Blu-Ray Review: The Dark Knight

Hey readers! Starting today, VANTAGE will be adding Blu-Ray movies to our categories of reviews! So we will be giving you our thoughts and suggestions on restaurants, movies, and Blu-Ray.

So we start this segment off with arguably the biggest movie of 08, The Dark Knight. After seeing this in the theater, I knew I was gonna have in some sort of format for home viewing. But since I had recently purchased a PS3 and a High-Def TV, I thought, "why not buy it on Blu-Ray."

Before we begin, I just wanna let you guys know that me and my fellow masterminds are not huge experts on the details and specifications of Blu-Ray, so we will only be giving you our thoughts and comments on the reviews. For those who want an in-depth review, I suggest you guys head to BluRay.com.

Let's start with the video quality. In my opinion, I think that The Dark Knight is one of those movies that transfer well into Blu-Ray. The video quality of this film on BD was just spectacular. The detail on the city shots, or even on Joker's make-up was just great! The colors of Joker's face are more vibrant, and just simply overwhelming to look at. According to some reviewers, The Dark Knight on BD was a huge improvement from its predecessor, Batman Begins. The Dark Knight was framed and produced for 1080p.

Now for the audio. To fully enjoy and maximize the experience of BD, you guys might want to consider purchasing a home theater system for your TV's because most movies now are being presented in Dolby 5.1 TrueHD. This is basically to give all you movie fans the ultimate home theater experience. On The Dark Knight, it is presented in Dolby 5.1 TrueHD, but my only complaint is that there were times when it seemed that the audio was too bass-heavy. But nonetheless, the audio for this film is delivered in good detail, and with plenty of resolution.

Now for the special features. Just to give you guys a quick run-through, here are the special features for the film:

Disc 1: Gotham Uncovered--a mish-mash of standard definition and high-def content, clocking in at one hour, this multi-part documentary replaces the need for an audio track and focuses on the unique elements that went into the creation of the sets, props and the use of IMAX cameras. It's a trove of information that no fan of The Dark Knight should miss. The amount of planning that went into the film are remarkable and carefully documented here. You can learn such details as the materials and production of the Bat suit and the difficulty in driving the Bat-pod. I would have liked to see more material covering Two-Face, since he was such a large part of the film and an explanation of how his face was handled in CGI. Some type of memorial content for Heath Ledger would have also been welcome. Unfortunately, no such documentary is included.

Focus Points--a rather hidden picture-in-picture option available in specific episodes that turn out to be the above-mentioned documentaries. Those who find PIP to be distracting will prefer to watch the content as Gotham Uncovered.

Disc 2: Batman Tech--as part of three hours worth of documentaries, this featurette explores the many weapons and utilities designed for Batman. Most of them are based on military equipment.

Batman Unmasked--subtitled The Psychology of The Dark Knight, this documentary focuses on psychotherapeutic analysis of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Frankly, this content would have been more appropriate for Batman Begins.

Gotham Tonight--a series of six newscasts averaging about eight minutes each. They all explore Batman and Bruce Wayne, as presented by "Gotham Cable's Premier News Program". The CNN-like news show played a role in several scenes of the main feature, but on its own, the newscasts seem a bit boring.

Galleries--watching the Joker cards rain down after the assassination of a judge in The Dark Knight, it is clear that many different types of cards are used. Here, they are all on display, along with TV spots and trailers, concept art, poster art and production stills.

Rounding out the bonus content are Warner invitations to participate in BD-Live and to unlock a digital (non-high definition) copy of The Dark Knight. The BD-Live features include "My Web Commentary", where you can use your webcam and create your own PIP commentary over the film and share it with friends and the entire BD-Live community. It also includes "Live Community Screening", which Warner bills as "an on-screen chat with the filmmakers while you watch the movie." The BD-Live "Media Center" is advertised to have exclusive footage, trailers, photo galleries and more.

While not perfect, this content features enough interesting documentaries and extracurricular activities to keep one occupied for hours on end. And a word about the packaging--under the slipcase, the text on the back of the packaging artwork has been "marked up" with edits by the Joker. The brief description of the movie has been defaced and there is graffiti pointing to a photo of the Joker, "ME" and many "HA HA" and "BLAH BLAH" comments. This was a good finishing touch to a classic BD package: a combination of creepy and cute.

Overall, I would highly recommend getting this movie on Blu-Ray for Batman fans or home theater enthusiasts. The Dark Knight doesn't disappoint, and I couldn't imagine myself watching it on any other kind of format. With excellent video and audio quality, you're sure to have a memorable high-def experience with The Dark Knight.

What do you think? Comment!!

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Marvel VS. DC?! FIGHT!

Despite “The Dark Knight’s” praise from critics and summer moviegoers, Robert Downey Jr. admits he hated the film.

“My whole thing is that that I saw ‘The Dark Knight,’” Robert said in an interview with Movie Hole. “I'm like, 'That's not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.' I loved 'The Prestige' but didn't understand 'The Dark Knight'. Didn't get it, still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character…”

Downey is currently starring in "Tropic Thunder," which knocked "Dark Knight" out of the top spot at this week's box office. He blames "Knight's" “highbrow” script for ruining the film, although he may be biased. The actor clearly has a favorite in the age-old Marvel vs. DC comic book debate.

“I'm like, 'I get it. This is so high-brow and so f---ing smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie,'” the actor ranted before adding, “You know what? F--- DC comics. That's all I have to say and that's where I'm really coming from.”

I found Iron Man a surprise... it was freakin good! But The Dark Knight for me, blew it outta the water!

How bout you guys?! Which do you prefer, Marvel or DC?! Comment!

DC Comics Kills Batman!!!

Has Batman thrown his last batarang? Driven his last Batmobile? Made love to Robin for the last time? K, scratch the last one out, but you guys know what I'm trying to get at right?

According to our sources, Batman's ultimate fate will be revealed on Wednesday, in the latest issue of DC Comic's Batman!

There have been many speculation as to how The Dark Knight is suppose to go. Some say that The Dark Knight falls after his sidekick, Robin crosses over to the dark side and betrays him!

Others say that Batman will just simply retire and hang up the cape and cowl.

There have also been a lot of buzz about a villain named The Glove killing Batman.

All this speculation and buzz has definitely caught my interests! Batman is a legendary character who has been around for about 70 years now. I'm excited to see how DC Comics plans to end his adventures, and who they plan to replace him with.

How do you think this will all go down?

What do you think? Comment!!

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Wachowskis Offered Superman Trilogy...

For all those Superman fans like me out there that are wondering about the status of the next installment in the Superman franchise, let me fill you in.

Due to the lukewarm response of Superman Returns, and the mediocre box office returns, Warner Brothers has decided to reboot the franchise, and make the character darker, as well as introduce a new villain. WB had offered the reboot to Superman Returns director, Bryan Singer, but sources say that he has declined on helming the project.

Warner Bros. is hard at work at rebooting the franchise and is constantly looking for new directors who are capable to direct the film. They are looking for a director who can treat the character with respect, and who is a man of vision, just like The Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan.

Our sources have revealed that WB has approached The Matrix directors, The Wachowski brothers about possibly directing a Superman trilogy. Up to this point, the Wachowskis were busy with a project for WB called, Plastic Man. But that project has been put on hold for now. If they decide to accept the Superman project, Bryan Singer will most likely provide them with second unit support, or take over the Plastic Man project.

Bryan Singer was quoted saying:

"the very thought of the brothers making a Superman movie is unbelievable as they have grown up in the world of comic books and they would be ideal for the project."

Sources are also saying that Superman Returns star, Brandon Routh will appear in the reboot.

I'm still sort of on the fence about this path that WB has decided to take. Sure, Superman Returns didn't make as much money as they had hoped, but I did feel that the movie was a success, and left plenty of room for improvement story-wise. Bryan Singer has proven himself with sequels, X2 was by far the best X-Men installment in the series. But then again, the Wachowskis are known for their unique visions, and awesome storytelling. If anyone were to reboot the franchise, then I think that they would actually be ideal. I believe that they'll treat the character with respect, and show the world a totally new point of view on the character!! I'd expect a lot of cool action sequences!

What do you think? Comment!!

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Green Lantern To Film In September.

It looks like DC is finally getting off their asses and actually do something to finally bitch slapping they've been receiving from Marvel.

Reports are now coming in that Warner Bros. is scheduled to start filming The Green Lantern in mid-September in Australia.

Martin Campbell (Edge of Darkness) is attached to helm the film. The targeted release date is December 17th, 2010.

The "Green Lantern" was created in 1940 by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell. Hal Jordan introduced in 1959, a second-generation test pilot, is an ordinary man who was given the power ring and battery (lantern) by a dying alien named Abin Sur. When Abin Sur's spaceship crashed on Earth, the alien used his ring to seek out an individual to take his place as Green Lantern: someone who was "utterly honest and born without fear."

I'm glad to see that DC is finally starting to realize that they've actually got an army of superheroes they can use. DC films don't always have to be Superman and Batman. They've got The Flash, they've got Wonder Woman, and they've got Aquaman. All these characters have very strong selling power if you ask me. Marvel has recently gotten their shit together and are finally now giving fans some quality shit to satisfy their inner-geeks! Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were the shit if you ask me! BUT, DC has managed to retaliate every now and then. They delivered the record-breaking film, The Dark Knight, and as well as the very successful Watchmen film. I'm glad Warner Bros has put The Green Lantern on the fast track! He's a character that I've always thought was cool! Though, I wonder who they've casted for the film. I find it a little odd that they haven't released those details.

What do you think? Comment!!

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Congratulations.......

VANTAGE would just like to congratulate the late Heath Ledger for his win at this year's 81st Academy Awards. Ledger took home the award for Best Actor In A Supporting Role for his role in last year's blockbuster hit, The Dark Knight.

All I can say is, wow, the academy finally gets it right. Throughout the years, I have watched The Oscars religiously due to my being a film geek, and over the years, I have seen the academy make the wrong choices. For example, why hasn't Johnny Depp won an award? I think Will Smith should've took it home for Ali. But I think this year they were on point for this award. No one deserved this award more than Heath, and I'm not just saying that because of his untimely death, no I'm saying it because he was simply awesome as The Joker. No one could've played this role better, and I absolutely mean that!! It's only fitting that he is awarded for his final complete performance. And this performance was truly a masterpiece.

For those who don't know, I said "complete performance" because before he died, he was filming a movie titled, The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus. He was able to film half the film before he died. Originally, the movie was to be put on an indefinite halt, but stars like Johhny Depp, Jude Law, and Collin Farrell have signed on to help complete the film in his honor, with their pay going to Heath's daughter, Matilda.

For the complete list of winners, click ME

What do you think? Comments!!

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Thomas Wayne Kills Batman!!!

Caught your attention didn't I?

Unfortunately, as interesting as that would be, I was only kidding! Hahahaha!

But, I do know who kills Batman in the next issue, so for those who don't appreciate spoilers, turn back now before it's too late!! But for those who love em, enjoy!!

First of all, he does not retire like some speculated. The Dark Knight does breathe his last breath!

Bruce is killed by a man named Simon Hurt. Hurt posed as Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne. However, Simon's true identity is far from that of Thomas Wayne's.

Simon Hurt is the leader of the crime organization, The Black Glove.

Simon claims to be Bruce's father, and told the caped crusader that he had faked his death when Bruce was just a child.

According to our sources, Bruce dies while trying to stop Hurt from escaping in a helicopter.

Story writer Grant Morrison said, “This is so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story! I like to keep the story twisting and turning. So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all. This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."

Batman's legacy will continue.

I'm guessing one of the Robins will take over and continue.

What do you think? Comment!

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Terminator: Salvation Theatrical Trailer

A few months ago, VANTAGE gave you guys the official teaser for the new Terminator movie, Terminator: Salvation. Today, we come at you with the official theatrical trailer that's just been released!

The movie stars Christian Bale as John Connor, Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor, Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, and Common as Barnes. The movie is directed by Charlie's Angel's director, McG.

Terminator: Salvation Theatrical Trailer:

Like I said before, I think this movie looks good and shows a lot of potential. The casting looks like it's spot on. Christian Bale is arguably the fastest rising star of today, thanks to the success of The Dark Knight. And by the looks of this trailer, it's gonna packed with enough action and CGI to get you guys going good!

Terminator: Salvation Opens May 5th, 2009

What do you think? Comment!

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Nike SB Dunk Low - The Joker

Its shaping up to be The Batman's year. The Dark Knight was a huge hit, breaking several movie records. A game based on it is also reportedly well in the works, with Lego Batman on its way too, along with another game due out August of '09 titled, Batman: Arkham Asylum. And now, Nike Skateboarding is releasing a shoe based on the Joker's color motif. Reportedly due out this Spring, this pair utilizes different color combos and materials, which seems to be SB's next trend.

As for the composition, the toe box and heel are made up of a green canvas and the side panels are seen in a flannel pattern consisting of black and purple. Everything is tied together with a white swoosh and as well as an extra set of red laces. SWEET!

This looks like something thats gonna be hard to pull off, but if you can rock it, why the hell not?! It definitely stands out, and for Batman fans, maybe you wont even need to be able to pull it off, you'd just want to have it for keeps! I mean, this is another thing I wouldn't mind having haha!

For more pics, check out NikeSkatboarding.org, and as usual, what do u guys think? let us know!

Vanity Fair Photo Shoot.

Photographer Anne Leibovitz photographed the Vanity Fair photo shoot for all of this years Oscar nominees. Each photo includes the films director and lead actor. These 10 partnerships generated more than four dozen oscar nominations.

Slumdog Millionaire's Danny Boyle & Dev Patal.

The Wrestler's Darren Aronofsky & Mickey Rourke.

Australia's Baz Luhrmann & Nicole Kidman.

Doubt's John Patrick Shanley & Meryl Streep.

Gran Torino's actor and director Clint Eastwood.

Angels and Demons' Ron Howard & Tom Hanks.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona's Woody Allen & Penelope Cruz.

Revolutionary Road's Sam Mendes & Kate Winslet.

Milk's Gus Van Sant & Sean Penn.

This last photo was most interesting because of Heath Ledger's unfortunate death. Vanity Fair used a photo taken in 2006 and added director Christopher Nolan into the shot.

The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan & Heath Ledger.

The Dark Knight Meets Superman

"This Is So Going In My Blog,"

Just a funny vid I wanted to post. Was gonna wait til next week so I could post it on our "Video Of The Week" section, but I just couldn't wait. For fans of these characters, I'm sure you guys will get a kick out of it. Check it!

What do you think? Comment!

"True Story"