“THE DARK KNIGHT” PREVAILS AT BOX OFFICE: WARNER BROS. OPTS TO NOT RELEASE WEEKEND TALLIES OUT OF RESPECT TO COLORADO VICTIMS

Still from The Dark Knight Rises

Firstly, I must commend Warner Bros. for not reporting Box Office tallies over the course of this weekend out of respect to those affected by Friday`s tragic Shootings in Colorado. I too have opted not to report Box Office results this weekend for the same reason.

It is no mystery that The Dark Knight Rises is a shoe-in to top the Box Office and it is terribly unfortunate that its hard-fought success has been marred, if not hindered by the horrific events which took place.

The Movies for me always have been a safe Haven and it is unthinkable that someone could be so callous as to take this sense of Security away from others.  My Heart goes out to the Families and Friends of those affected as I cannot even begin to understand the sense of grief and loss they are experiencing right now. 

As The Dark Knight himself would want, Truth and Justice shall prevail above all else.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

"THE DARK KNIGHT RISES": MOVIE REVIEW

Still from The Dark Knight Rises

Expectations are impossibly high for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, the Finale to his epic Batman Trilogy. Fans of its two Predecessors however, have little to worry about here.  This Installment introduces us to a battle-worn Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) eight years in exile after Batman is seen as being responsible for the death of Gotham's Community Pillar, D.A. Harvey Dent. 

Gotham however is under-siege with the imminent danger brought-on by a menacing presence with a Terrorist Agenda, Bane (Tom Hardy).  Although she appears immediately as a Foe, the beguiling Burglar Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) is called-upon by a soon to be out-of-exile Batman to save the City of its greatest threat yet.  Will this be enough we wonder, and at what lengths will Batman go to in order to protect a City which continually has shunned him despite his good intentions?

The Dark Knight Rises is without a question a Work of Art.  The Film is breathtakingly-shot, with some masterfully choreographed Action sequences and first-rate performances from the best Hollywood has to offer.  At the same time, it presents some thought-provoking parallels to the World we live in and also Humanity today - if only we all had an all-consuming drive for Justice and Selflessness like Batman...   Perhaps as we approach possibly a Post-Obama Era even, this Film needed to be made as a reflection of the Collective Consciousness and where we stand right now in the continuous War against Terrorism.

Bale as always can be counted upon to deliver and he does so once again with understated charm.  A hardly-recognizable Hardy is terrifying to watch as Bane - deliciously ruthless, albeit lacking enough dimension for my liking, considering his outstanding range as an Actor. We never really get a true sense of what lies beneath his unquenchable thirst for Destruction. Gary Oldman as the vulnerable Jim Gordon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake round-out what quite possibly is the Dream Team of Ensemble Casts.  I however, cannot mask my excitement for Hathaway's irresistible portrayal of  Catwoman/Selina Kyle, silencing any doubt that she could really pull-off that daunting assignment.  Dare I say she might even find herself in-contention for her second ever Oscar Nomination?

MATTHEW MODINE & NESTOR CARBONELL AT CANADIAN PREMIERE OF "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES"

Nestor Carbonell & Matthew Modine at Canadian Premiere of The Dark Knight Rises

Although more a modest Cousin to the The Dark Knight Rises Premiere which took place in London tonight at Leicester Square, Toronto played host to the Canadian Premiere of perhaps 2012's most eagerly-anticipated Film. The final Installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy is poised to open big with estimates just-shy of the $200 million mark to be made domestically this weekend.

Stars Matthew Modine (Any Given Sunday, Full Metal Jacket) and Nestor Carbonell (Lost, Ringer) flew-in to the City for a round of Press in support of what is seen at this point as a Frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars.  Modine plays the integral Role of Deputy Commissioner Foley, while Carbonell reprises the Role of Gotham's Mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight Rises.  The Actors combined made appearances earlier today on CityTV's Breakfast Television, CP24 Breakfast and also CTV's Canada AM.

Modine and Carbonell graced the Red Carpet tonight in the City's Financial District at a Venue which for one night only was re-branded Wayne Manor - of course an Homage to the Film's Hero, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). The glamorous Affair thematically was tied into the Film, named the Black & White Masquerade Ball. Earlier in the evening, Modine sat-in on the Canadian Premiere at Scotiabank Theatre.

I was one of the lucky few who was able to attend the Premiere and will be posting my full Review of The Dark Knight Rises on Friday.  Stay tuned!

Warner Bros. releases The Dark Knight Rises on Friday, July 20, 2012 with several theatres offering Midnight Screenings. 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

ENTER TO WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO THE CANADIAN PREMIERE OF "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES"

Still from The Dark Knight Rises

With its Premiere descending upon us, our Friends at Warner Bros. Canada are giving Fans a chance to rise to the occasion!  The Dark Knight Rises premieres Wednesday, July 18, 2012 here in Toronto and you can enter to win via Twitter a Double Pass to see it first.

Simply ReTweet the below and remember to follow @WBPicturesCan and @WarnerBrosTDot!

"I want to RISE with @warnerbrostdot at the Toronto Premiere of ‪#TheDarkKnightRises‬" to win 2 passes. Contest ends Sunday." 

Yes, there will be Cast in-attendance, although who still has yet to be confirmed.  Good luck!  See you there!

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

FIRST TRAILER: "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES"

Still from The Dark Knight Rises

"There's a storm coming Mr. Wayne.  You and your friends better batten down the hatches cause when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us." - Catwoman

At long last, a proper 2:00 minute official Trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises has surfaced after Moviegoers were enticed last week with a six-minute Prologue before Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Without giving too much away, we see that Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has his doubts about his ability to resurface again, although ultimately he is forced to resurface again to protect Gotham City against the ruthlessly tyrannical Bane (Tom Hardy).  We also see the sometimes villainous Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) introduced as an ever imposing presence.  Looks superb and it's actually pretty exciting to see Hathaway break out the claws in one of her more daring roles ever. Are you excited?

Watch the Trailer in full below:

ANNE HATHAWAY CAST AS CATWOMAN

Anne Hathaway at TIFF 2008

Christopher Nolan has announced some exciting news regarding the new Batman Rises Film, which is in development. Starring alongside Golden Globe Winner Christian Bale as Batman will be none other than Red Carpet favourite Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Sexy Brit Tom Hardy will also be appearing in the Film as Bane, The Hollywood Reporter reveals here.

This will be Hardy's second time working with Director Nolan as they teamed together in last Summer's Inception. His character is known as one of Batman's most intellegent and power opponents. Warner Bros. will be releasing Batman Rises tentatively on July 20, 2012.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

2011 BAFTA NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

BAFTA Award

The British Academy of Film & Television Arts announced their 2011 Film Awards Nominees earlier today in Piccadilly. Not drawing many distinctions from those Award ceremonies held so far in the U.S., their Best Film category finalists include: Black Swan, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Social Network and True Grit. The inclusion of Inception for some might be the surprise. The King's Speech leads the way with a total 14 nominations.

For Outstanding British Film, nominees include 127 Hours, Made in Dagenham, The King’s Speech, Another Year and the more obscure Four Lions.

There were no real surprises in the Acting categories other than Melissa Leo failing to get a Best Supporting Actress nomination; instead her The Fighter co-star Amy Adams got the nod. They also considered 14 year-old Hailee Steinfeld in the Best Actress category versus Best Supporting Actress, which she has been considered for mostly here. The Academy also recognized The Town Actor Peter Postlethwaite in the Best Supporting Actor category; he hasn’t been mentioned much thus far for Oscar contention in these parts also.

The BAFTA Awards will be held February 13, 2011. Read a Full list of nominees here.

 

(Photo credit: BAFTA)

INCEPTION REVIEW

Christopher Nolan's Inception isn't a film I can explain simply in a paragraph or so, but I will try my best to be concise. The concept of Inception involves entering one's dreams and planting thoughts into their mind. Extraction would involve going into one's dreams and taking their ideas. In the world where this film takes place, there is technology to do the latter, however whether or not the former can be done remains to be seen. 

Saito (Ken Watanabe) makes a deal with Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) to accomplish the mission of achieving Inception. That is, if Dom can help Saito destroy the inherited empire of Oil Tycoon Robert Fisher Jr. (Cillian Murphy) in planting distrust against his family, Saito can ensure that Dom is cleared of any charges against him.  Dom stands accused of murdering his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and constructs quite literally, a "Dream Team" to accomplish this mission.

The Team consists of Ariadne (Ellen Page), Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Eames (Tom Hardy) and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who each serve a pivotal role in accomplishing the task of capturing Fisher Jr. and subjecting him to Inception. As the Team delves deeper into the Heir's subconscious via multiple tiers of Dreams, we also delve deeper also in the Dom's psyche too, getting bits and pieces of the mysterious circumstances behind Mal's death. Dom is driven to get back home to his two estranged children, driving him and his Team to complete the mission, but will the dark, suppressed thoughts of his mind divert their focus and lead to their downfall?