The Dark Knight Rises The Dark Knight Rises Info Hunters Thread - - - - Part 13

[FCEEVIPER]

OT, but I thought this is pretty funny...


Dark Knight Rises Preemptively Rated 100% Fresh as Warner Bros. Acquires Flixster, Rotten Tomatoes



Kidding! Or maybe just prescient: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment today announced its acquisition of the film-centric social media site Flixster and its review-aggregating subsidiary Rotten Tomatoes. “Driving the growth of digital ownership is a central, strategic focus for Warner Bros.,” Warners video boss Kevin Tsujihara said in a statement. “The acquisition of Flixster will allow us to advance that strategy and promote initiatives that will help grow digital ownership.” In other words, the DVD/Blu-ray market is slowly suffocating, that Dark Knight-on-Facebook thing kinda came and went, and Friendster shut down before they could get it on the cheap. But what does it mean for you and the movies?

It’s too soon to know, but a few things are clear: Warners really wants to corner the market on streaming video and digital downloads, and the other studios will be happy to let WB blow hundreds of millions to figure out how before they follow suit with the formula that finally works. (See: Rupert Murdoch’s bungling of MySpace.) And with Warner Bros. today vowing Flixter and Rotten Tomatoes’ continued independence — the actual phrase was “studio-agnostic,” a bracingly cynical and hilarious euphemism that could only come out of Hollywood — the competition will certainly hold Warners to its word when it seeks to engage with Flixster users in particular.

That’s all to be seen, and sooner rather than later. Still, come on: A studio cannot own a movie review site and pretend to maintain its sovereignty. Which isn’t to say a shut down is imminent, or that studio head Barry Meyer himself will be fiddling with the counterprogramming’s “fresh” ratings when things like The Hangover Part 2 open, or that Armond White’s virtually assured pan of The Dark Knight Rises will somehow not count against its sterling 100 percent approval ranking. Well, actually, maybe that latter part. But! The whole thing about Rotten Tomatoes is its emphasis on new films. Theatrical isn’t Warners’ problem right now; library revenue is. Any and every way the studio can optimize the review archives to push its catalog online will be explored. I mean, if you can plug Gran Torino’s instant availability with an 80 percent “fresh” rating: — and keep all the revenue, as opposed to cutting in Netflix, iTunes or Facebook — why wouldn’t you?

Anyway, sorry if you thought your casual, innocent social networking was immune from bloodthirsty corporate takeover. Come to think of it: Mr. Zuckerberg? Mr. Murdoch is holding for you on line one.

The complete press release is below.

==
BURBANK, Calif., May 4, 2011 - Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group today announced an agreement to acquire Flixster, a highly popular movie discovery application company with over 25 million worldwide users per month. The acquisition also includes Rotten Tomatoes, a top website devoted to film reviews, information and news. Under the terms of the deal, Flixster will continue to operate independently and will expand its services beyond movie discovery to enable digital content ownership and delivery across any connected digital device.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group will utilize the powerful Flixster brand and technical expertise to launch a number of initiatives designed to grow digital content ownership, including the recently announced consumer application “Digital Everywhere.” This studio-agnostic application will be the ultimate destination for consumers to organize and access their entire digital library from anywhere on the device of their choice, as well as to share recommendations and discover new content. The Flixster acquisition and “Digital Everywhere,” combined with the Studio’s support of the UltraViolet format are all part of an overall strategy to give consumers even more freedom, utility and value for their digital purchases.

“Driving the growth of digital ownership is a central, strategic focus for Warner Bros.,” said Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Office of the President, Warner Bros. Entertainment. “The acquisition of Flixster will allow us to advance that strategy and promote initiatives that will help grow digital ownership.”

Flixster is currently the number one movie discovery application on mobile platforms with over 35 million downloads to date, including Android, Blackberry and iPad, and ranks among the most downloaded of all iPhone apps. Rotten Tomatoes is one of the most trusted and influential brands in movie reviews with over 12 million unique visitors per month. Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes will remain fully independent. The Flixster team will stay in San Francisco and the Rotten Tomatoes team will continue to work autonomously in Los Angeles.

“We’re thrilled that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group shares our vision for how ‘anytime, anywhere’ digital entertainment can become an amazing user experience,” said Joe Greenstein, co-founder and CEO of Flixster. “We’re excited that Warner was willing to make this kind of commitment to a leading independent consumer platform. We look forward to working with Warner as well as each of the other studios to innovate and build products that users will love.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group has been the consistent change leader in the home entertainment arena. It is a founding member of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), which is launching UltraViolet™ this year. UltraViolet will provide cloud-based storage and give consumers the ability to watch digital entertainment across multiple platforms such as connected TVs, PCs, game consoles and smartphones. And as the market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group recently became the first studio to distribute films directly to consumers via apps on Apple’s iOS platform and Facebook.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

Some of you may remember me from the TDK days, some of you may not.

Anyway, I have returned. Prepare for more detailed reports and pictures from the set this summer.

And... here... we... go!

Welcome back, I remember you.

Send news/scoops/pictures to: http://batman-news.com/contact/

That site is pretty damn good.

 

[TaliaalGhul.fan]

Talia.

Welcome to the SHHype Boards.

Thanks. I've been coming here for years finally got the nerve to sign up in January.

 

[antsman41]

I remember you, Rory...

 

[Blue Sugar]

Forget pessimism. I've never been more excited for a movie since, well ever.

Love Tom Hardy, love Bane. Dig Hathaway, love Catwoman (essential to Batman imo). TDK is still one of my favorite movies of all time. And so on.

 

[firstclassclown]

Some of you may remember me from the TDK days, some of you may not.

Anyway, I have returned. Prepare for more detailed reports and pictures from the set this summer.

And... here... we... go!

"You still haven't given up on me?"

WELCOME BACK RORY!!!

 

[Dragon_316ca]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-Dark-Knight-rises-in-Jodhpur/Article1-693332.aspx

Christian Bale starrer The Dark Knight Rises — the much-awaited sequel to the 2008 Hollywood blockbuster The Dark Knight — will commence its production with a ‘two desert sequence’ to be shot over Friday and Saturday at the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhphur, Rajasthan.

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who helmed the series’ first two projects — Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight that went on to make over $1 billion worldwide — will pan the camera in India over the weekend for the final installment of the series. Nolan has written the screenplay for this one with his brother Jonathan.

“Chris flew down to India in December last year in a hush-hush affair for a recce in Jodhpur, and he loved the place. He will shoot a two-day desert sequence there and inside the Mehrangarh Fort on May 6 and May 7,” says an industry source.

“It’ll be a fraction scene in the movie and perhaps the audiences won’t even come to know that it’s India,” the source adds. The fort authorities confirm. “Yes, the movie is being shot here,” says a front desk executive.

The film unit arrived on Wednesday in a chartered plane with over a dozen crew members, and Nolan is expected to fly back on May 8. Bale, however, is not coming to the country.

Bhanupratap Rathore, a local guide, says that the crew will be staying at Taj’s Vivanta Hari Mahal hotel .

Other sources inform that the Jodhpur footage may feature the superhero’s antagonists The League of Shadows, considering their link to Asia, as shown in the movie.

 

[kvz5]

Interesting... So it looks like that it will NOT be a Bruce/Batman scene after all. It lends more credibility to the rumor that it's for the Ra's flashback after all.

 

[rory_bat]

Welcome back, I remember you.

Send news/scoops/pictures to: http://batman-news.com/contact/

That site is pretty damn good.

Good to be back

 

[Milkman95]

Well, Bale could be filming his scenes from Cardington or LA for this particular scene, and Nolan is just using exteriors with recreating the interiors on a Soundstage.

 

[rory_bat]

"You still haven't given up on me?"

WELCOME BACK RORY!!!

Thank you, sir!

 

[kvz5]

Well, Bale could be filming his scenes from Cardington or LA for this particular scene, and Nolan is just using exteriors with recreating the interiors on a Soundstage.

True but now it can pretty much be any character that will be involved in the scene whereas before they made it sound like it's a Bruce scene. It can be about Ra's, LOS, Talia, a Bane prison break, etc.

 

[Goku Goes Crazy]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/The-Dark-Knight-rises-in-Jodhpur/Article1-693332.aspx

Interesting, so Bale isn't going to be there?

 

[ronny]

I think Ras is going to give Bane the same choice he gave Bruce.
However, if this is the Bane we know and love, he's going to tell Ras to shove his offer where the sun don't shine. I like how Bane is a self-made man. He had more **** to deal with than Bruce but still became this incredible, brilliant person. A genius level intellect, a master planner and an almost unrivalled fighter. And he did it all himself.

Having Bane as part of the Legue of Shadows/Assassins would really rob the character of the self-sufficiency that makes him so unique. For all his sophistication, he's still got that jailhouse '**** The World' mentality.

 

[kvz5]

Interesting, so Bale isn't going to be there?

Doesn't look like it if that article is more accurate than the previous one.

 

[batbax]

I think Ras is going to give Bane the same choice he gave Bruce.
However, if this is the Bane we know and love, he's going to tell Ras to shove his offer where the sun don't shine. I like how Bane is a self-made man. He had more **** to deal with than Bruce but still became this incredible, brilliant person. A genius level intellect, a master planner and an almost unrivalled fighter. And he did it all himself.

Having Bane as part of the Legue of Shadows/Assassins would really rob the character of the self-sufficiency that makes him so unique. For all his sophistication, he's still got that jailhouse '**** The World' mentality.

I was thinking the same thing(Ra's giving bane a choice, etc) however how old would Bane be when given this choice? Because if the Ra's is being shown 30 years prior, how old would bane be?? Surely he wouldnt give that choice to a 5 or 6 year old

 

[FamilyGuy827]

Some of you may remember me from the TDK days, some of you may not.

Anyway, I have returned. Prepare for more detailed reports and pictures from the set this summer.

And... here... we... go!

Welcome back, I remember you.

Send news/scoops/pictures to: http://batman-news.com/contact/

And Nolan Fans as well if you've got the time

http://www.nolanfans.com/

 

[Mako]

The shoot is headed to Pittsburgh next right?

 

[ronny]

I was thinking the same thing(Ra's giving bane a choice, etc) however how old would Bane be when given this choice? Because if the Ra's is being shown 30 years prior, how old would bane be?? Surely he wouldnt give that choice to a 5 or 6 year old

Bane was no ordinary child though. From a young age he learned that he had to be ruthless to survive. Remember his teddy bear? He had a shiv hidden in that thing.
Plus, I think Ras is so Machiavellian that he would like to raise his successor from childhood. Raise him, marry him off to Talia, ensure the succession.

But even from a young age, I think Bane would tell Ras to beat it. His independence and lone-wolf nature are very important to the character. I view him more as a flawed hero than a real villain. Notice I didn't say 'anti-hero'. I think Bane's a pretty good guy, truth be told.

 

[batbax]

Bane was no ordinary child though. From a young age he learned that he had to be ruthless to survive. Remember his teddy bear? He had a shiv hidden in that thing.
Plus, I think Ras is so Machiavellian that he would like to raise his successor from childhood. Raise him, marry him off to Talia, ensure the succession.

But even from a young age, I think Bane would tell Ras to beat it. His independence and lone-wolf nature are very important to the character. I view him more as a flawed hero than a real villain. Notice I didn't say 'anti-hero'. I think Bane's a pretty good guy, truth be told.

Cool, thanks for putting it into perspective. I could see that working. Yeah I agree with Bane needing to be sort of a lone-wolf and doing his own thing. I think that would bring out the all the potential that lies within the character. Hence why I was a bit dissapointed at the one "plot leak" that came out a few months ago that basically described Bane as "muscle". I really hope they go more the route your describing, which I think Nolan will. I think Nolan and co. see the potential in Bane and are gonna give us a great enemy for batman.

 

[Joker'sHenchman]

Interesting to hear that so many people think that Bane will be with Ra's. Where are people getting that idea? Simply speculation?

I am of the mind that Bane is an elite member of the SWAT team Gordon sends in search of Batman, who ultimately goes rogue or, at the very least, uses methods that wouldn't necessarily be approved.

I don't think that Bane will be one of Ra's' cronies...

 

[The Joker]

Interesting... So it looks like that it will NOT be a Bruce/Batman scene after all. It lends more credibility to the rumor that it's for the Ra's flashback after all.

I always thought it was. It's to do with Bane's back story, IMO.

 

[TheBatman072]

Or it could be Bane's prison break in the present time.

 

[batbax]

Or it could be Bane's prison break in the present time.

Thats really what i want to see.. No offense to Ra's because like i said I guess theres ways of integrating him and bane together, But imo Bane by himself is more intriguing.

 

[TheBatman072]

Thats really what i want to see.. No offense to Ra's because like i said I guess theres ways of integrating him and bane together, But imo Bane by himself is more intriguing.

Ditto.

Could be very thrilling and an EXCELLENT demonstration of Bane's physical and mental prowess of being able to escape from a place like THAT fortress/prison.

Could even put in a little exposition/back story for Bane in there with clever dialogue from guards and/or other inmates.