Dark Knight Pumpkin from WhySoSerious.com

The latest teaser for the Dark Knight (Batman 2) has appeared and it’s WhySoSerious.com. Visit the site and you see a flickering Jack-o-Lantern with a Bat Logo grin. What this all means is anyone’s guess.

WhySoSerious.com is the latest in a viral marketing campaign that started months ago to promote the film. Despite the fact that we’ve seen numerous web sites, teasers, and images; no real footage or information has been released about the film. Does the Jack-o-Lantern image mean that we’ll get to see an actual trailer on or around Halloween or does it relate to the Jeph Loeb penned Batman: The Long Halloween story, which retells Harvey Dent’s transformation into Two-Face.

More rumors are floating around that a 7-minute preview will be attached to the IMAX version of I Am Legend on Dec. 14. I hope not, because I won’t go see that film for a 7-minute preview, although many might, which is the reason it may actually happen.

Regardless, I’m eagerly awaiting whatever happens at WhySoSerious.com and in the meantime, I may have to carve a Jack-o-Lantern to match the one picture above.

SlashFilm has posted a great article on 55 Must See Movies of 2008. There’s a lot of good films on there. So many and I know I’ll never watch half of them and likely only see half of that in the theaters. I do know I’ll see Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight next year. With Carter, I’m sure Wall-E, Where the Wild Things Are and Horton Hears a Who will be sure bets. From what I hear, the Wachowski Brothers Speed Racer film will be G rated, so we’ll definitely be there for that one.

Fanboys, Be Kind Rewind, Fanboys, The Changeling, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button all sound interesting, but will probably have to wait for cable/DVD.

Alex Ross Cover to Captain American #34Every fan knew that Marvel wouldn’t go long without Captain America. What most did not know, was the method of his return. While we won’t know the details until January, Marvel has just announced that a new Captain America will make his debut in January’s Captain American #34.

Judging from the picture, my guess would the Winter Soldier will be the new Cap. Series writer Ed Brubaker “created” the character from Cap’s past and he’s quickly become a fan favorite and the most likely to take over the role.

The new Cap costume is pretty cool looking and not too different (which it shouldn’t be). I’m not crazy about the gun. Captain America wouldn’t use a gun/laser. I hope they get rid of that pretty quick. Overall, I’m glad to see the story continuing, but I still wouldn’t rule out the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, making a return appearance to the Marvel Universe. Brubaker even comments in the Marvel.com article that he’s only halfway through his story:

This was always the plan, to have—with issue #34, halfway through the whole big, ‘Death of Captain America’ epic story—[a new Cap]. So, you know, it’s all very, very planned out, believe it or not. I have an extensive notebook that I sometimes lose. Which is kind of traumatic.” Ed Brubaker

Be sure to read the full story on Marvel.com for more images the new Alex Ross costume and the new Captain America.

Confessions of a Superhero looks like a fascinating documentary. Here’s the summary from the movie’s myspace page:

CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO is a feature length documentary chronicling the lives of four mortal men and women who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. This deeply personal view into their daily routine reveals the hardships, and triumphs, that these characters endure in pursuit of becoming famous. The Hulk sold his supernintendo for a bus ticket to LA, Wonder Woman was the homecoming queen, Batman struggles with his anger, and Superman is consumed with the character he portrays. The Walk of Fame may be right beneath their feet, but their path to Stardom is a long, hard climb. Explore the fascination, obsession, and allure of fame, through the eyes of some very unique people struggling to make it in Tinseltown.

Documentaries are such a mixed bag. They require a good balance between an interesting subject and quirky characters. If you veer too far off one path, you risk losing the audience. Seeing this trailer reminded how much I like the work of documentary duo Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger. Hoping to find a new film I had not heard about, it seems the pair have not made a documentary film since 2004’s Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. The Paradise Lost films are the ones that introduced them to a wide audience, but for a great look into another person’s life, I’d highly recommend Brother’s Keeper.

Thanks to Michael for showing me this Japanese Batman cartoon intro. It’s the intro for the 1977 New Adventures of Batman animated series (with a few additional clips and edits) set to a crazy Batman theme. Can’t believe I’d never heard of this before.

After watching it, I saw the Japanese opening for the X-Men animated series from Fox in the 1990’s. It’s much more intense than the original opening. Very different from the Batman opening. Interesting how much styles and tastes have changed in 20 years.