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These are old articles listed on MSN that were done closer to TDK production. There's not really anything added (outside of stylistic prose), but they had they up and it was cool to look over some of statements that I hadn't read in a while as we approach the release date.
*Spoiler tags added for spacing; blackout text is minor, but simply being overly cautious*
Bale Wears Sunglasses at Night
Nothing Two-Faced About Eckhardt
Nolan's the Real Joker
Chicago Holds Secrets of 'Dark Knight' (some scene setup info)
*Spoiler tags added for spacing; blackout text is minor, but simply being overly cautious*
Bale Wears Sunglasses at Night
Despite the humidity, Christian Bale remains calm and cool after a day of shooting "The Dark Knight," the sequel to "Batman Begins." He's forgone removing all his makeup, which includes black around his eyes for when he wears the Batman mask. Not wanting to spoil that piece of movie magic (whoops), he takes a seat with his sunglasses on in an attempt to keep the illusion alive. Behind me is the film's new Batman costume. Bale glances at it with envy.
"If any of you had to wear the first one, then you'd love that one as much as I do," Bale says about the new suit. "Just being able to turn your head is something else when you've spent seven months, or whatever it was before ... not being able to do that. It's also lighter; you can move a whole lot more in this one than the first. And [it's] a whole lot less hot."
This latest installment in the Batman saga appears even more akin to a gritty, '70s thriller than "Begins," but Bale insists the blockbuster aspects are still ingrained in the material. Still, with an anarchist-bent Joker out to convince the city's underworld to take down Batman, director and co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan continues to put Bruce Wayne through the ringer.
"There's a lot involving ethics, if you wish, to think about beyond all of the action," Bale says. "It's somebody who is a little older and he's coming to realize that maybe he's not quite as in control as he believed himself to be."
"Dark Knight" marks Bale and Nolan's third movie together, and the actor says they have a shorthand down now where "Chris and I actually just sort of have to grunt at each other now, or he looks a certain way and I know what he means. He doesn't have to explain himself a whole lot and neither do I," Bale says.
Bale's co-star, Heath Ledger, was one of the few actors unavailable on the set that day. Everyone, including Bale, spoke of how impressed they were with the work the Oscar nominee had completed so far. Bale says Ledger's performance was "fantastic really, this kind of anarchic, sort of punk-rock, druggy take on the Joker, which I think is definitely the best one I've ever seen."
Also new to the film are Aaron Eckhart, as new D.A. Harvey Dent and his alter ego Two Face, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who steps into the role of Bruce Wayne's love interest, Rachel Dawes. The part was originated by Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" who chose not to return and instead filmed the horrid "Mad Money" (perhaps Nolan didn't want her back). Bale is adamant that no one overanalyze the switch or begin comparing the two actors.
"Obviously Maggie brings her own substance to the role," Bale says. "You're [assuming] it's something tricky, but it's really not. It's been as seamless as is possible to be."
Barely through production, Bale still had a lot of energy for the long shoot. And anyone who thinks the Brit has any disdain for this opportunity would be sadly mistaken.
"It's like I say to Chris, 'I'll probably be doing this in dinner theatre somewhere in my '50s,'" Bale says smiling. "I won't knock it because who knows where I'll end up."
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
"If any of you had to wear the first one, then you'd love that one as much as I do," Bale says about the new suit. "Just being able to turn your head is something else when you've spent seven months, or whatever it was before ... not being able to do that. It's also lighter; you can move a whole lot more in this one than the first. And [it's] a whole lot less hot."
This latest installment in the Batman saga appears even more akin to a gritty, '70s thriller than "Begins," but Bale insists the blockbuster aspects are still ingrained in the material. Still, with an anarchist-bent Joker out to convince the city's underworld to take down Batman, director and co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan continues to put Bruce Wayne through the ringer.
"There's a lot involving ethics, if you wish, to think about beyond all of the action," Bale says. "It's somebody who is a little older and he's coming to realize that maybe he's not quite as in control as he believed himself to be."
"Dark Knight" marks Bale and Nolan's third movie together, and the actor says they have a shorthand down now where "Chris and I actually just sort of have to grunt at each other now, or he looks a certain way and I know what he means. He doesn't have to explain himself a whole lot and neither do I," Bale says.
Bale's co-star, Heath Ledger, was one of the few actors unavailable on the set that day. Everyone, including Bale, spoke of how impressed they were with the work the Oscar nominee had completed so far. Bale says Ledger's performance was "fantastic really, this kind of anarchic, sort of punk-rock, druggy take on the Joker, which I think is definitely the best one I've ever seen."
Also new to the film are Aaron Eckhart, as new D.A. Harvey Dent and his alter ego Two Face, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who steps into the role of Bruce Wayne's love interest, Rachel Dawes. The part was originated by Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" who chose not to return and instead filmed the horrid "Mad Money" (perhaps Nolan didn't want her back). Bale is adamant that no one overanalyze the switch or begin comparing the two actors.
"Obviously Maggie brings her own substance to the role," Bale says. "You're [assuming] it's something tricky, but it's really not. It's been as seamless as is possible to be."
Barely through production, Bale still had a lot of energy for the long shoot. And anyone who thinks the Brit has any disdain for this opportunity would be sadly mistaken.
"It's like I say to Chris, 'I'll probably be doing this in dinner theatre somewhere in my '50s,'" Bale says smiling. "I won't knock it because who knows where I'll end up."
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
Nothing Two-Faced About Eckhardt
Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret for a year? Let me tell you, it's really, really hard. It was June 29, 2007, and several journalists were seated in an air-conditioned tent on the Chicago set of the highly anticipated new thriller "The Dark Knight." Aaron Eckhart, who everyone knew was playing Gotham City D.A. Harvey Dent, was less than a minute into his interview when he was asked: "Are you also appearing as Two Face in the movie?" His answer was a sign of the revelations to come that day.
"I can tell you the answer to that. I was just instructed. Harvey Dent turns into Harvey Two Face in this movie," Eckhart says.
Even with the film opening next month, that news will come as a big surprise to most moviegoers, but thanks to a wonderful embargo agreement, I had to keep my mouth shut for 12 months (ah, just imagine all the other secrets I know ...). At the time, it was significant because Heath Ledger's Joker was thought to be Batman's only villain in this sequel to "Batman Begins."
Wrong.
"I have done scenes as Harvey Two Face, and it's interesting. I won't tell you exactly what they're going for, or what we're going for, but I think that I can say that it will use all of today's technology to create this character."
Eckhart didn't elaborate on that intriguing comment, but he did say that, unlike Tommy Lee Jones' over-the-top portrayal in "Batman Forever," his depiction is much closer to the character's pulp origins.
"Harvey's a very good guy in the comic books," Eckhart reminds everyone. "He's judicious, he cares, he's passionate about what he loves, and then he turns into this character and things happen."
The coin-flipping villain (if it lands on the wrong side, watch out), like all of the characters in director Christopher Nolan's Batman universe, actually has a method to his madness.
"He didn't become Harvey Two Face in a vacuum, and that's important I think," Eckhart says. "Obviously a guy who goes out and murders people, it's vigilante justice really, is probably more cinematically exciting. But I think knowing why he got there and that he was a cool dude before is important as well."
The actor's career has been on an upswing since his critically lauded performance in "Thank You for Smoking," but he clearly recognizes the significance of appearing alongside one of pop-culture's greatest icons. Eckhart notes, "I mean how many years has Batman been around, 70 years? How many lives has Batman touched?"
Still, the actor jokingly admits, "Never in a million years thought that I would ever be in 'Batman,' acting, with a guy in a bat suit."
It appears luck favors Eckhart more than the 50 percent odds of a coin flip.
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
"I can tell you the answer to that. I was just instructed. Harvey Dent turns into Harvey Two Face in this movie," Eckhart says.
Even with the film opening next month, that news will come as a big surprise to most moviegoers, but thanks to a wonderful embargo agreement, I had to keep my mouth shut for 12 months (ah, just imagine all the other secrets I know ...). At the time, it was significant because Heath Ledger's Joker was thought to be Batman's only villain in this sequel to "Batman Begins."
Wrong.
"I have done scenes as Harvey Two Face, and it's interesting. I won't tell you exactly what they're going for, or what we're going for, but I think that I can say that it will use all of today's technology to create this character."
Eckhart didn't elaborate on that intriguing comment, but he did say that, unlike Tommy Lee Jones' over-the-top portrayal in "Batman Forever," his depiction is much closer to the character's pulp origins.
"Harvey's a very good guy in the comic books," Eckhart reminds everyone. "He's judicious, he cares, he's passionate about what he loves, and then he turns into this character and things happen."
The coin-flipping villain (if it lands on the wrong side, watch out), like all of the characters in director Christopher Nolan's Batman universe, actually has a method to his madness.
"He didn't become Harvey Two Face in a vacuum, and that's important I think," Eckhart says. "Obviously a guy who goes out and murders people, it's vigilante justice really, is probably more cinematically exciting. But I think knowing why he got there and that he was a cool dude before is important as well."
The actor's career has been on an upswing since his critically lauded performance in "Thank You for Smoking," but he clearly recognizes the significance of appearing alongside one of pop-culture's greatest icons. Eckhart notes, "I mean how many years has Batman been around, 70 years? How many lives has Batman touched?"
Still, the actor jokingly admits, "Never in a million years thought that I would ever be in 'Batman,' acting, with a guy in a bat suit."
It appears luck favors Eckhart more than the 50 percent odds of a coin flip.
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
Nolan's the Real Joker
After establishing himself as a "must watch" auteur in less than a decade, director Christopher Nolan claims he had no intention of doing a sequel after the critical acclaim that met 2005's "Batman Begins." Obviously, as he sat down to speak to the press on the Chicago set of such sequel, "The Dark Knight," something changed his mind. And -- nice paycheck aside -- that tipping point seems to have been the opportunity to realistically deal with the ramifications of a character such as the Joker in Batman's world -- a scenario he smartly teased at the end of "Begins."
Nolan says, "It's just a very interesting thing to sit around and think, 'OK, how does it work? Batman without powers, how does that affect where we see Joker, [and] who would that guy be in our universe?'"
Essential to that development was Heath Ledger, who died in January, seven months after this interview took place. The talented Aussie personally lobbied to play the part, and Nolan took his suggestions to heart while writing the script. Nolan recalls. "We both agreed ... that the most threatening force ... that society faces, is that of pure anarchy, someone who wants [to] do harm really for its own sake and his own entertainment."
By making the Joker a radical with an agenda, as opposed to his typical portrayal as a psycho killer, Nolan continues to refresh the Batman mythos.
"What's strong about him is this idea of anarchy, this commitment to anarchy, this commitment to chaos," Nolan says. "So he's not just a bank robber or an ordinary criminal who's out for material gain."
Lastly, Nolan praised Ledger, who couldn't make it to set that day, for a performance he couldn't fathom would be one of his last.
"What Heath's doing is very unique and really I think pretty amazing and very frightening, as the character should be," Nolan says. "There's a wicked sense of humor to it, but he's extremely entertaining [and] he's definitely taking it in a very intense, very scary direction."
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
Nolan says, "It's just a very interesting thing to sit around and think, 'OK, how does it work? Batman without powers, how does that affect where we see Joker, [and] who would that guy be in our universe?'"
Essential to that development was Heath Ledger, who died in January, seven months after this interview took place. The talented Aussie personally lobbied to play the part, and Nolan took his suggestions to heart while writing the script. Nolan recalls. "We both agreed ... that the most threatening force ... that society faces, is that of pure anarchy, someone who wants [to] do harm really for its own sake and his own entertainment."
By making the Joker a radical with an agenda, as opposed to his typical portrayal as a psycho killer, Nolan continues to refresh the Batman mythos.
"What's strong about him is this idea of anarchy, this commitment to anarchy, this commitment to chaos," Nolan says. "So he's not just a bank robber or an ordinary criminal who's out for material gain."
Lastly, Nolan praised Ledger, who couldn't make it to set that day, for a performance he couldn't fathom would be one of his last.
"What Heath's doing is very unique and really I think pretty amazing and very frightening, as the character should be," Nolan says. "There's a wicked sense of humor to it, but he's extremely entertaining [and] he's definitely taking it in a very intense, very scary direction."
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
Chicago Holds Secrets of 'Dark Knight' (some scene setup info)
Almost a year ago, I gathered with a small band of journalists outside a former Chicago post office where the sequel to "Batman Begins," this summer's expected blockbuster "The Dark Knight," had set up production. The Warner Bros. representative warned us days before not to expect much during our set visit. Director Christopher Nolan liked to keep plot details secret, so chances were good that we wouldn't get to talk to him or the big stars from the cast. Oh, how wrong that representative was.
Within minutes of walking into an air-conditioned tent, I sat within a foot of Batman's new suit (touch, touch). The Joker's punk-inspired costume was on a dummy less than a yard away, and production designs of everything from the new batpod to Batman's new Gotham City bat cave adorned the wall.
In the center of the room, typical of most film sets, was a flat-screen TV piping in footage shot earlier. Before I could come to terms with what I was seeing, a fellow reporter shouted out: "Man in bat suit!" Yes, star Christian Bale was in his full Batman regalia shooting a scene with Gary Oldman, who returns as police commissioner James Gordon.
It was going to be a good day.
This first scene found the duo, along with a detective (not Renee Montoya for understandably curious comic fans), discussing the aftermath of a heist the Joker and his henchman pulled off hours before. That captivating sequence was teased in IMAX theaters last winter.
As Nolan notes when he arrives to chat, "Gosh, we should have finished it before lunch and didn't. What can I tell you about that? It's the first scene between Batman and Gordon in the film, and it does a lot of stage-setting, scene-setting for talking about the time that has passed between the first film and this film."
[BLACKOUT]Later, we witness a beautiful, single steadicam shot following a SWAT team, and Gordon is in a bank vault where the Joker left money playfully arranged on the floor. Gordon loses his temper at the criminal's taunt and kicks the money away before exiting the shot. He's clearly frustrated by his inability to capture the anarchist.[/BLACKOUT]
Both scenes, taken from numerous angles, communicated what Bale, Oldman and Nolan indicated when we spoke to them: "The Dark Knight" is more akin to a gritty, '70s thriller than anything else.
"At the end of the first film when the Joker's card is presented, it is very clear that, yes, Batman succeeded, but at the same time, he's going to prompt a very extreme response," Nolan says. "And in this film, that's the jumping-off point of this film, the very extreme response to Batman's war on crime."
Also revealed during the set visit:
* After the destruction of Wayne Manor in "Batman Begins," Bruce Wayne has set up shop in the heart of the city in a high-rise penthouse -- seemingly a nod to his detective years in the '70s comic books (are we detecting a trend here?).
* The new batpod was designed by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, which probably accounts for how hard it is to steer, but special effects supervisor Chris Corbould revealed it can race to between 90 and 100 mph.
[BLACKOUT]* Cillian Murphy returns as the Scarecrow, albeit a minor role.[/BLACKOUT]
As we left the set, Nolan and crew were shooting a scene on the steps of the post office, which serves as the Gotham National Bank branch that the Joker just raided. Gordon brushes off TV reporters as he tries to make it into a police car. Standing on the opposite side of the street, we mingle with some Chicagoans gawking at the proceedings. A couple pulls out camera phones and takes pictures, but after one take, quickly moves on.
It was only June, mind you, but Chicago's summer of the bat had already begun.
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
Within minutes of walking into an air-conditioned tent, I sat within a foot of Batman's new suit (touch, touch). The Joker's punk-inspired costume was on a dummy less than a yard away, and production designs of everything from the new batpod to Batman's new Gotham City bat cave adorned the wall.
In the center of the room, typical of most film sets, was a flat-screen TV piping in footage shot earlier. Before I could come to terms with what I was seeing, a fellow reporter shouted out: "Man in bat suit!" Yes, star Christian Bale was in his full Batman regalia shooting a scene with Gary Oldman, who returns as police commissioner James Gordon.
It was going to be a good day.
This first scene found the duo, along with a detective (not Renee Montoya for understandably curious comic fans), discussing the aftermath of a heist the Joker and his henchman pulled off hours before. That captivating sequence was teased in IMAX theaters last winter.
As Nolan notes when he arrives to chat, "Gosh, we should have finished it before lunch and didn't. What can I tell you about that? It's the first scene between Batman and Gordon in the film, and it does a lot of stage-setting, scene-setting for talking about the time that has passed between the first film and this film."
[BLACKOUT]Later, we witness a beautiful, single steadicam shot following a SWAT team, and Gordon is in a bank vault where the Joker left money playfully arranged on the floor. Gordon loses his temper at the criminal's taunt and kicks the money away before exiting the shot. He's clearly frustrated by his inability to capture the anarchist.[/BLACKOUT]
Both scenes, taken from numerous angles, communicated what Bale, Oldman and Nolan indicated when we spoke to them: "The Dark Knight" is more akin to a gritty, '70s thriller than anything else.
"At the end of the first film when the Joker's card is presented, it is very clear that, yes, Batman succeeded, but at the same time, he's going to prompt a very extreme response," Nolan says. "And in this film, that's the jumping-off point of this film, the very extreme response to Batman's war on crime."
Also revealed during the set visit:
* After the destruction of Wayne Manor in "Batman Begins," Bruce Wayne has set up shop in the heart of the city in a high-rise penthouse -- seemingly a nod to his detective years in the '70s comic books (are we detecting a trend here?).
* The new batpod was designed by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, which probably accounts for how hard it is to steer, but special effects supervisor Chris Corbould revealed it can race to between 90 and 100 mph.
[BLACKOUT]* Cillian Murphy returns as the Scarecrow, albeit a minor role.[/BLACKOUT]
As we left the set, Nolan and crew were shooting a scene on the steps of the post office, which serves as the Gotham National Bank branch that the Joker just raided. Gordon brushes off TV reporters as he tries to make it into a police car. Standing on the opposite side of the street, we mingle with some Chicagoans gawking at the proceedings. A couple pulls out camera phones and takes pictures, but after one take, quickly moves on.
It was only June, mind you, but Chicago's summer of the bat had already begun.
"The Dark Knight" opens July 18 in theaters nationwide, including IMAX.
