Movies

The rumor mill says Batman 3 (The Caped Crusader?) will feature Killer Croc as the primary villan and part of the movie will be set outside of Gotham with shooting in New Orleans.

Doubt it. Nolan wouldn't touch a character like Killer Croc. I take this as evidence pointing toward the Black Mask. He was introduced when Millar was 15, so he fits the description too. I don't think they would set a major action sequence outside of Gotham either, so I suspect the New Orleans shoot, if it's real, is for a part like the Hong Kong part of The Dark Knight. The Black Mask makes a lot of sense because someone has to fill the void left by the deaths of Gambol, the Chechen and Maroni.

So right now I'm hoping for the Riddler and the Black Mask, and I think that combination is most likely. Not sure who I'd have play them. DiCaprio could work as the Black Mask, but I'd like to see them find a no-name who fits better.

Quote of the Day

Candidates who can commit to summer 2012 are strongly preferred.

I read that and thought "I can't risk being out of the country--I need to see Batman 3 opening night."

Then I pitied myself.

"One Bad Day"

Is it true that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

One fascinating study was spurred by discovering that both Ariely and Hanan Frenk (a double-amputee after driving over a landmine) refused painkillers for dental work (why bother?). Frenk and Ariely studied whether people who had suffered traumatic injuries had a higher tolerance for pain. They do.

from Tim Harford's blog.

The the thing, the flip side of the coin is that on "one bad day" whatever doesn't kill you can leave you "half dead." To inject some politics, some events, like a layoff, can mentally cripple people for years, often triggering major depression. A study using the German socio-economic panel found that on average it takes around 5 years to recover from a layoff. This is more relevant now than ever, with so many people slipping into long-term unemployment.

I don't understand how anyone who spent some time in the real world could think debt is a bigger worry than structural unemployment.

The Dark Knight: Maroni

Gordon: I didn't get a chance to thank you.

Batman: And you'll never have to.

[6 months later]

Gordon: Thank you

Batman: You don't have to-

Gordon: Yes, I do.

When the Joker is in the car with Maroni, Two-Face flips and Maroni is spared. But then he flips again to decide the fate of the driver. Why does Two-Face cheat is he is so committed to fairness? Later he lets Ramirez, who is as responsible for Rachel's death as anyone, off the hook.

Also, Maroni talks about his wife in that segment with Two-Face. But earlier in the movie, at the club he's with a woman half his age whom he asks "why would I want to hear you talk?" Is she his wife? No, according to the script she's a mistress.

I only noticed this the last time I watched the movie: when Gordon leaves Dent's room at Gotham General he meets up with Maroni, who is there recovering from his fall. Maroni then tells Gordon (off-camera) where the Joker is meeting to divy up the funds. That is why Gordon has all of his men at the ready when the Joker's threat (to blow up a hospital) is broadcast.

With Maroni dead (presumably) by the hand of Two-Face and the Chechen and Gambol slayed by the Joker--and their men at his command--what is the fate of the mob? Presumably Maroni's right hand man will step up and lead the Italian mob, but the rest could be in disarray with the Joker behind bars. I think this is something that needs to be wrapped up in the next film. It should be the last one.

Batman Began as a means to clean up Gotham. The Dark Knight was a side-show about "one man" when the target was "the whole mob." The Caped Crusade (which should be the next film's title) needs to complete the story arc.

Fact of the Day: In the original script for The Dark Knight, Maroni tells Batman "No one's gonna tell you anything" but no Italian mobster would say "anything." In the film it's changed to "nothing."