part in one way or another.
*locations are highly exotic.
*exteriors can be extremely beautifully designed, sometimes also strange and out-of-this-world.
*water is a recurring theme.
*there is often something high tech too.

It would be interesting to see how Verhoeven would tackle the hero. He has done controversial and violent sci fi films with their own atmosphere.
Can he blend in some of Bertolucci's "grand story" trademarks? What do you think?
In my alternative reality, Aquaman 2 is his return to Hollywood after sticking to making dutch films for a while. He said he was exhausted after the filming because he hasn't done action in a long time.

Do you think the film gets too realistic and political with drug trading, Mexican drug mafia, topics like pollution and climate change?

When you read about my first Aquaman film and then read about the sequel, things gets deeper (no pun). The whole matter about Atlantis changes into something else. Not everything was what it first seemed to be.
It definately puts things in a different perspective.
I really dig the Lemuria backstory. It strikes a chord in me

It would be interesting to see Verhoeven's take on the Bertolucci's grand story trademarks. I've only seen a hand full of his films , but the closet ones that I would say are epic in terms of the scale of the stories are Total Recall, Robocop, and Starship Troopers.

So if he could combine the grand story aspects with the action flavor of those films, I think he could pull it off.

I also think that the drug trade, Mexican Mafia, and Climate change stuff could fit in with an Aquaman story. Pollution and Climate change in particular fits well given those things would likely have a direct impact on Atlantis and the other kingdoms.

The drug trade could fit given that one of the means of transport could be cargo ships . I can actually envision a scene of Aquaman diving out of the water and battling armed cartel members on a huge drug freighter like this

With a fight scene on top of the cargo ship like this

 

[Airwings]

It would be interesting to see Verhoeven's take on the Bertolucci's grand story trademarks. I've only seen a hand full of his films , but the closet ones that I would say are epic in terms of the scale of the stories are Total Recall, Robocop, and Starship Troopers.

So if he could combine the grand story aspects with the action flavor of those films, I think he could pull it off.

I also think that the drug trade, Mexican Mafia, and Climate change stuff could fit in with an Aquaman story. Pollution and Climate change in particular fits well given those things would likely have a direct impact on Atlantis and the other kingdoms.

The drug trade could fit given that one of the means of transport could be cargo ships . I can actually envision a scene of Aquaman diving out of the water and battling armed cartel members on a huge drug freighter like this

With a fight scene on top of the cargo ship like this

I've seen some grand Bertolucci epics at the big screen, 1,5 or 2 years ago. Really long films but the director manages to capture the viewer until the last frame.
He's far from Verhoeven's kind of filmmaking so it would make the blend even more intriguing.
To be fair, Aquaman 2 went towards Cameron and D.W. Griffith too
One thing the 4 directors share, is that they (sometimes) made big films.

I was thinking the same thing about stuff from real world.
The climate change affects marine life. Chemicals and oil spills, and the plastic, outright kills it.
Atlantis is unfortunately located on the sea floor so they're the first to know.
Big companies exploit the nature for profit.
One thing that makes particulary Orin upset is that people are exploited too. "Make them addicted", then one earns money from that. Even a politician is involved, really shady business.

So he could attack a ship like the one you describe. Or while it unloads the drugs in the harbor at night. The scene would be soo awesome. Just like in Captain America
But Aquaman is stronger, and won't go easy on them like Cap did.
After that, it's time to deal with a mafia-like family on the other side of the border. Those people tend to be really stuck up on themselves and thinking they're better than everybody else. They really need a lesson. But that can only be acchieved with violence. They won't listen if one just try to talk them out of it.

I got to think of James Bond when he's about to infiltrate a drug ring (which Aquaman won't do, he just attacks).
The dialogue could apply for Aquaman, if we wish.

Bond : In my business you prepare for the unexpected
Sanchez : And what business is that?
Bond : I help people with problems.
Sanchez : Problem solver.
Bond : More of a problem eliminator.

 

[Airwings]

Pretty awesome and epic Airwings.
Karl Urban as Hawkman is inspired , and I also think Jessica Biel is a great fit for Hawkwoman.
Mantenga could also play a good Vandal Savage with the intellect combined with menace.

The rest of the cast is also really cool.

Wolfgang Peterson is also a great fit given his work on films like Troy.

Thanks.

At first I was going to name the sequel Hawkworld. It would have been really fitting, but there was a series of comic books named that and this film doesn't have much to do with that story.

It wasn't easy to cast Thanagarian characters, lol.
I had more fun with the minor roles and cameos.
We see a famous face for a scene or two, then some other star shows up.
I wonder if this spoils the film. Could it break the fourth wall too much?
They act their characters but the audience recognize most of them right away.
It could be a little much of it sometimes when a film is set only on Earth.
X works in a food store, X drives a cab, X speaks to you in the street etc and similar stuff.
Would it feel like it actually takes place at one of these old-fashioned studio sets where a whole block was built just for the film? And the stars just pass by on their way to another film set?
If so, it would prevent us from getting into the story.

Urban for Hawk is inspired casting.
It's different from when Dougray Scott played the role. Both can be badass though.

Biel as Hawkwoman makes so much sense. I even had her in the first film
Could another in the same age group as her fit the role as much? Not sure.
Neve Campbell maybe?

Mantegna is good but it can't feel good to replace Kurt Russell in the same role. He must have felt it hopeless.

Wolfgang, yes.
Hawkman is like Troy set on a cyberpunk planet
He did other films too, like Stargate (which had a connection to Egypt).
But he's most tied to Troy nowadays. People have forget all his other works.
Ridley Scott's Gladiator and Blade Runner also live on in Hawkman 2. It means there's an overweight of sword and sandal then, in a dystopian world
When talking about directors, I was posting Hawkman in a hurry and forgot to mention something I planned to bring up.
It's Akira Kurosawa. His legacy affected the Hawksequel too. It's not only Ridley (and Boorman) who did that.
It's important to bring that up so that you know.
Have you seen any of Kurosawa's films? I have! One of his later







There's one thing, Frodo. Don't you think it's intriguing how everything changes between the two films? This is really worth an extra discussion.

Pay extra notice to the cues in bold

The first film was like this:

... character that originated in ancient Egypt:

Young prince Khufu and Chay-Ara, priestess at the royal court, have a secret love affair. It begun as a little shy flirt where they would start to share sideway glances before looking away, blush and bite lips.....
The temple priest Hath-Set, former mentor of Chay-Ara, is jelous beyond reason. He becomes an evil sorcerer, a path that he’s already started. Perhaps under the influence by gods.
At the same time, there's talks around the court about having gotten a gift from the gods. Some time prior to the film, a meteorite had crashed in the desert and bird-like armor were found at the site. These items were stored in a chamber, awaiting to be put on display in the throne room. For showing the pharao's might to visitors.
Khufu doesn't really believe in the gods. He find it hard to understand how Egypt, the greatest civilization the world has ever seen, can be so stuck up in the old ways.
Playful as he is, he likes to fool around and put on the "falcon helmet" as he calls it. There's not much excitement in being a prince all day long
One late evening, he invites Chay-Ara to join him. They try on the wings as well and find that they are able to fly. They take a short flight outside, Some people believe the gods have returned.

Back at the palace, Hath-Set awaits them. The lovers are killed and cursed with being born again and again, and never be able to live their lives together.

We're made to think real gods are involved in the mysterious armor.
Then the sequel comes along and reveals a backstory to their "first lives", to everything about Egypt

Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, as our heroes were called back at Thanagar.... were not only partners on the police force but had feelings for each other too.
The couple went to Earth on a mission to check up some local disturbance but their spacecraft malfunctioned and they had to eject themselves to survive. Then they were found by the priest Hath-Set.
Evil as he was, he decided to wipe their minds and give them fake memories. He already had some control over the royal palace.
He altered their physical shape to have them look different. Katar was placed at the court, as a young prince. Shayera became his priestess, as well as his mistress. (to Hath-Set, I mean)
That’s how Khufu and Chay-Ara came to be, as seen in previous film. And that’s why they felt a connection to the hawk armor found in the wreckage of their ship.

It feels like the mind is going to explode of pure epicness.
As explained in the second film, Thanagarians invaded Earth and actually built Egypt and demanded worship from the simple Earthlings who lived there. It happened some thousands years before the Hawk couple had a mission to Earth.
The first generations of Thanagarians had the same names as Egyptian gods, and the mythology was created because of these.
Thanagarian technology aside, the Earthly magic maybe even turned them into actual gods?

All this together puts the flashback in the first film, in a very different perspective.

 

[Airwings]

Here's the top grossing films of 2010.
As always, the animated flics dominate. How come they're so popular???

1. Toy Story 3
2. Alice in Wonderland
3. Batman vs Superman: World’s Finest
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
5. Inception
6. Shrek Forever After
7. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
8. Tangled
9. Despicable Me
10. Aquaman 2: Atlantis Rising

11. Marvelous
12. Hawkman & Hawkwoman: The Legacy of Thanagar
13. How to Train Your Dragon
14. Clash of the Titans
15. The King's Speech
16. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
17. TRON: Legacy
18. The Karate Kid
19. Black Swan
20. Megamind

 

[Frodo]

Thanks.

At first I was going to name the sequel Hawkworld. It would have been really fitting, but there was a series of comic books named that and this film doesn't have much to do with that story.

It wasn't easy to cast Thanagarian characters, lol.
I had more fun with the minor roles and cameos.
We see a famous face for a scene or two, then some other star shows up.
I wonder if this spoils the film. Could it break the fourth wall too much?
They act their characters but the audience recognize most of them right away.
It could be a little much of it sometimes when a film is set only on Earth.
X works in a food store, X drives a cab, X speaks to you in the street etc and similar stuff.
Would it feel like it actually takes place at one of these old-fashioned studio sets where a whole block was built just for the film? And the stars just pass by on their way to another film set?
If so, it would prevent us from getting into the story.

Urban for Hawk is inspired casting.
It's different from when Dougray Scott played the role. Both can be badass though.

Biel as Hawkwoman makes so much sense. I even had her in the first film
Could another in the same age group as her fit the role as much? Not sure.
Neve Campbell maybe?

Mantegna is good but it can't feel good to replace Kurt Russell in the same role. He must have felt it hopeless.

Wolfgang, yes.
Hawkman is like Troy set on a cyberpunk planet
He did other films too, like Stargate (which had a connection to Egypt).
But he's most tied to Troy nowadays. People have forget all his other works.
Ridley Scott's Gladiator and Blade Runner also live on in Hawkman 2. It means there's an overweight of sword and sandal then, in a dystopian world
When talking about directors, I was posting Hawkman in a hurry and forgot to mention something I planned to bring up.
It's Akira Kurosawa. His legacy affected the Hawksequel too. It's not only Ridley (and Boorman) who did that.
It's important to bring that up so that you know.
Have you seen any of Kurosawa's films? I have! One of his later

View attachment 45507

View attachment 45508

View attachment 45509

There's one thing, Frodo. Don't you think it's intriguing how everything changes between the two films? This is really worth an extra discussion.

Pay extra notice to the cues in bold

The first film was like this:




We're made to think real gods are involved in the mysterious armor.
Then the sequel comes along and reveals a backstory to their "first lives", to everything about Egypt



It feels like the mind is going to explode of pure epicness.
As explained in the second film, Thanagarians invaded Earth and actually built Egypt and demanded worship from the simple Earthlings who lived there. It happened some thousands years before the Hawk couple had a mission to Earth.
The first generations of Thanagarians had the same names as Egyptian gods, and the mythology was created because of these.
Thanagarian technology aside, the Earthly magic maybe even turned them into actual gods?

All this together puts the flashback in the first film, in a very different perspective.

I would have loved to have seen both of your Hawkman films.

Reading your story makes me want to learn more about the characters.

I only have knowledge of them from Legends of Tomorrow , and even then, they were sharing time with several other characters .

 

[Airwings]

I would have loved to have seen both of your Hawkman films.

Reading your story makes me want to learn more about the characters.

I only have knowledge of them from Legends of Tomorrow , and even then, they were sharing time with several other characters .

Thanks
I would have liked to see them too.

The story I came up with is based on the original but I took some liberties.
I'll be posting someting else related to that later today. Something that's so mind-boggling you'll fall out of your chair lol.

To be honest, I didn't really know all that much about the Hawkies either.. A few facts had to be checked up on.
But Carter Hall was on Smallville if you don't rememember.

And now, I can reveal that Daft Punk made a song to Hawkman 2!!!

Have you heard about Daft Punk? Do you like them?

 

[Airwings]

I would have loved to have seen both of your Hawkman films.

Reading your story makes me want to learn more about the characters.

I only have knowledge of them from Legends of Tomorrow , and even then, they were sharing time with several other characters .

Now, brace yourself

I will have quotes but in italics this time. And if I have some comment to add between the quotes, it'll be in bold.
Ready?

I'll start with the first Aquaman film. It's someting about Atlantis

"it sunk beneath the waves more than twelve thousand years ago"

Then we'll head to Aquaman 2 and find out about the Lemurians. Everything we were told in the first film is now turned upside down.
Lemuria is the true origin of every human civilization.
The cause of the Atlantis disaster is reaveled

"A few thousand years later, they struck back and destroyed Atlantis from afar with the help of (super-) natural forces. So much that the island sunk"

Back to the first Aquaman. What did the Atlanteans do when they didn't have somewhere to live anymore?

"the refugees fled to Egypt which was one of their colonies. They had lost most of their technology in the disaster and had to live a simpler life"

Just like Atlantis had started out as a Lemurian colony, so was Egypt a colony to the Atlanteans.
They obviously didn't let their colony Egypt have the same kind of tech and military power as themselves had. If they did, their rule would be in jeopardy.
That's why the living in Egypt was more simple.
But then something happened:

"A couple of centuries later, they were fighting off an invading force by another culture. The Atlanteans lost and were driven out. That other civilization built the old Egypt we know today (pyramids and such)"

So the Atlanteans were punished a second time, huh?
But wait. Something about that sounds familiar.

Let's take a look at Hawkman 2:

"Thanagarians came to Earth many thousands of years ago. We were one of the worlds invaded by them.
They struck our most developed civilization for its time. Partly because it needed to be dealt with first, partly because it was the most fun challenge.
Some resisted and put up a fight, but these were fought and driven out"

"You may have guessed where it was?
The land was Egypt, which they re-shaped to their own liking. Making it look similar to their homeworld.
The Thanagarians were the ones who introduced the pyramid structure in the area"

Ooooh, holy bicycle Batman. You mean.... it's connected?
Yes, Robin. And with much of their military power gone, they couldn't win against the alien army.

Now Frodo, I'll give you a bunch of quotes from the films

Hawkman 2:

"The majority of the inhabitants were more simple and didn’t pose a threat"

It was those people who had lived in Egypt for thousands of years.
As Atlantis had existed for around 50 000 years (plus 3000 or 4000 years more before Lemuria struck back), one would think their colony in Egypt had existed for half of that, or one third of that. It's still a very long time.
Only the descendants of the Atlantean refugees could possibly know how to fight on that scale (with a powerful enemy), and have a vague knowledge of the old Atlantean army, and this only because it had only gone 200-300 years since their island sunk.
Just a very little remaning of their tech must have survived the disaster and brought to Egypt as well. But it was too little to fight off the Tanagarians.

Now, back to Aquaman:

"Before that, Sahara was a lush place very similar to Atlantis but the wars devastated the region"

"Being forced to flee a second time, thery ended up on Crete where they established the Minoan empire."

Then Hawkman 2:

"Before that, Egypt was more like a very early version of the Minoan empire on Crete. The soil was much more fertile. The land was once green, a lush place"

So Egypt wasn't a desert at all in the beginning. Blame the Thanagarians for that. Their invasion and following war destroyed the land.
If my knowledge of math is good enough, Thanagar invaded Egypt around 10 000 bc.
The Egypt we know today was created just after the war.
But it was an Atlantean colony prior to that. With green fields, forests and lakes. Today, only the oases remain of that era.
Oh, interesting!!!

Now it makes sense why the Atlantean descendants established the Minoan Empire. Because that's how Egypt looked before Thanagar invaded and built the first pyramid.
And the Minoan architecture seen in Knossos (Crete), if you ever been there, hails from Atlantis. That's similar to how buildings looked back at their island, but bigger and grander. You just have to imagine the people being more high tech

A footnote is that greek architecture in general, like the temples at Acropolis, is in turn an upgrade of the minoan (=atlantean) style. Perhaps even closer to the actual Atlantean architecture than the Minoan buildings were..
This explains why Atlantis in modern popculture appears to be so "greek"
But as I went through in the post about the first Aquaman, Atlantean descendants are behind all the ancient (European) world. Not only Greece but Rome as well. I like to mess with real-world history.
And don't you agree that the Roman empire doesn't look that different from ancient Greece? The buildings as well as the clothing, and the soldiers too.
The explanation = it's all connected to Atlantis!! lol

 

[Frodo]

Now, brace yourself

I will have quotes but in italics this time. And if I have some comment to add between the quotes, it'll be in bold.
Ready?

I'll start with the first Aquaman film. It's someting about Atlantis

"it sunk beneath the waves more than twelve thousand years ago"

Then we'll head to Aquaman 2 and find out about the Lemurians. Everything we were told in the first film is now turned upside down.
Lemuria is the true origin of every human civilization.
The cause of the Atlantis disaster is reaveled

"A few thousand years later, they struck back and destroyed Atlantis from afar with the help of (super-) natural forces. So much that the island sunk"

Back to the first Aquaman. What did the Atlanteans do when they didn't have somewhere to live anymore?

"the refugees fled to Egypt which was one of their colonies. They had lost most of their technology in the disaster and had to live a simpler life"

Just like Atlantis had started out as a Lemurian colony, so was Egypt a colony to the Atlanteans.
They obviously didn't let their colony Egypt have the same kind of tech and military power as themselves had. If they did, their rule would be in jeopardy.
That's why the living in Egypt was more simple.
But then something happened:

"A couple of centuries later, they were fighting off an invading force by another culture. The Atlanteans lost and were driven out. That other civilization built the old Egypt we know today (pyramids and such)"

So the Atlanteans were punished a second time, huh?
But wait. Something about that sounds familiar.

Let's take a look at Hawkman 2:

"Thanagarians came to Earth many thousands of years ago. We were one of the worlds invaded by them.
They struck our most developed civilization for its time. Partly because it needed to be dealt with first, partly because it was the most fun challenge.
Some resisted and put up a fight, but these were fought and driven out"

"You may have guessed where it was?
The land was Egypt, which they re-shaped to their own liking. Making it look similar to their homeworld.
The Thanagarians were the ones who introduced the pyramid structure in the area"

Ooooh, holy bicycle Batman. You mean.... it's connected?
Yes, Robin. And with much of their military power gone, they couldn't win against the alien army.

Now Frodo, I'll give you a bunch of quotes from the films

Hawkman 2:

"The majority of the inhabitants were more simple and didn’t pose a threat"

It was those people who had lived in Egypt for thousands of years.
As Atlantis had existed for around 50 000 years (plus 3000 or 4000 years more before Lemuria struck back), one would think their colony in Egypt had existed for half of that, or one third of that. It's still a very long time.
Only the descendants of the Atlantean refugees could possibly know how to fight on that scale (with a powerful enemy), and have a vague knowledge of the old Atlantean army, and this only because it had only gone 200-300 years since their island sunk.
Just a very little remaning of their tech must have survived the disaster and brought to Egypt as well. But it was too little to fight off the Tanagarians.

Now, back to Aquaman:

"Before that, Sahara was a lush place very similar to Atlantis but the wars devastated the region"

"Being forced to flee a second time, thery ended up on Crete where they established the Minoan empire."

Then Hawkman 2:

"Before that, Egypt was more like a very early version of the Minoan empire on Crete. The soil was much more fertile. The land was once green, a lush place"

So Egypt wasn't a desert at all in the beginning. Blame the Thanagarians for that. Their invasion and following war destroyed the land.
If my knowledge of math is good enough, Thanagar invaded Egypt around 10 000 bc.
The Egypt we know today was created just after the war.
But it was an Atlantean colony prior to that. With green fields, forests and lakes. Today, only the oases remain of that era.
Oh, interesting!!!

Now it makes sense why the Atlantean descendants established the Minoan Empire. Because that's how Egypt looked before Thanagar invaded and built the first pyramid.
And the Minoan architecture seen in Knossos (Crete), if you ever been there, hails from Atlantis. That's similar to how buildings looked back at their island, but bigger and grander. You just have to imagine the people being more high tech

A footnote is that greek architecture in general, like the temples at Acropolis, is in turn an upgrade of the minoan (=atlantean) style. Perhaps even closer to the actual Atlantean architecture than the Minoan buildings were..
This explains why Atlantis in modern popculture appears to be so "greek"
But as I went through in the post about the first Aquaman, Atlantean descendants are behind all the ancient (European) world. Not only Greece but Rome as well. I like to mess with real-world history.
And don't you agree that the Roman empire doesn't look that different from ancient Greece? The buildings as well as the clothing, and the soldiers too.
The explanation = it's all connected to Atlantis!! lol

Very cool connections Airwings. . I like connection between the myths of Aquaman and Hawkman historic backgrounds to real life civilizations and their architecture.

So, does this mean that an Aquaman and Hawkman crossover is in the making or a possibility given their shared history and land?.

If so, how do you see the relationship between Arthur and Carter being?

 

[Airwings]

Very cool connections Airwings. . I like connection between the myths of Aquaman and Hawkman historic backgrounds to real life civilizations and their architecture.

So, does this mean that an Aquaman and Hawkman crossover is in the making or a possibility given their shared history and land?.

If so, how do you see the relationship between Arthur and Carter being?

Thanks

The connections are so epic I almost can't breathe lol.

I love to mess with real world history. In these films, empires such as the Minoan and the Egyptian are older than we're told. By several thousands years. Even the Thanagarian re-shaped Egypt is older.
I mentioned oases as the only remnant after the time Egypt was green. But the Nile valley should be counted too. If you ever sailed that river, you know how much growth the area has.
Imagine the whole country that lush. Forests of palm trees, even
Not a single grain of sand, except on the beach
I did a quick search after my post yesterday and it seems that Egypt had much rain during a period and actually was green in reality too. I think it was 7000 or 6000 BC

Regarding the two superheroes meeting each other, I have the coming films quite mapped out but I can't reveal any of the plots. Sorry.

What I CAN say is that Thanagar would have struggled a lot more if they had come some centuries earlier, and attacked the actual Atlantis.
It can be described with a film title: "Clash of the titans"

Here's a pic. I googled "what did Knossos look like" and found this

 

[Airwings]

As soon as the script for Batman & Superman was complete and the filming was about to start, Cruise and Warner Brothers started working on the next Bat flic. A bit rushed, yes, but it was already planned to act that fast.
One of the writers, William Nicholson, stayed. He would help bridge the two separate films.
Oliver Stone also remained, as a producer.

There’s no Superman this time. Only the Dynamic Duo.
They first wanted to call it “Batman: Intimidation Game” but scrapped that.
The title they went with for this film makes it sound like a fun adventure. But it’s far from it. This is the darkest tale so far.
It belongs to the mystery genre, with some german expressionism added to it.
That’s not all though. I would say it could be labelled gothic fiction, and a psychological thriller.
Due to some things that happen, it's just as much an example of being psychological horror too.

Like always, Batman is based on film noir. This time it ventures into Alfred Hitchcock’s world. I can’t pick one of his titles as an example, it’s more the way the director did film noir in general.
But Hitchcock is his own kind, more psychological than ordinary noir.
If you really wish me to give a title, then it’s Vertigo. Because that one also deals with reality bending, just as this Bat flic does.
Remember those words: “reality bending”.

Some of the urban night scenes have the colors toned down, and this almost gives it the feel of an old “black and white film”. Done on purpose for the audience.

What the main character shares with Lee Falk’s The Phantom is put in forefront. That character has some darkness to him too.

There's a flashback to when teenage Bruce trained with ninjas.

Batman has used the same car for two films in a row. Now it’s a new Batmobile. It's a re-constructed Bond car.

The detective Bullock is no longer around.
Gordon’s closest man in the 66s series, O’Hara, is introduced instead. A much more serious version, obviously.
And we also get Harvey Dent, and Carmine Falcone. Amazing

Aside from the American setting, European cities are visited

One scene is remarkably long. it’s a conversation between Bruce and Dick. It’s like a chamber play, almost.
Think of it as an intimate stage play scene, but.in a film.

The story deals with existentialism, love and hate, mortality, youth and decay, loneliness, paranoia, anxiety, schizophrenia, alienation, personal fears and phobias
There’s some supernatural stuff too.

Two young characters are invented for the film. The roles aren’t anything major, but they have a connection to Dick Grayson.

Throughout the film, Bruce and Dick have a really strong bromance. They admire and care deeply for each other.
Questions were asked during the creative process. How much of the relationship can be explored and shown in the film? What do the characters really feel? Are they each other’s “kryptonite”? Then maybe they shouldn’t fight crimes side by side anymore?
DC Comics themselves stepped in and said no to the more controversial ideas. There was a risk it could damage the brand and become an internet joke.
DC were strict because they thought Batman & Robin have to be treated with honor and respect, not go far beyond what they are in the comic books.
It has to be a limit to the creative freedom. This is not a European arty film. The audience should not choke on their popcorn.
The subject of the characters sharing a close bond had to be handled carefully.
Still, Dick Grayson is obviously the light in Bruce Wayne’s life. He actually tries to explain some of it, pointing out that his sidekick is a symbol of hope, meant for true greatness. Someone who will go further than he can possibly go himself.

Liam Aiken returned for the role but James Purefoy was done with Bats after playing him two times. Mostly because he had no interest in doing another film so soon. He also thought his “story arc” was completed in previous film (which had Superman appearing).
The actor that replaced him was no let-down. He could really deliver in front of the camera.
This was an opportunity to add some more to the character. He heads towards Basil Rathbone, James Caan, Al Pacino and Jeremy Brett this time around. He’s a bit more cold with the new actor. Also a slightly more violent Batman than Purefoy was.

Mad Hatter is a mastermind villain who will cause trouble with his hypnotic powers and could make our heroes freeze on the spot, or do what he commands them to.
That doesn’t sound good.
I think he could be hired by mob boss Falcone.
Or perhaps he’s someone who challenges the mafia with more eccentric methods.

Mad Hatter has one apprentice, the sadistic Scarecrow, who will give our heroes nightmarish visions. Is that too much for them to handle?
No, there’s more! The evil villain duo has one dangerous weapon to unleash: the psychopath Bane, who goes on a rampage in Gotham’s underworld with his own thugs. Criminals and cops alike are found dead. Maybe even Falcone himself?
He will later break Batman’s back and almost kill him in the final fight. He’s stronger than Metallo (who was a kind of terminator in his own right).

As expected, some bad stuff happens in the film. We’re not sure if it’s real. What’s a hallucination or not is never revealed. Maybe Scarecrow have affected the heroes’ imagination too far?
I’m not sure about what kind of illusions Bats and Robin will have, but I’ve got many ideas.
Maybe some of the following:
*Bruce Wayne is removed from the board at Wayne Enterprises and may lose a lot of his money. Greedy people want to see him taken down. Even impoverished.
*Bruce’s parents show up and say they’re disappointed with what he’s become. They could even disown him.
*Dick Grayson has a near-death experience with a demonic clown in a dark alley
*Bruce has a couple of conversations with his younger self who challenges him mentally, and mocks him by wearing Robin’s suit at one point.
*After a heated quarrel, Bruce grabs his young sidekick by the throat and chokes him.
*At one occasion, Dick starts bleeding from his eyes
*Bruce prepares to commit suicide by shooting himself
*Dick suddenly has strange cut marks on his throat after a nightmare. He later develops vampire fangs when he makes out with his girlfriend Samantha and gets an urge to bite her. Bruce goes lengths to find a cure.
*Bruce falls into a pit of poisonous snakes and can’t get out
*Dick gets stuck in quicksand and seems to drown in it.
*Batman gets sprayed with acid
*Robin coughs up blood and cockroaches
*Batman and Robin fight a Man bat creature in one of their dark visions. They don’t stand a chance against the monster.

That were examples of illusions, some even truly horrifying.
Could this fit in the film?
There has to be some really nasty things. The Dynamic Duo should be mentally weakened by going through all the nightmares.

The film sometimes actually has the look of a Dario Argento horror.
I think the typical David Cronenberg body horror element should be a part of it too. I decide that it is!
And then it can’t be wrong with some controversial visuals and themes from director Pier Paolo Pasolini either


But above all, the film is mainly a very clear love letter to THREE great directors.
*Ingmar Bergman (with all his typical trademarks): Seventh Seal, Virgin Spring, The Devil’s Eye, The Silence, Winter Light, Hour of the Wolf, Cries and Whispers, The Serpent’s Egg, Autum Sonata, Fanny and Alexander, and so on…
*Sydney Lumet: The Hill, The Anderson Tapes, Serpico, Murder on the Orient Express, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, The Wiz, The Verdict, Family Business, A Stranger Among us etc
*Roman Polanski and his films Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby, Dance of the Vampires, Chinatown, The Tenant, Pirates, Frantic, Bitter Moon, Death and the Maiden, The Ninth Gate.

Other films are also brought over. One can notice some clever use of various stuff from Ridley Scott’s Alien, Luchino Visconti’s Death in Venice, Walter Hill’s The Warriors, Bertolucci’s La Luna, Coppola’s Rumble Fish, Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco, Tim Curry’s IT, Sean Connery’s Name of the Rose, and Joel Schumacher’s two films Flatliners and Falling Down.
And the 1997 film Spawn (of course),

The script writers borrowed from authors Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice, William S. Burroughs, and from playwright Strindberg.
Certain literature had more stand-alone influence:
Eugene O'Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, Goethe’s Faust, The Sorrows of Young Werther (also by Goethe), and the dark folk tales from Brothers Grimm.
If that wasn’t enough, Bruce and Dick quote poems by, respectively, Lord Byron and T.S. Eliot.

The composers for the film did now and then imitate Mendelssohn and Chopin.

In one of the few moments in the film that aren’t completely “dark as the night”, a piece of swing music is heard.

The Icelandic group Sigur Rós recorded a song for the soundtrack

Who is the director this time? It needs to be someone who can do serious drama as well as handle scary stuff.
Because the previous film was somewhat modelled after his films, Brian De Palma was interested. But only in being a producer/writer. Not be directing.
Lumet had retired, but agreed to look at the script. Especially now that the film will honor him. He was surprised by the darkness the story had.
Polanski couldn’t helm the film because he must stay out of USA. He was also busy with other projects. However, he said he could always be a consult for DC films in the future
Two other directors did contribute in some ways. They’re mentioned earlier in my post.
YES, this is how big the DC adaptions have become at this point.

Easter eggs in the film:
Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
Katana
Commander Steele (Hank Heywood)

The Dynamic Duo (Warner Bros, 2011)
shot in Chicago, Munich and Budapest

Directed by Adrian Lyne
Produced by Bill Haber, Johnny Depp, Brian De Palma
Co-produced by Oliver Stone

Written by William Nicholson, Robert Mark Kamen
Additional writing: Brian De Palma, Dario Argento
Script consultant: Sydney Lumet

Music by Brad Fiedel & Tom Cruise
incl re-arr of Jerry Goldsmith’s Batman theme
and Thomas Newman’s Robin theme

Costume design: Janty Yates, Phoebe Wong
Set design: James Edward Ferrell, Crispian Sallis, Arthur Max

Consultants regarding visuals: Dario Argento, David Cronenberg

CAST
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Ben Chaplin
Dick Grayson/Robin: Liam Aiken
Alfred: Robert Duvall
Gordon: Viggo Mortensen
Chief O’Hara: Bill Pullman
Carmine Falcone: Keith Carradine
Jarvis Tetch/Mad Hatter: Andy Serkis
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow: Stuart Townsend
Bane: Lou Ferrigno
Harvey Dent: Guy Pearce
Samantha: Imogen Poots
Patricia: Emily Browning
Devon: Cameron Bright
Mayor of Gotham: Don Johnson

Minor roles and cameos
Bruce’s business rival: Peter Strauss
Prominent board members at Wayne Enterprise: Jon Voight, Albert Finney, Liv Ullman, James Fox
Financial analyst: Robin Wright Penn
TV reporter: Carole Bouquet
Carmine Falcone’s right hand: Thomas Jane
Thomas and Martha Wayne: Bill Paxton, Geena Davis
Teenage Bruce: Logan Lerman
Dark supernatural clown: Ronny Cox
Preacher: Ving Rhames
Whispering old man: Alan Oppenheimer
Among Bane’s thugs: Vince Vaughn, Patrick Fugit

 

[Frodo]

Sounds awesome Airwings!

Bane, Mad Hatter and Scarecrow would certainly put Batman and Robin through the physical and psychological ringer.

I like your Batman and Robin dynamic.

In the 90s films , they always seemed at odds ,while the Nolan and Snyder films didn't really attempt to bring Robin ,save John Blake..

Ben Chaplin is an interesting choice for Bruce. He definitely has a Michael Keaton, Joaquin Phoenix, and Billy Crudup vibe.

 

[Airwings]

Sounds awesome Airwings!

Bane, Mad Hatter and Scarecrow would certainly put Batman and Robin through the physical and psychological ringer.

I like your Batman and Robin dynamic.

In the 90s films , they always seemed at odds ,while the Nolan and Snyder films didn't really attempt to bring Robin ,save John Blake..

Ben Chaplin is an interesting choice for Bruce. He definitely has a Michael Keaton, Joaquin Phoenix, and Billy Crudup vibe.

Thanks.

The pic I posted has disappeared. It's the Aston Martin Volante from The Living Daylights (1987). This is what the new Batmobile is based on. I think it's a very good choice.

I was afraid that this film would have too many villains. Other than those three, it's also Falcone.
Four bad guys... how can there possibly be room for all of them.
Maybe it should be treated as an ensemble film where there are threats everywhere?
With Mad Hatter's hypnothic powers, could he make the dynamic duo commit a crime for him, like stealing a jewel or robbing a bank? Their eyes would be blank and emotionless, a sign they're under a spell.
What would the people of Gotham think about our heroes after that?

It's controversial to go further into the Batman & Robin relationship. I wasn't sure if I could even suggest ideas that would be hard to deal with. There's not much creative freedom in big studio films when it comes to certain things. European cinema is more liberal, in comparison.
Some people nowadays claim the duo has a homoerotic vibe. I thought it might be interesting to be hinting about it. Stills from 70s films made me think about the topic.
I don't know what you think about this. But personally, I wouldn't mind if it's explored either. Not if it's handled in a good way. I think a film such as Call Me By Your Name succeeded with that.
However, Dick Grayson has a girlfriend in the film so there's not too much to worry about.
If he didn't turn her into a vampire, lol

Were the terrifying hallucinations maybe a bit too strong?
I was inpired by horror film cliches. I really like that the DC adaptions expand in different directions. I don't just want generic superhero flics.
Some gore and violence can be shown. Even if's brutal.
I don't know what you think about that either.

Honestly, the Schumacher films were all about performing superheroic stunts. Not much time for character development and dramatic stories. Nolan had that, and would have treated Robin the same way.
That's the reason I have that in my Batman and other DC adaptions now. In a world where Nolanverse didn't happen.
Some have had social commentary and ventured into the political. Others have been purely fantastical. But all of them have been character stories.
When it makes sense, a hero can be allowed to cry. Like when Grayson lost his parents. It must be shown to rise a film to a higher level.
Every human emotion is allowed: happiness, joy, excitement, love, worry, anger, sadness, fear, self-doubt, pain, anxiety, longing, desire etc etc. Why shouldn't it be?
Just because it's the superhero genre doesn't mean it should be soulless and bland.
I would go as far as claiming Grayson is almost emo here. That was still a quite popular style in 2010-11

I think Chaplin would be a good new Batman. It seems I really know the right actors for the role. Depp and Purefoy had also played him.
I deserve an applause, lol

The Logan Lerman cameo in Bruce's illusion is fun. It was his only shot at wearing the Robin outfit. You might have wondered why he hadn't been Grayson yet, because he would be a really suitable actor for the sidekick?
Did you notice the special thing with him, Paxton and Davis?
They played the Wayne family in the opening scene of the Bat film from 2003.
This is a clever way to show that none of the films since then have been a reboot, despite actor changes.
But then, why is the first Alfred actor doing a cameo here?

 

[Airwings]

Hallmark’s Marvelous came out one year prior to the next film I’m going to present to you. Already then, the filming would soon start for a sequel. The script was not even completely finished but the show must go on.
Things need to happen fast now.
And so here it is!

BBC remained in the partnership with Hallmark regarding the character, but Norwegian NRK dropped out.
Talks were held with other non-american TV channels. Italian RAI offered support, but only IF some of the scenes would be set there.

This time, Marvelous (as he’s called here) pairs up with another DC superhero.

There are mostly new actors. Some of the previous ones from first Marvelous film were prevented to work that much.

The film is sardonic in a playful way.

The other hero is Supergirl. What a strange combination!
Warner Brothers didn’t mind lending the character to Hallmark for this event, since they’re focusing so much on Batman and Robin
Laura Vandervoort was replaced in the role. We get an actress with a little more modern feel, without the classic elegance Laura had.
Teresa Palmer showed interest in playing Supergirl. It turned out she wasn't right for the approach Hallmark was going with here. Another one got cast.

Krypto the dog is around for a lot of the film too

The Supergirl film had been handled as if it was a part of 70s New Hollywood. How could that possibly match Billy Batson and his fairy tale daydreaming?
Will she lift him up to her level? Will he drag her down to his childish world of knights, castles, unicorns, fairies and mermaids?
The answer is Woody Allen. Do what he does. Then it can both be realistic, show the actual people and the actual city, AND be funny and clearly fictional.
The director has a loooong string of films. All the titles will fill a page. LOL
Let stick to only some of his work:
Bananas, Sleeper, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Radio Days.
The common things between these, is what helped shaped this superhero team-up
Don’t worry. Billy Batson won’t be neurotic, or ramble on an on with a lot of nonsense
As last time, the character has an infusion of Michael J Fox and child Elijah Wood.
While the adult Marvelous flirts with the personas of Cary Grant and Dan Aykroyd.

The film has one leg in the fairy tale imagination and that has to make it into the film.
But with the serious part that Supergirl represents, it changes.
Maybe the opposites can meet halfway?
I think the result would turn out like some psychedelic flower power flic.
Have you seen the Beatles films Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour? Those are twisted.

We have Woody Allen film trademarks on one side. What more can there be?
Well, it closes in on both old and new family friendly flics with serious layers underneath. The tone in the team-up is taken from the following:
Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Clock & Dagger, Frog Dreaming, Stand By Me, D.A.R.Y.L, The Wizard of Oz, Song of the South, Lassie Come Home, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Herbie The Love Bug, The Cat From Outer Space, the 1960 adaption of Swiss Family Robinson, and the 1967 Bond parody Casino Royale.

How is the actual story then?
The script mixes C.S Lewis’ Narnia series and Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, with more serious stuff from Émile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin.
There are also themes from author Mark Twain.

In short what happen in the film:
Parasite comes to Earth. He sucks the life of everybody who comes near him and his strength grows for each victim. That’s how he feeds.
Regular people don’t survive too long exposure.
Supergirl loses her kryptonian powers and become a human. It’s temporary, but it will take a long time before she will be herself again. For Krypto however, it appears to be permanent.
The marvelous magic is dragged out of Billy Batson and he can’t change into a superhero for a long time. If he comes close to Parasite again, as a boy, he will be in big danger.

The weakened trio must flee the scene. Supergirl’s romantic interest Richard, and Billy’s friend Sunny and his foster brother Freddie go with them. And some random guy called Sebastian. They leave the country and head for Europe. To get away from Parasite.
Well there, they embark on a journey: From the Italian region called Tuscany, through the alps, to Austria. To have room for everybody, a Volkswagen Caravelle is used.
The journey is as much an inner one.

Someone is on their trail. But it’s not a villain, instead an unlikely ally. He materializes out of Billy’s imagination. It’s the cosmic mutant Prince Gavin, from the earlier DC film Star-Spangled Heroes (even played by the very same actor). He has been chasing the parasite creature around the galaxy.
Due to the fact that Gavyn is another kind of being, he might be able to take down the threat.
He could die in the process though. Because Parasite now hold the combines strength of Supergirl and Marvelous. Maybe a certain cosmic staff can help with that.


Classical composers Johann Strauss II and Joseph Haydn inspire the music written for the film.

The musical angle from the previous Marvelous film continues here.
Billy Batson sings a slow and sentimental, but really cute, ballad song in a duet with his female team-up hero. OMG, so much cheese!!!!
The two are also seen doing a jitterbug/lindy hop dance when their powers have returned

The Italian musicians Guido and Maurizio de Angelis wrote two songs to the film, performed respectively by their groups Oliver Onions and G+M Orchestra.
The latter is known for instrumental music so they were given the opportunity to do cover versions of the heroes’ themes.
The ‘easy listening’ pianist Richard Clayderman did do his own versions of the themes too.

The usual easter eggs (without the characters showing up, like it’s always done):
Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy
Wonder Twins
Dead Boy Detectives
Spaceman (Ted Knight)
Black Lightening

Mortal Heroes (Hallmark/BBC/RAI, 2011)
filmed in Memphis, Tuscany, Tirol and Vienna

Directed by Gabor Csupo
Produced by Hester Hargett, Mark Waters, Tommy O'Haver, Kevin Lima
Co-produced by Brad Silberling, Chris Weitz, Stephen Sommers, Tobe Hooper

Written by David Hayter, Paul Weitz, Ed Naha

Music: Patrick Doyle
incl re-arr of Marvin Hamlisch’ Marvelous theme
and Supergirl theme by Klaus Doldinger & Jay Gruska
and Prince Gavyn theme by Dennis McCarthy (UPDATE 18th June)

Costume design: Louise Frogley, Sammy Sheldon Differ, Alex Ross

CAST
Linda Lee Danvers/Supergirl: Carly Schroeder
Billy Batson: Max Records
Marvelous: Chris Klein
Parasite: Tim Blake Nelson (voice)
Richard Malverne: Jake Kedge
Freddy Freeman: Liam James
Sunny Sparkle: Nathan Gamble
Sebastian: Barney Clark
Prince Gavyn: John Robinson

Minor roles and cameos
Woman with briefcase (Parasite’s victim): Bo Derek
Imaginary king and queen: Adrian Hall, Karen Dotrice
Imaginary prince charming: Chris Massoglia
Fairy: Barbara Bouchet
Tuscany viticulturist couple: David Prowse, Judi Dench
Whistling Tuscany girl: Georgie Henley
Tiroler shepherd boy: Dylan Sprouse
Swiss painter: Frances Fisher
Young wannabe musician, Vienna: Mary-Kate Olsen
Austrian conductor: Martin Landau

 

[Frodo]

Hallmark’s Marvelous came out one year prior to the next film I’m going to present to you. Already then, the filming would soon start for a sequel. The script was not even completely finished but the show must go on.
Things need to happen fast now.
And so here it is!

BBC remained in the partnership with Hallmark regarding the character, but Norwegian NRK dropped out.
Talks were held with other non-american TV channels. Italian RAI offered support, but only IF some of the scenes would be set there.

This time, Marvelous (as he’s called here) pairs up with another DC superhero.

There are mostly new actors. Some of the previous ones from first Marvelous film were prevented to work that much.

The film is sardonic in a playful way.

The other hero is Supergirl. What a strange combination!
Warner Brothers didn’t mind lending the character to Hallmark for this event, since they’re focusing so much on Batman and Robin
Laura Vandervoort was replaced in the role. We get an actress with a little more modern feel, without the classic elegance Laura had.
Teresa Palmer showed interest in playing Supergirl. It turned out she wasn't right for the approach Hallmark was going with here. Another one got cast.

Krypto the dog is around for a lot of the film too

The Supergirl film had been handled as if it was a part of 70s New Hollywood. How could that possibly match Billy Batson and his fairy tale daydreaming?
Will she lift him up to her level? Will he drag her down to his childish world of knights, castles, unicorns, fairies and mermaids?
The answer is Woody Allen. Do what he does. Then it can both be realistic, show the actual people and the actual city, AND be funny and clearly fictional.
The director has a loooong string of films. All the titles will fill a page. LOL
Let stick to only some of his work:
Bananas, Sleeper, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Radio Days.
The common things between these, is what helped shaped this superhero team-up
Don’t worry. Billy Batson won’t be neurotic, or ramble on an on with a lot of nonsense
As last time, the character has an infusion of Michael J Fox and child Elijah Wood.
While the adult Marvelous flirts with the personas of Cary Grant and Dan Aykroyd.

The film has one leg in the fairy tale imagination and that has to make it into the film.
But with the serious part that Supergirl represents, it changes.
Maybe the opposites can meet halfway?
I think the result would turn out like some psychedelic flower power flic.
Have you seen the Beatles films Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour? Those are twisted.

We have Woody Allen film trademarks on one side. What more can there be?
Well, it closes in on both old and new family friendly flics with serious layers underneath. The tone in the team-up is taken from the following:
Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Clock & Dagger, Frog Dreaming, Stand By Me, D.A.R.Y.L, The Wizard of Oz, Song of the South, Lassie Come Home, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Herbie The Love Bug, The Cat From Outer Space, the 1960 adaption of Swiss Family Robinson, and the 1967 Bond parody Casino Royale.

How is the actual story then?
The script mixes C.S Lewis’ Narnia series and Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, with more serious stuff from Émile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin.
There are also themes from author Mark Twain.

In short what happen in the film:
Parasite comes to Earth. He sucks the life of everybody who comes near him and his strength grows for each victim. That’s how he feeds.
Regular people don’t survive too long exposure.
Supergirl loses her kryptonian powers and become a human. It’s temporary, but it will take a long time before she will be herself again. For Krypto however, it appears to be permanent.
The marvelous magic is dragged out of Billy Batson and he can’t change into a superhero for a long time. If he comes close to Parasite again, as a boy, he will be in big danger.

The weakened trio must flee the scene. Supergirl’s romantic interest Richard, and Billy’s friend Sunny and his foster brother Freddie go with them. And some random guy called Sebastian. They leave the country and head for Europe. To get away from Parasite.
Well there, they embark on a journey: From the Italian region called Tuscany, through the alps, to Austria. To have room for everybody, a Volkswagen Caravelle is used.
The journey is as much an inner one.

Someone is on their trail. But it’s not a villain, instead an unlikely ally. He materializes out of Billy’s imagination. It’s the cosmic mutant Prince Gavin, from the earlier DC film Star-Spangled Heroes (even played by the very same actor). He has been chasing the parasite creature around the galaxy.
Due to the fact that Gavyn is another kind of being, he might be able to take down the threat.
He could die in the process though. Because Parasite now hold the combines strength of Supergirl and Marvelous. Maybe a certain cosmic staff can help with that.


Classical composers Johann Strauss II and Joseph Haydn inspire the music written for the film.

The musical angle from the previous Marvelous film continues here.
Billy Batson sings a slow and sentimental, but really cute, ballad song in a duet with his female team-up hero. OMG, so much cheese!!!!
The two are also seen doing a jitterbug/lindy hop dance when their powers have returned

The Italian musicians Guido and Maurizio de Angelis wrote two songs to the film, performed respectively by their groups Oliver Onions and G+M Orchestra.
The latter is known for instrumental music so they were given the opportunity to do cover versions of the heroes’ themes.
The ‘easy listening’ pianist Richard Clayderman did do his own versions of the themes too.

The usual easter eggs (without the characters showing up, like it’s always done):
Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy
Wonder Twins
Dead Boy Detectives
Spaceman (Ted Knight)
Black Lightening

Mortal Heroes (Hallmark/BBC/RAI, 2011)
filmed in Memphis, Tuscany, Tirol and Vienna

Directed by Gabor Csupo
Produced by Hester Hargett, Mark Waters, Tommy O'Haver, Kevin Lima
Co-produced by Brad Silberling, Chris Weitz, Stephen Sommers, Tobe Hooper

Written by David Hayter, Paul Weitz, Ed Naha

Music: Patrick Doyle
incl re-arr of Marvin Hamlisch’ Marvelous theme
and Supergirl theme by Klaus Doldinger & Jay Gruska

Costume design: Louise Frogley, Sammy Sheldon Differ, Alex Ross

CAST
Linda Lee Danvers/Supergirl: Carly Schroeder
Billy Batson: Max Records
Marvelous: Chris Klein
Parasite: Tim Blake Nelson (voice)
Richard Malverne: Jake Kedge
Freddy Freeman: Liam James
Sunny Sparkle: Nathan Gamble
Sebastian: Barney Clark
Prince Gavyn: John Robinson

Minor roles and cameos
Woman with briefcase (Parasite’s victim): Bo Derek
Imaginary king and queen: Adrian Hall, Karen Dotrice
Imaginary prince charming: Chris Massoglia
Fairy: Barbara Bouchet
Tuscany viticulturist couple: David Prowse, Judi Dench
Whistling Tuscany girl: Georgie Henley
Tiroler shepherd boy: Dylan Sprouse
Swiss painter: Frances Fisher
Young wannabe musician, Vienna: Mary-Kate Olsen
Austrian conductor: Martin Landau

It's sound very interesting..

I never would have thought of Supergirl and Captain Marvel teaming up , but it fits.

Parasite is a great villain which the live action films have never exploited unfortunately.

There's both youthful and optomistic characters, and they're both kids, depending on which version of Supergirl we're talking about.

I've never seen Schroeder or Records before, but they certainly fit the bill

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

DC had a golden opportunity in the early 2000s. It would have been so different if WB weren’t so incompetent. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman should have all been released in 2005, they had been working on film adaptations of those characters for years at that point.

 

[Airwings]

It's sound very interesting..

I never would have thought of Supergirl and Captain Marvel teaming up , but it fits.

Parasite is a great villain which the live action films have never exploited unfortunately.

There's both youthful and optomistic characters, and they're both kids, depending on which version of Supergirl we're talking about.

I've never seen Schroeder or Records before, but they certainly fit the bill

Thanks

I also think it's a strange team-up. Kinda like they were thinking outside the box with this one.
I want to take the opportunity to bring up the topic of sequels.
The common view is that the second film isn't as good as the first one. This goes for all films in general, despite it's proven wrong again and again. Didn't even the OT Star Wars break this pattern?
When it comes to my DC vision, how do you percieve each superhero's sequel to his/her first film?
The case with Mortal Heroes here, is that the team-up is a sequel for two stand-alone characters. Does it make it harder or easier to get a good adventure when the heroes share each other's spotlight?

Parasite is an interesting villain.
I don't like that he was made a human earlier on that Supergirl show. It wasn't a good idea that he could only steal energy through physical contact either.
In a comic I read as a kid, it was enough to be a couple of yards away. That's what I went with here.
We can ask why Supergirl in my film doesn't use her freeze breath on the creature instead of going into a fight.
Because then wouldn't get a film where she, Krypto and Billy have to flee to Europe. It would have been over in one minute, lol.
What do you think about Parasite's appearance, Frodo? Some pics show him simply as a bald, purple humanoid. Others make him look more like a demon with a lot of sharp teeth.

Supergirl and Billy are both young here. But she's a teenager while he's more a like a kid. It should be clear that she's the older one.
I had to struggle to get the right leads. I would want to pat myself on the shoulder because I really picked the right ones.
Carly is perhaps most known for the films Mean Creek and Firewall.
Records was praised when he played the lead in Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. Are you sure you didn't see that one?
This superhero team-up isn't really a dark and moody film, far from it. But the young two actors can definately bring some depth if they're allowed too. That's how talented they are.

I want to point out the composer here, Patrick Doyle.
He took over after Marvin Hamlisch for Marvelous, and Klaus Doldinger & Jay Gruska for Supergirl. Do you think he can do as good as them? Maybe even better?
Doyle did compose a lot of film music before 2011.
Take a look at this list:
Carlito's Way, Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein,
Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, Donnie Brasco,
Alfonso Cuaron's Great Expectations, Bridget Jones' Diary,
Gosford Park, Nanny McPhee,Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire,
Eragon, The Last Legion, Sleuth, and then Nim's Island in 2008.

 

[Airwings]

DC had a golden opportunity in the early 2000s. It would have been so different if WB weren’t so incompetent. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman should have all been released in 2005, they had been working on film adaptations of those characters for years at that point.

I agree with you 100 %.
This is why I created this big vision on how things should have played out.
In my alternate reality, most DC heroes are at other studios. Not WB.
It's a heavy task to go through the pages. If you ever have some time off, try to read a little. It's worth it!!

 

[Frodo]

Thanks

I also think it's a strange team-up. Kinda like they were thinking outside the box with this one.
I want to take the opportunity to bring up the topic of sequels.
The common view is that the second film isn't as good as the first one. This goes for all films in general, despite it's proven wrong again and again. Didn't even the OT Star Wars break this pattern?
When it comes to my DC vision, how do you percieve each superhero's sequel to his/her first film?
The case with Mortal Heroes here, is that the team-up is a sequel for two stand-alone characters. Does it make it harder or easier to get a good adventure when the heroes share each other's spotlight?

Parasite is an interesting villain.
I don't like that he was made a human earlier on that Supergirl show. It wasn't a good idea that he could only steal energy through physical contact either.
In a comic I read as a kid, it was enough to be a couple of yards away. That's what I went with here.
We can ask why Supergirl in my film doesn't use her freeze breath on the creature instead of going into a fight.
Because then wouldn't get a film where she, Krypto and Billy have to flee to Europe. It would have been over in one minute, lol.
What do you think about Parasite's appearance, Frodo? Some pics show him simply as a bald, purple humanoid. Others make him look more like a demon with a lot of sharp teeth.

Supergirl and Billy are both young here. But she's a teenager while he's more a like a kid. It should be clear that she's the older one.
I had to struggle to get the right leads. I would want to pat myself on the shoulder because I really picked the right ones.
Carly is perhaps most known for the films Mean Creek and Firewall.
Records was praised when he played the lead in Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. Are you sure you didn't see that one?
This superhero team-up isn't really a dark and moody film, far from it. But the young two actors can definately bring some depth if they're allowed too. That's how talented they are.

I want to point out the composer here, Patrick Doyle.
He took over after Marvin Hamlisch for Marvelous, and Klaus Doldinger & Jay Gruska for Supergirl. Do you think he can do as good as them? Maybe even better?
Doyle did compose a lot of film music before 2011.
Take a look at this list:
Carlito's Way, Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein,
Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, Donnie Brasco,
Alfonso Cuaron's Great Expectations, Bridget Jones' Diary,
Gosford Park, Nanny McPhee,Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire,
Eragon, The Last Legion, Sleuth, and then Nim's Island in 2008.

I think the sequels to your original films have been very good.
Batman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Green Arrow/ Green Lantern, and The Marvelous/ Supergirl sequels have all been awesome.

In terms of two heroes sharing a film, if done the right way, it can be a good sequel for both individual hero films. As long as the story is strong, and truly attempts to balance the needs of the two heroes it can work well.

In terms of Parasite's appearances, I agree it's been all over the map. On the one hand, I like the STAS Parasite , humanoid form in terms of the look of the character .

At the same time , I also like the idea of it evolving into something less and less human like as it absorbs more.

The recent Man Of Tomorrow film version sorta blends the two ideas , though I don't know if I like where Parasite ends up as a giant creature akin to Godzilla.

I like Parasite to be formidable, but not the Kaiju monster angle that MOT went for . But that's my preference at least.

In terms of Doyle, I think he's an excellent choice. Of the films he's worked on, I've only seen Carlitos Way, Harry Potter, Donnie Brasco, and Frankenstein, and I certainly liked the score to Carlito's Way.

 

[Airwings]

I think the sequels to your original films have been very good.
Batman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Green Arrow/ Green Lantern, and The Marvelous/ Supergirl sequels have all been awesome.

In terms of two heroes sharing a film, if done the right way, it can be a good sequel for both individual hero films. As long as the story is strong, and truly attempts to balance the needs of the two heroes it can work well.

In terms of Parasite's appearances, I agree it's been all over the map. On the one hand, I like the STAS Parasite , humanoid form in terms of the look of the character .

At the same time , I also like the idea of it evolving into something less and less human like as it absorbs more.

The recent Man Of Tomorrow film version sorta blends the two ideas , though I don't know if I like where Parasite ends up as a giant creature akin to Godzilla.

I like Parasite to be formidable, but not the Kaiju monster angle that MOT went for . But that's my preference at least.

In terms of Doyle, I think he's an excellent choice. Of the films he's worked on, I've only seen Carlitos Way, Harry Potter, Donnie Brasco, and Frankenstein, and I certainly liked the score to Carlito's Way.

Thank you
I did my best with those!

Maybe it's less difficult to get people interested in a shared sequel for two heroes. The film can focus a lot on their differences and their chemistry together.
Compare that to if it's only one hero in the sequel. Then the story has to be better than the first one. Or else the film will be weaker. Two main characters together can just ride off each others popularity. The story is secondary. Fan-service is all!
It could even be that when it's two leads, a portion of the story writes itself before even the first word of the script is written
But that's only one perspective
Another way to think of this is that the importance of a good story is bigger when it's two heroes. There's much more to think of in order to get right, story-wise. The explanation for the team-up must be valid. Both their separate backgrounds exist in the "same world", despite their differences. The film can't just live on the visuals and the acting performances alone. Doesn't matter if the scope is bigger. Pure entertainment isn't all.

I prefer the purple humanoid Parasite myself.
This film, and the first Marvelous too, is more in vein with the YA fantasy film genre that came during the 00s. Maybe you noticed this, because of all the fairy tale cliches?
The villain creature can't be too "horror scary" then.
I haven't seen Man of Tomorrow. Is it any good?

By the way, do you know why Parasite didn't go on a crazy killing spree when Supergirl/Krypto/Billy were absent?
One answer is that this is a family film, not a Alien vs Predator flic (lol)
But there's another explanation. Can you guess what it is?

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Yeah there are some really good ideas here.

For Elongated Man, I’d go with either Eric Stoltz or Greg Kinnear. Plastic Man being anyone other than Jim Carrey in the 90s and 00s wouldn’t be right.

As for Superman Man of Tomorrow.. it’s good in the sense that it has some good ideas and really feels fresh. The Superman/Lois stuff worked very well. The inclusion of certain characters didn’t feel very natural. The way Clark meets Rudy Jones before he becomes Parasite is way too convenient. I also didn’t like Lobo explaining Clark’s true heritage for the first time.

Parasite was the weakest part of the film. He was extremely generic and not compelling or scary. The scenes with his family felt copied and pasted from Spider-Man 3. That whole “accident gone horribly wrong” origin is so well explored at this point.

Parasite as a character has more potential than what we’ve seen in adaptations. The problem is, for this character to work, they have to actually make him scary. His powers are terrifying to think about in reality.

 

[Dk1201]

Warner Brothers had looked at the finished Superman Reborn a month before the release.
They were satisfied with the quality of the film and the talent of everybody involved.

Then, the day after the opening in December 2000, they called Tom Cruise back in the office and told him that Batman is going to be next project. He said they could just go ahead.
WB wanted him to help in getting the right approach because he did mostly well when assemblin the creative people for Supes, and they're unsure how to do it without him.

Cruise felt like he was a little split here since he was already involved with Green Arrow for MGM/Orion.
He agreed to give suggestions for designers and writers, and added that's up to the studio how they should continue with that.

The director matter was another problem for WB.
Cruise said that the character should return to his noir setting. People have to feel that they can take Batman seriously. Ditch the camp!
Sydney Lumet could do that. Francis Ford Coppola would be even better, but he has to be convinced that he's the right man for this.

The film was entering pre-production during 2001.
This time, they were going to show the origin story. How the family had just seen a fictional The Phantom film (no Zorro this time), they get robbed in an alley, the boy lose his parents and grow up to be Batman.
As New York is used for Metropolis in Superman, Gotham City is obviously Chicago!!!

The word were out about the upcoming film. It got attention before they even started filming.
Someone got a passionate interest for taking on the lead and called Cruise
"I want to be Batman!"
"Don't call me, buddy. I'm not in charge! Let Warner know you want the role"
That guy was Johnny Depp.

In this alternate scenario, the Pirates of the Caribbean films never happened.
Batman became Depp's comeback that year, and he was nominated for an Oscar. This was a real boost for the superhero genre.
Don't worry. He didn't act funny here. Bruce Wayne isn't Jack Sparrow.
The actor played the role straight and showed a rare seriousness, something that was later seen in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies.
Batman made sure Depp didn't evolve into a joke in Hollywood.

WB really went a long time back in time for the look of the new Batman. To the earliest design.
One has to look back sometimes, in order to move forward.

How would that suit have looked in live action?
The answer is in the pic right below.
Look at the body suits underneath all the armour and you will know.
Gone were the thick, heavy rubber outfits of Schumacher's films.

What kind of Batmobile should they go for? It needs a retro feel just like the suit.
Something similar to this was considered for a while before they ditched the idea

In the end, they went with a tweaked Phantom Corsair. Thankfully!

The plot however isn't only based on older comic books. There is some inspiration from The Long Halloween (the film takes place around the holiday), but it didn't follow that particular storyline much.

A rivalry grew between this and the previous year's Green Arrow. People started bickering about who's the best masked crime fighter.
Can be compared to the eternal Star Trek vs Star Wars discussion.


Batman: The Caped Crusader (2003)
Directed by Jonatan Demme

Written by Rospo Pallenberg, Stephen Tolkin, Steven E de Souza, Channing Gibson

Music by Jerry Goldsmith (incl new theme) (incl. re-arr of Elfman’s theme, just to pay homage once)

Costume design: Julie Weiss
Set design: Ken Adam

Cast list
Bruce Wayne: Johnny Depp
Alfred Pennyworth: Alan Oppenheimer
Gordon: Scott Glenn

Black Widow: Gena Rowlands
-A serious take on the 66's villain
(Robert Wagner wanted to be in the film too, so they wrote a new character for him. He played Widow's dead husband in flashbacks - and as an illusion, because she's crazy)

Mayor of Gotham: Peter Weller

Young Bruce Wayne: Logan Lerman
Thomas Wayne: Bill Paxton
Martha Wayne: Geena Davis

Years and years ago I wanted Depp for Batman and many thought I was nuts Glad to see I am not the only one who liked him

 

[Airwings]

Years and years ago I wanted Depp for Batman and many thought I was nuts Glad to see I am not the only one who liked him

Johnny Depp is, and was, an out-of-the-box suggestion for Batman. But at the same time, he's not. He would have been perfect, with the right director onboard.

I suspected I would get backlash for this casting.
And for Tom Cruise as Superman 21 years ago.

I'm glad too, that I'm not alone

 

[Airwings]

Yeah there are some really good ideas here.

For Elongated Man, I’d go with either Eric Stoltz or Greg Kinnear. Plastic Man being anyone other than Jim Carrey in the 90s and 00s wouldn’t be right.

As for Superman Man of Tomorrow.. it’s good in the sense that it has some good ideas and really feels fresh. The Superman/Lois stuff worked very well. The inclusion of certain characters didn’t feel very natural. The way Clark meets Rudy Jones before he becomes Parasite is way too convenient. I also didn’t like Lobo explaining Clark’s true heritage for the first time.

Parasite was the weakest part of the film. He was extremely generic and not compelling or scary. The scenes with his family felt copied and pasted from Spider-Man 3. That whole “accident gone horribly wrong” origin is so well explored at this point.

Parasite as a character has more potential than what we’ve seen in adaptations. The problem is, for this character to work, they have to actually make him scary. His powers are terrifying to think about in reality.

Thank you!
I've put a lot of effort in my vision so it feels good that other people like it.

I haven't seen Man of Tomorrow but I think I will someday

Nice to see some other actor suggestions. Perhaps you could create your own DC vision?
Maybe Elongated Man is the first character in that? Like how the MCU begun with Tony Stark