Batman: City of Scars

[Gamma Goliath]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdpig1_city-of-scars_shortfilms

 

[Bathead]

I couldn't get the full experience as the sound on my computer is out, but it certainly looked excellent. Kevin Porter made a good looking Batman. Kudos to the Schoenke brothers. Good fan-film.

 

[Grommers]

pretty amazing.

 

[Judge Holden]

Wow that is amazing.

I do really like Nolans films... but i dunno, there is something missing. They don't feel noir enough. Not hard boiled enough.

This does. I love the hard boiled narration of Batman. And the gritty but still slightly stylized style. I wanna see real Batman films like this.

 

[HolyPurpleSocks]

The psychological aspect of it- with Bruce narrating over the resolution, really made this a genuinely emotionally gripping, cerebral chapter of Batman's saga.

Can't say I was fully enthralled by the final fight scene- because of the 'low budget' feel of it, but the theme of 'scars' using Harley and Scarface to show other villainous sides of Joker's effects on the psyche of Gotham's impressionable, and the similarities between Bruce and the little boy he's racing to save...it was all very poetic. Really enjoyed the film for what it was, but man would I love it, if it got some better production values put behind it.

 

[Brother Jack]

I've never seen a fan film that I thought was good, and this is no exception. However it is better than the standard, and I admire the amount of work they put into it.

 

[BH/HHH]

That was the best fan film I have ever seen.

My favourite scene was definitely the Night club scene and I loved the Kevin Conroy inspired Batman.

This for me prooves that a Batman TV show could done in a serious way. Once Batman's theatrical run is over they should consider doing a TV series.

 

[Kokomo29]

I for one really, really loved the suit and the bat symbol. I also was really impressed with the Bat-Cycle. It was "real" but also retained a certain amount of comic inspiration that really sold me on it. Fantastic fan film and by far the best I have seen yet!

 

[batman497]

I was really surprised at how good this was. I for one hope that after the superhero movie craze is over we get something similar to this. I would love to see a 27 episode run of this type of show. It fulfills my need for Batman stories on screen at a fraction of the budget, but as this short film proves it can be done with heart and quality. You can clearly see these guys love the character and really get him. The actor playing Batman was pretty darn good for a fan film! I actually really liked the suit. My only issue with all these fan films is that all the women seem to be terrible actresses. I don't say that to simply insult them, but man they really kill the vibe. I really don't see why a show like this could not be in production while they are still making movies. It's clearly a different vision and a different tone. All and all I would for sure recommend this to any bat fan and hats off to the creators.

 

[BH/HHH]

I was really surprised at how good this was. I for one hope that after the superhero movie craze is over we get something similar to this. I would love to see a 27 episode run of this type of show. It fulfills my need for Batman stories on screen at a fraction of the budget, but as this short film proves it can be done with heart and quality. You can clearly see these guys love the character and really get him. The actor playing Batman was pretty darn good for a fan film! I actually really liked the suit. My only issue with all these fan films is that all the women seem to be terrible actresses. I don't say that to simply insult them, but man they really kill the vibe. I really don't see why a show like this could not be in production while they are still making movies. It's clearly a different vision and a different tone. All and all I would for sure recommend this to any bat fan and hats off to the creators.

Different tone or not it would still be Batman and if you had both at the sametime you would seriously hurt your box office for the movies, why would peoplepay to see something they get for free?

Personally if it did become a TV show I'd rather have a 12 episode season run like True Blood is, it has its main story which is resolved in the finale but has other side stories contuing throughout. I think this would be the best action to take.

 

[Bathead]

This is indeed how I'd like to see Batman done (with, of course, the aforementioned higher production values), on either the big OR small screen. A live action Batman that actually looks the part, and if you other posters are to be believed (I couldn't tell because of the lack of sound), a decent acting job, to boot.

 

[BH/HHH]

This is indeed how I'd like to see Batman done (with, of course, the aforementioned higher production values), on either the big OR small screen. A live action Batman that actually looks the part, and if you other posters are to be believed (I couldn't tell because of the lack of sound), a decent acting job, to boot.

I thought the acting was really good I'd say expcept for the boy at the end.

 

[Bathead]

OK, I just had a chance (via my PS3) to see this with sound.
A few impressions (in no particular order) keeping in mind this is a relatively low-budget fan-film.
Overall art direction - Very good, nice and moody, appropriate to a Batman film. I liked the costume, Kevin Porter looked every inch The Batman in it (reminded me a little of Lee's interpretation). Molnar's makeup was a little better than it was in Patient J (looked like they got rid of the chin-piece).
The Acting - generally OK, with some weak moments as was pointed out. Porter was good, except for when narrating he occasionally got a little "lispy". Overall, though I liked his performance. Molnar was much better here than he was in Patient J.
The writing - Generally good, but occasionally wordy, especially the ending speech which went on a little too long.
The music - Didn't care for it.
Overall - With a few flaws that in my opinion can be forgiven due to the low budget constraints, I thought it a good effort, and it shows a potential for what could be done by the right people with a Batman film that truly reflects the comics. Give someone like the Schoenke brothers a few million dollars, and see what happens.
Go ahead, I'll wait right here.

 

[Boom]

Why do fanfilms always get the worst people possible to play The Joker?

 

[BH/HHH]

Why do fanfilms always get the worst people possible to play The Joker?

I wasn't a massive fan of him but I thought he was ok.

 

[Brother Jack]

The writing - Generally good, but occasionally wordy, especially the ending speech which went on a little too long.

I thought the writing was consistently bad, probably the worst part of the film. All the dialogue was stiff and expository, especially Batman's inner monologue (which was the most important). The ADR was also very poor which made matters worse. But again, it's hard to be disappointed when you consider this is only a fan film.

 

[kguillou]

I really enjoyed this fan film. For me personally, the best part was Batman's inner monologue. Batman's always been such a silent character that you never get a chance to get inside his head and hear what he's thinking or feeling. Most writers are afraid to tap into the deep, personal aspect of Batman for some reason.Everything else was great imo. The acting was very solid all around and the story was tragic on a number of levels. I've always loved the stories that dealt with whether Batman was hurting Gotham more by keeping the Joker alive or not. If anyone deserves the death penalty, its Joker but Batman feels like he's not an executioner and it serves as an interesting dilemma. To kill and potentially save millions, or not to kill and set a good example? which is more important?

 

[Squidboy]

Pretty decent fan film. Like Batman497, I thought the actresses in the film were pretty bad, but it didn't take away from the overall experience. I enjoyed seeing the live-action Scarface, especially since I immediately expected Penguin to be the 'little man' who ran the nightclub.

 

[Caped Crusader]

Meh.. It was alright.

I won't go Armond White on the film though

 

[Boom]

I have to say that the acting and writing did absolutely nothing for me. The female actors were flat-out atrocious, the guy playing The Joker was the very definition of "hammy," and the kid at the end looked like he was holding back a smile. Batman was okay, and the Ventriloquist was probably the best actor of the bunch. As for the dialogue, I found it very cornball-ish. Especially Batman's inner monologue.

HOWEVER, the atmosphere and overall look of the film is exactly what I've always wanted in a live-action Batman feature. Dark, gritty, noirish. The first few minutes with Batman walking around in the sewer system with a flashlight was disgustingly perfect. That scene sums up my problem with Nolan's interpretation of Batman. The character looks so much cooler as just a silhouetted figure. The less you see of the actual batsuit, the better.

 

[Two-Face]

This was amazing! Love the guy playing Batman I thought he was pretty good but the guy playing Joker not so much.

 

[edonian]

I have to say that the acting and writing did absolutely nothing for me. The female actors were flat-out atrocious, the guy playing The Joker was the very definition of "hammy," and the kid at the end looked like he was holding back a smile. Batman was okay, and the Ventriloquist was probably the best actor of the bunch. As for the dialogue, I found it very cornball-ish. Especially Batman's inner monologue.

HOWEVER, the atmosphere and overall look of the film is exactly what I've always wanted in a live-action Batman feature. Dark, gritty, noirish. The first few minutes with Batman walking around in the sewer system with a flashlight was disgustingly perfect. That scene sums up my problem with Nolan's interpretation of Batman. The character looks so much cooler as just a silhouetted figure. The less you see of the actual batsuit, the better.

I agree with all of this.

 

[Travesty]

For what this movie is, I liked it. I think it beats the hell out of The Joker diaries that everybody raves about, but hey, that's just me.

 

[The Guard]

A lot of this is a repost from my post on BatmanFanFilms, so bear with me if you've seen it already.

I'm glad people are actually talking about the elements of the film. On BatmanFanFilm, people are mostly just talking about how cool it is that Batman and Joker are on film.

I have mixed feelings about this film. Partially because after working with Aaron on PATIENT J, I was involved with it for a while, and then ended up having almost nothing to do with it, and partially because I just have mixed feelings about it.

First things first though: CITY OF SCARS is a definite accomplishment. Anything resembling a professionally made project is an accomplishment in the fanfilm world. The production values are pretty darn good, what with the cave, Gotham City, the club, the carnival, and things like the ice cream truck and the batgadgets, bits that are almost just tossed in there to delight us.

The film generally looks very good. The atmosphere of the film varies. Sometimes the atmosphere is great. Sometimes its just average. But the film is hardly ever without at least some atmosphere, and that I really like.

The overall story is a bit mediocre. It's an odd mix of "A day in the life of Batman" and "Batman's most important experience ever", which doesn't always gel, but has an interesting tone. It has some intriguing elements, too, though some are never quite capitlized on. The film skims the surface of some pretty weighty and important themes. It has some substance, but the execution isn't always great, and a lot of it is very on the surface. Batman talks about things that we don't neccessarily get to fully experience during the film unless another character says the same thing. There's a bit too much tell VS show going on here. I would have loved, for instance, to have seen the murder of the councilman and his wife instead of hearing about it, as that would have let us see that much more of The Joker as well. I would have actually opened the film with that, probably. Granted, thats a bit more on the nose, but after all, we got to see the nurse scarred. That's a minor quibble, though, as it could go either way, and it still works in the sense of "If Batman doesn't stop him once and for all...". It's also, I think, an interesting, if unintentional connection to Batman's final confrontation with The Joker in PATIENT J, where The Joker implies that Batman has sacrificed innocent lives in order to prolong their relationship. So the story is decent, and it makes you think a little, which is more than a lot of fanfilms can boast. The dialogue is somewhat cliche in a lot of places, and generally a bit over the top. Like the comics, though, I occassionally appreciate the risk in that regard. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Kevin Porter is a decent Batman. He certainly looks the part, a lot moreso than any other fanfilm Batman we've seen to date. He feels the part, too, and has great features in the mask. His Batvoice is decent, though he rarely varies the tone or cadence of it, so it tends to become a bit bland. His growl isn't layered enough to warrant that constant monotone, and a lot of emotion is lost for it. This isn't mean to be a slam on him, as I think with some more direction, he could be an amazing Batman. The costume, while well constructed...to me, it just doesn't work in the light. In the dark it looks amazing. And that may have been the intention. To make Batman this garish, odd figure in the light, and this dark, freaky thing in the shadows. Because that works well. Although...is he sweating through the tights at the carnival?

Paul Molnar is once again fantastic as The Joker. He's fantastic even when he doesn't have a great line to say. He's definitely more relaxed and easy here than he was in PATIENT J. I attribute part of that to him being free in Gotham to wreak havoc now, as he did become more relaxed at the end of PATIENT J when he escaped as well. I love The Joker's new design, with the muted lipstick, the mottled skin, and the new hairstyle. Interesting to see him in a different outfit, too. And Kudos to Paul for not Ledgering it up, and sticking with his original approach to The Joker.

I thought the actress who played Harley was very good. A lot of subtleties in her performance, which isn't easy with a character like Harley. She was vulnerable and crazy in her measure.

Some other random thoughts after my first viewing yesterday

(SPOILERS)

Joker's attack on the nurse is an interesting idea.

I was not feeling Crime Alley. One of the few elements in the film that was not terribly atmospheric. Surely there's a better alley somewhere.

I'm not sure what the suit up sequence was about. It didn't really add anything to the film, it wasn't really any different than any we've seen, and it felt like something of an afterthought. Was it meant to be an homage to the movies? I guess it could have been a paralell to the thing with The Joker preparing. It was fantastic to see The Joker making his bomb, the bang gun, etc. I almost would have preferred it if The Joker had been silent for that sequence, but Paul's just crazy enough to make it work, regardless.

I like the sewer set, though I'm iffy on what footprings he was following, and how he followed them underwater.

The actress playing Montoya's performance was all over the place, she occassionally looked like she was afraid to be onscreen, and she had absolutely none of the edge that Rene has in the comics, which the dialogue in the film definitely required. For some reason, I couldn't figure out that was Detective Allen until the credits. I kept thinking it was Bullock or Bock (Why, I have no idea). Speaking of cops...I miss Commissioner Gordon. I get it, though, this is mostly just about Batman's world, not neccessarily all his supporting characters.

It was interesting to see Scarface and The Ventriloquist, though I kind of wanted to see Scarface go nuts with a machine gun, and say "Gatman" a couple of times.

I like the idea of a brawl for Batman, though Batman's fighting was a bit awkward in the bar. Also, why is Black Canary working in a villain's bar? Did I miss something somewhere in recent comics or ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN?

I was disappointed with Zsasz's role in the film. Gone was the cold, intelligent sociopath who taunts Batman with his inablity to save the innocent. Now he's just a thug. I feel like this was a missed opportunity. Batman speaking of his long investigation into Zsasz was a bit pointless, as we never really saw a hint of it. However, the fight and Batman (almost) almost killing him was decent.

I liked the Batcycle. Wasn't crazy about it, but I liked it.

The batarangs were awesome.

Using the grapple to get rid of the bomb is cool. If I'm not mistaken, that's a nod to the animated series?

Very nice, Ross inspired gargoyle/rooftop shot at the end.

The kid killing The Joker was just kind of okay for me. It was a little hard to swallow him getting out of the ropes and whatnot.

Batman's speech at the end was a tad overwrought, and a bit too long, though there are some great moments there (is some of the dialogue directly from the comics?) I feel like the film should have ended full circle at the graveyard of the Waynes. You still could have had those great Gotham City shots toward the end afterward

I do feel that CITY OF SCARS needed a more nuanced story, a better script and some better acting, but it's an impressive accomplishment nonetheless.

 

[Bad Superman]

Access is blocked at work. Gonna check it out later.