Review: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" Rises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Running time:  136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout
DIRECTORS:  Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
WRITERS:  Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; from a story and concept by Ed Brubaker (based upon the comic books by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Trent Opaloch (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Jeffrey Ford
COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scartlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Maximiliano Hernandez, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Jenny Agutter, and Stan Lee

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a 2014 superhero film featuring Marvel Comics character, Captain America.  It is a direct sequel to the 2011 film, Captain America: The First Avenger, and is also a follow-up to 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers.  This movie is also the ninth film produced by Marvel Studios (a sister company of Marvel Comics) in its Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The Avenger’s director Joss Whedon contributes a post-credits scene for this film.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Captain America joining forces with his Avengers teammate, The Black Widow, to fight a covert enemy and an assassin who has some kind of link to Captain America’s past.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Marvel’s most mature movie to date, and it is also the best of the Marvel films that focus on one hero.  It is a must-see for fans of superhero movies.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens two years after the events of The Avengers.  Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) lives in Washington D.C. and continues to work as Captain America (Chris Evans) for the espionage agency, S.H.I.E.L.D.  As a man of the 1930s and 40s, however, Rogers struggles to adapt to contemporary society.

He also has misgivings about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s recent activities.  After a rescue operation, Rogers comes into conflict with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but soon finds that he and Fury have problems in common.  They are facing off with a mysterious assassin known as The Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan), and he seems to be every bit as powerful and as skilled as Captain America.

To stop him, Captain America joins forces with Natasha Romanoff a/k/a The Black Widow (Scartlett Johansson).  When things get too hot even for the two of them, they find a friend in ex-paratrooper Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who possesses a winged-flight exoskeleton called “Falcon.”  Still, that may not be enough to stop a conspiracy which has its tentacles everywhere.

While Captain America: The First Avenger is as much a World War II fantasy adventure film as it is a superhero movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a superhero movie that acts like an installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, with some Jason Bourne thrown in for good measure.  And I like it.  The Winter Soldier is funny, awe-inspiring, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, and riveting.  It is a big movie packed with the kind of CGI that makes you think everything on the screen is real.  It was hard for me to look away from the screen because this is the kind of movie that really grabs hold of your attention at the start of the story and won’t let go even at the end.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is also a character drama and political thriller that examines the lead characters’ lives in the context of the modern geopolitical climate and state-security apparatus.  In one way or another, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Nick Fury are basically out of step with either the times (Rogers) or their place in national and international politics and intrigue (Romanoff and Fury).  The film asks the questions:  how much are their lives tied to their jobs and what are they willing to do to achieve righteousness?  They are forced to confront what they both want and believe the truth to be and what it may actually be.  To that end, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scartlett Johansson give some of the best performances seen in superhero movies over the past twenty-five years.  I don’t want to spoil the movie, but I will say that this film’s other actors, especially Robert Redford, are also good.

I have heard that some have described Captain America: The Winter Soldier as being Marvel Studio’s equivalent of the 2008 Batman film, The Dark Knight.  I wouldn’t go quite that far, but The Winter Soldier is exceptional.  One measurement of how good a movie is that I use works out like this:  if I don’t want a movie to end, then I really, really like it.  I did not want Captain America: The Winter Soldier to end.  I could have watched another half-hour or so.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, April 06, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Oscar-Winner Holly Hunter Leads New Cast Additions to Superman/Batman Film

Holly Hunter Joins the Cast of Director Zack Snyder’s Untitled Superman/Batman Film from Warner Bros. Pictures

Callan Mulvey and Tao Okamoto add to the international ensemble.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Oscar®-winning actress Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey of “300: Rise of an Empire,” and Tao Okamoto of “The Wolverine” have joined the cast of the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

All three actors will play characters newly created for the film.

Snyder stated, “Holly has always been one of my favorite actresses; she has immense talent and is always captivating on screen. I had an opportunity to meet her a while back and knew instantly that I had to work with her, so as we began writing the script I made sure to create a role specifically for her.

“I just had the good fortune to work with Callan on ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ and was very impressed with his incredible talent,” the director continued. “He’s a fantastic actor and I’m looking forward to having the chance to work with him again. And, quite simply, Tao is a striking presence whose beauty is aptly rivaled by her amazing abilities as an actress. I’m really excited to have her joining us on this adventure.”

Hunter received the Academy Award® and a Golden Globe Award for her starring role in Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” She also garnered Oscar® nominations for her work in “Broadcast News,” “The Firm” and “Thirteen.” She has starred in such films as the Coen brothers’ “Raising Arizona” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” Steven Spielberg’s “Always,” Lasse Halström’s “Once Around,” Jodie Foster’s “Home for the Holidays” and Brad Bird’s animated hit “The Incredibles.” Hunter was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award® when she reunited with Campion for the TV miniseries “Top of the Lake.” She next appears in David Gordon Green’s “Manglehorn” and in Terrence Malick’s upcoming feature.

Australian-born Mulvey stars in the current box office hit “300: Rise of an Empire,” produced by Snyder. He also appeared in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” and will next be seen in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

In addition to “The Wolverine,” Okamoto also appeared in the video “The Wolverine: The Path of a Ronin,” and in the Japanese television miniseries “Chi no wadachi.”

Snyder’s film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. The film also stars Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and reunites “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

The new film is currently being written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

The film is set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.

VIZ Media Celebrates 15th Anniversary of "Battle Royale" Novel with New Releases

NEW BATTLE ROYALE RELEASES FROM VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT CELEBRATE THE 15th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RIVETING NOVEL

BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED Novel Features A New Translation While The BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK Explores The Novel’s Tremendous Impact On Pop Culture

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint commemorates the 15th Anniversary of the original debut of one of the most controversial works of modern Japanese literary fiction with the release of BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED and the BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK: Essays on the Cult Classic Novel by Koushun Takami.

BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED features a brand new translation of the smash hit near-future dystopian thriller along with new cover art by Tomer Hanuka and an afterword by author Koushun Takami. The BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK presents an insightful collection of essays by some of the most important writers of popular fiction on the impact of the novel, related films and manga series on pop culture and the controversy and continuing social debate that has surrounded BATTLE ROYALE ever since its release.

BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED is available now from Haikasoru as a print-only release for $16.99 U.S./ $19.99 CAN, while the BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK is offered in print for $14.99 U.S./$16.99 CAN, as well as an eBook edition for $7.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks Store.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED, by Koushun Takami • MSRP: $16.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN • Available Now

Koushun Takami’s notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan—where it then proceeded to become a runaway best seller—Battle Royale is a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world. Made into a controversial hit movie of the same name, Battle Royale is already a contemporary Japanese pulp classic, now available in a new English-language translation.

BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK: Essays on the Cult Classic Novel by Koushun Takami • MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN • Available Now

Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale is an international best seller, the basis of the cult film, and the inspiration for a popular manga. And fifteen years after its initial release, Battle Royale remains a controversial pop culture phenomenon. Join New York Times best-selling author John Skipp, Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm, Philip K. Dick Award-nominated novelist Toh EnJoe, and an array of writers, scholars, and fans in discussing girl power, firepower, professional wrestling, bad movies, the survival chances of Hollywood’s leading teen icons in a battle royale, and so much more!

“BATTLE ROYALE: REMASTERED delivers a new translation of the cult classic the occasion of its 15th Anniversary and presents a prime opportunity to revisit this gripping story, or dive into it for the very first time,” says Haikasoru editor Nick Mamatas. “The BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK is the first-ever English language release to examine the property’s cultural impact from an array of acclaimed writers. We invite readers to discover both of these riveting new releases from Haikasoru!”

Koushun Takami was born in 1969 in Amagasaki near Osaka and grew up in Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku (the fourth largest island in Japan), where he currently resides. After graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he worked for a newspaper company, Shikoku Shinbun, for five years, reporting on politics, police reports, and economics. Also, he attended Nihon University’s liberal arts correspondence-course program and acquired an English teaching certificate for junior high and high school.

Battle Royale, completed after Takami left the newspaper company, was his debut work and his only novel published so far. With its publication in Japan in 1999, it received widespread support and became a best seller. Battle Royale was serialized as a comic, made into a feature film in 2000, and has been translated into more than ten languages. Since its initial release, Battle Royale continues to be a cult favorite in Japan and internationally.

For more information these titles and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.

Review: "Porky's" is Still a Raunchy Classic (Remembering Bob Clark)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Porky’s (1982)
Running time:  94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Bob Clark
PRODUCERS:  Don Carmody and Bob Clark
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Reginald H. Morris (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Stan Cole
COMPOSER:  Paul Zaza and Carl Zittrer

COMEDY

Starring:  Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight, Roger Wilson, Cyril O’Reilly, Tony Ganios, Kaki Hunter, Kim Cattrall, Nancy Parsons, Scott Colomby, Boyd Gaines, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Wayne Maunder, Chuck Mitchell, and Alex Karras

The subject of this movie review is Porky’s, a 1982 Canadian-American sex comedy from writer-director Bob Clark.  The film is set in 1954 and focuses on a group of high school boys who try to help a buddy lose his virginity and end up seeking revenge on the sleazy owner of a honky tonk and his redneck sheriff brother.

Porky’s spawned a franchise, including two direct sequels.  The film won the Golden Reel Award at the 1983 Genie Awards and also received a “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” nomination for actor, Doug McGrath.  Porky’s was a surprise box office success and for decades was the highest-grossing Canadian film of all time.  It apparently still is, when adjusting for inflation.

Porky’s is set in Angel Beach, a small town in South Florida.  There, we find six teens that are desperate for sexual satisfaction.  These young, red-bloodied, American males, who play basketball for Angel Beach High School, have raging hormones and are horny for just about any female willing to do “it” with them.

The most desperate is Edward “Pee Wee” Morris (Dan Monahan), a short guy (in more ways than one), who wants desperately for a girl to relieve him of the burden of his virginity.  Pee Wee and friends hope to find sexual relief at a notorious honky-tonk joint in the next county, Porky’s.  However, the club’s owner, Porky (Chuck Mitchell) himself, rips them off and throws them out – even going so far as to seriously injury one of the teens who later seeks to get back at Porky.

So Pee Wee, Billy (Mark Herrier), Tommy (Wyatt Knight), and the rest of the gang plot an incredible revenge against Porky and his brother, the redneck Sheriff Wallace (Alex Karras).  Meanwhile, the boys’ adventures and activities earn them the unwanted attention of the foul-tempered girls’ gym teacher, Beulah Balbricker (Nancy Parsons).  Also, new junior basketball coach, Roy Brackett (Boyd Gaines), seduces sexy fellow gym instructor, Honeywell (Kim Cattrall), and makes a shocking discovery about how she acts during the heat of passion.

The late filmmaker Bob Clark is probably best known for his holiday movie classic, A Christmas Story (1983).  His infamous teen comedy, Porky’s, is also fondly remembered and apparently has influenced other filmmakers who have made teen films.

With Porky's, Clark, who died with his son in a 2007 car accident, took an unabashed and fanciful look at raucous high school adolescence in the 1950s.  However, the story has a timeless quality because of the truth at the heart of its idiocy:  sex weighs heavily on the minds of both high school boys and girls.  Porky’s can be pretty frank about that reality, but that is what makes this film both unique and unforgettable and difficult to duplicate – as its less successful sequels can attest.

Porky’s is silly, even a bit misogynistic, but I first saw it as a teenager and loved it.  Other than being a teenaged male, I had nothing in common with the characters, but I loved the film.  It is funny just to watch these high school kids’ antics – both guys and girls.

7 of 10
B+

Friday, April 04, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Steve Buscemi Launches New Talk Show, "Park Bench"

AOL Announces New Original Series Starring Steve Buscemi, “Park Bench”

Celebrities and New Yorkers Alike Take a Seat with Steve to Discuss Pop-Culture and Current Events

Produced by Olive Productions and RadicalMedia

Distributed Globally by FremantleMedia International

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOL and Steve Buscemi have teamed-up to take over the streets of New York in the new original series, “Park Bench,” – a local’s take on the special people, places and spirit of The Big Apple.

Through unscripted moments and conversations with average New Yorkers – as well as Steve's celebrity friends – Buscemi takes viewers on a first-hand misadventure. Discussing everything from pop culture to current events, the show, produced by Olive Productions and RadicalMedia, will convey Steve’s relationship with New York and its array of one-of-a-kind characters – taking viewers beyond mere interviews and involving them in his daily life.

Currently starring in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Golden Globe winner and Emmy-nominated Buscemi has become one of the most recognizable and well-loved actors in recent history and will bring his personal blend of comedy and styling to Park Bench.

“Having lived and worked in New York my whole life, I’m ready to take advantage of all it has to offer,” said Buscemi. “I just need to lay down for five minutes.”

AOL, in line with its dedication to original premium video content via their “AOL Originals” platform, will carry the first season of Park Bench online in the United States.

“We're excited to include Park Bench as part of our new slate of AOL Originals,” said Gabriel Lewis, Head of AOL Studios & AOL Originals. “We strive to produce and showcase programming that captures unique and authentic personalities, and this series will give audiences a glimpse into Steve's world like they've never experienced before. We're confident Park Bench will delight our existing audience as well as appeal to audiences currently unfamiliar with AOL Originals."

FremantleMedia International has partnered with RadicalMedia to bring Park Bench to the global Television market and will be shopping the series to international buyers at MIPTV this spring.

“Park Bench is a superb one-of-a-kind, eccentric show, and with the association of Steve Buscemi, top producer RadicalMedia and innovative platform AOL, we’re delighted to be taking this series worldwide,” said Hayley Dickson, Vice President, Television Acquisitions and Development, Global Content, FremantleMedia International.

Production on Park Bench is set to begin this month in New York City. Wren Arthur and Steve Buscemi are Executive Producing for Olive Productions. Justin Wilkes, Joe Killian and Jon Doran are Executive Producing for RadicalMedia.

Buscemi and Olive are represented by WME, The Gotham Group and attorney George Sheanshang.

For more information on Park Bench, please go to: parkbenchtheshow.com

About AOL Originals
AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia is one of the largest creators, producers and distributors of television brands in the world. It is responsible for many of the world’s highest rated prime time entertainment, drama, serial drama, factual entertainment and kids & family programming, with capabilities that extend from content creation to licensing, digital and branded entertainment, gaming and home entertainment. The FremantleMedia Group (which includes FremantleMedia International, FremantleMedia Digital & Branded Entertainment, FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, UFA, FremantleMedia UK, FremantleMedia Australia, Ludia, @radical.media and Original Productions, among others) has an outstanding global network with operations in 25 countries, creating over 8,500 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 60 formats and airing 400 programmes a year worldwide. The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over 200 territories. FremantleMedia has some of the world’s most famous and long running formats in its catalogue, and globally produces such programmes as: Idols, Got Talent (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), The X Factor (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), Take Me Out, Hole In The Wall, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Farmer Wants A Wife, Through the Keyhole Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeite, Wentworth, Neighbours, Generation War, Salatut Elamat, Grand Designs, Project Runway, Tree Fu Tom and Strange Hill High. FremantleMedia is part of RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network, which is in turn 75.1 percent owned by the international media company Bertelsmann. www.fremantlemedia.com

About RadicalMedia
RADICALMEDIA is a global studio that creates some of the world’s most innovative content across all forms of media. The company develops, produces and distributes television, feature films, commercials, music programming, live events, mobile applications, digital content and design. The company has produced a number of award-winning projects, including the Academy Award® nominated documentary, PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY; the Emmy® winning film UNDER AFRICAN SKIES: PAUL SIMON'S GRACELAND JOURNEY; the Academy Award®-winning documentary THE FOG OF WAR; the Grammy Award®-winning CONCERT FOR GEORGE; and the Independent Spirit Award®-winning METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER; the pilot episode of the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning series MAD MEN; six seasons of the series ICONOCLASTS for the Sundance Channel; the Emmy®-nominated series OPRAH'S MASTER CLASS and VISIONARIES for OWN; the Ron Howard-directed documentary titled JAY-Z’S MADE IN AMERICA for Showtime; HANK: FIVE YEARS FROM THE BRINK, featuring former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, produced for Bloomberg Businessweek and launched exclusively on Netflix; MILEY: THE MOVEMENT, a documentary on Miley Cyrus for MTV; and DAVID BLAINE: REAL OR MAGIC for ABC.

About Olive Productions
OLIVE PRODUCTIONS is a New York based production company, formed by Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci and Wren Arthur. Diverse in its tastes and casting a wide creative net the company produces narrative and documentary films, and an eclectic array of TV and theater projects. OLIVE and ABC Studios are currently in production on a television pilot written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Taylor Hackford based on DANGEROUS LIAISONS. The company has a first look deal with HBO, and has just completed the documentary A GOOD JOB for the network with Liz Garbus about firefighters in the FDNY. OLIVE has a full development slate, always striving to inspire, foster, and support great artists.

Paramount Picture's Announces New Adam McKay Project - "The Big Short"

McKAY TO TAKE ON PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND PLAN B’S “THE BIG SHORT” FROM ACCLAIMED WRITER MICHAEL LEWIS

Paramount Pictures and Plan B announced today that writer / director Adam McKay has come aboard to adapt and direct “THE BIG SHORT,” based on the acclaimed book by Michael Lewis.

Based on Lewis’ best-seller The Big Short: Inside The Doomsday Machine about the housing and credit bubble of the 2000s, the film will be produced by Paramount and Brad Pitt's Plan B. Pitt previously starred in and produced Lewis’ “Moneyball,” which earned an Academy Award®-nomination for Best Picture.

"Michael Lewis has the amazing ability to take complex formulas and concepts and turn them into page turners. Plan B and I connected over that breathless quality the book has. Very excited to jump into this," said McKay.

Said Adam Goodman, Paramount Film Group President, “I am so excited as this project marks my third collaboration with Adam McKay – a tremendously talented filmmaker and one of my favorite storytellers.”

Said Plan B, “There are those rare literary treasures - as with “THE BIG SHORT” - that park in the harbor and you just wait, with hope.  Adam McKay is a singular voice and talent and a ferocious mind – the vector of Adam and this book is what a producer dreams of.”

McKay most recently co-wrote, produced and directed the sequel “ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES,” for Paramount Pictures. The hit film has grossed over $170m globally. He is repped by WME and Mosaic.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Batman's 75th Anniversary Events Announced

A Super Hero for Every Generation: Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment Celebrate Batman’s 75th Anniversary

New Batman 75th Commemorative Logo Unveiled

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark the milestone 75th anniversary of DC Comics’ Batman, Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment have revealed plans for a year-long celebration befitting the world’s most popular Super Hero. Highlights of the anniversary program, which starts today, include a new commemorative 75th anniversary Batman logo and an exclusive “Cape/Cowl/Create” art exhibit, featuring 20 contemporary artists’ interpretation of The Dark Knight’s iconic cowl headpiece and cape from the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight videogame. There will also be 75th anniversary-related activities across all of Warner Bros. Entertainment throughout the year.

First appearing in the comic book Detective Comics #27, which hit newsstands on March 30, 1939, featuring artwork by Bob Kane and a script by Bill Finger, Batman emerged from the shadows to become the world’s most popular Super Hero and dominate all media. In feature films, TV shows, radio, video games, publishing and merchandise, this most human of Super Heroes has battled some of fiction’s greatest villains using his intellect, cunning and an arsenal of gadgets to further his quest for justice.

“Batman is an incredibly important property with multi-generational appeal across all of the Studio’s businesses, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment. “From billion-dollar blockbuster films to TV, home entertainment, video games and consumer products, The Dark Knight continues to resonate with audiences worldwide and rightfully deserves his place as a global pop culture icon for the ages.”

Batman is the single most successful Super Hero film franchise in history and there have been more theatrical movies released based on Batman than any other comic book character. In video games, the Batman Arkham franchise is also the most successful Super Hero game concept ever. Batman consistently breaks records in every incarnation of his character and remains the gold standard by which all other comic book sales are measured.

“Batman is one of the greatest characters ever created, in comics or elsewhere, and even after 75 years he continues to wildly fascinate fans. He is an integral part of pop culture and has successfully captured the imagination of the entire world,” said Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment and President & Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The origin of Batman, Bruce Wayne and the famous citizens of Gotham are legendary and likely a story you know inside out, even if you’ve never picked up a comic book in your life, and that speaks volumes to the character’s immense popularity and the constructs of the original mythology.”

The first published adventure of The Bat-Man (as he was then known) was in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics #27, conceived of and drawn by a 22-year-old Kane with his frequent collaborator, Bill Finger, scripting the story. The character was so successful, that one year later the first comic book devoted exclusively to the Caped Crusader’s adventures, Batman #1, hit newsstands. In that issue, Batman battled The Joker and Catwoman for the first time.

Now, DC Entertainment and the Studio’s various divisions, including Pictures, Television, Animation, Interactive Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Consumer Products, will mark this extraordinary 75th anniversary with a range of highly anticipated events and products.

The new commemorative logo, also released today across social media and websites, takes its cue from the famed Bat symbol, and features block-style lettering of “75 Years.” The mark will be rolled out on Batman-related promotions, products and initiatives.

Key activities planned for the Batman 75th anniversary celebration include:

DC Entertainment – DC Entertainment has an action-packed year filled with new Batman titles, commemorative issues and variant covers, including the recently released special edition of Detective Comics #27 commemorating Batman’s first appearance in the book in 1939, the new weekly series Batman Eternal launching April 9, and upcoming exclusive Batman variant covers planned for San Diego Comic-Con International in July.

Batman Day – DC Entertainment is also partnering with thousands of comic retailers, book stores and libraries for “Batman Day” on Wednesday, July 23. Each location will host a Batman 75th anniversary celebration and offer fans a free, special edition Batman comic.

Interactive Entertainment – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has invited celebrated fashion designer Asher Levine to create a cape and cowl based on the Batsuit of the recently announced Batman: Arkham Knight videogame developed by Rocksteady Studios. Favorite contemporary artists will have the opportunity to use the replicas as a blank canvas to produce their own, original interpretations of Batman’s iconic attire for an all new “Cape/Cowl/Create” art exhibit that will be showcased at San Diego Comic-Con International in July.

Home Entertainment – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will bring fans an array of new Batman titles throughout the year, including the highly anticipated release of the Batman ’66 TV series for the first time ever. Other new releases include animated films Son of Batman (May 6) and Assault on Arkham (summer 2014). Additionally, a 25th Anniversary Edition of Tim Burton’s Batman feature film will be released in the fall.

Animation – Warner Bros. Animation has created two all-new Batman animated shorts set for debut in April, with fan-favorite producers Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Darwyn Cooke (Batman Beyond) each presenting a unique and familiar take on the Batman animated universe. In addition, Timm will participate in a Batman 75th all-star panel at WonderCon in Anaheim on Saturday, April 19, which will also feature an exclusive premiere of Cooke’s animated short based upon Batman Beyond.

Television – Warner Bros. Television is in production on the pilot episode of the highly anticipated Gotham, a new one-hour drama for FOX which explores the origin stories of eventual police commissioner James Gordon and the villains that made Gotham City famous. In Gotham, Detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie – Southland) will encounter a familiar cast of characters – including a young Bruce Wayne – as he fights to keep the city safe. Executive producer Bruce Heller (The Mentalist, Rome) wrote the pilot, which is being directed by executive producer Danny Cannon (CSI series, Nikita).

Pictures – As Batman’s 75th anniversary is celebrated in 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures will begin production of Zack Snyder’s untitled Superman/Batman film starring Henry Cavill, who reprises his role as Superman/Clark Kent, and Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The film, slated for release summer 2016, will bring the two most iconic Super Heroes of all time together for the first time on the big screen.

Consumer Products – Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with an array of licensees to celebrate Batman’s 75th Anniversary through special edition and limited-release products. From the classic 1960s TV series to modern day comics, Batman’s presence will be larger than ever in celebration of his legacy through everything from toys to t-shirts.

DCComics.com – For the latest information and exclusive content celebrating Batman’s 75th anniversary, visit www.Batman75.com. The dedicated section on DC Comics’ website launches today with the Batman 75 Sweepstakes which offers one lucky fan a one-of-a-kind prize package.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.