This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.

To be honest, I do not understand the award committees not rewarding The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. While I don’t think the film has to win Best Picture, I find it odd that it has rarely been included amongst the Best Picture nominees. It is even harder to comprehend considering award committees tend to lean towards films that tackle difficult to swallow or hard hitting issues — Fincher’s latest has no shortage of rape, incest, domestic abuse, mutilation, and murder. From my stand point, this 2011 version accomplished lightyears more than the 2009 mediocre Swedish take — that alone should merit some recognition. Last year the Best Picture field held ten nominees, why not this year? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo isn’t deserving? What about Drive? (And what about Ryan Gosling?) What about Martha Marcy May Marlene?

And while my personal bias comes into play here, Fincher not being amongst the Best Directors this year is another disservice to the industry. I challenge any person to watch the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and then Fincher’s film and see the distinct difference an experienced and talented filmmaker brings in terms of final product. Fincher killed it on his end, and his work as a storyteller is rivaled by few in the game today — his name should be in the mix. In my opinion, every film nominated for Best Picture should be coupled with the film’s director. Period. If the film is good enough to be nominated for Best Picture, the person who was a central figure, if not the central figure, in molding the acclaimed final product should get due credit. That’s my two cents.

It’s nice to see that Leonard DiCaprio was left off the Best Actor list, as I felt his portrayal in J. Edgar was one of the worst performances of his career (that is still pretty damn good by most standards). His acting felt forced, and I didn’t think he deserved to be included like he was for this year’s Golden Globes. Also getting snubbed in their sophomore effort are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on… you guessed it, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The pair won the Oscar last year for The Social Network, and despite composing an amazing score for the film, they were left off the list of nominees. Yet, if you look at the list, John Williams is nominated twice for two different films. I don’t agree with that at all.

I think the category to watch will be Best Actress. Those listening to the podcast know my position on Meryl Streep winning Best Actress at the Golden Globes this year (I was not happy), and now she is up against even more talent with Michelle Williams being added to the mix for her work in My Week With Marilyn. Williams also won at the Globes, but in a different category for actresses (Comedy/Musical). I will get this out of the way now, if Streep wins the Academy Award for Best Actress I will lose faith in all humanity. She is up against Rooney Mara (who should win), Michelle Williams (who also deserves a W), Viola Davis (who could be the dark horse here) and Glenn Close. I really want Mara to win for her total transformation into the dark persona that is Lisbeth Salander, but I’d be fine with Williams or Davis winning. Just not Streep! She shouldn’t get awards in 2012 just because she has had a long and illustrious career.

You can tune into the Oscars Sunday, Feburary 26th. And of course, after the awards show, we will have all our thoughts right here on the Mash.

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer

“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer

“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers

“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers

“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers

“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers

“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined

“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”

George Clooney in “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”

Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”

Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”

Nick Nolte in “Warrior”

Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”

Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis in “The Help”

Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain in “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson

“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller

“Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan

“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil

“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

“The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth

“Hugo” Robert Richardson

“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki

“War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

“Anonymous” Lisy Christl

“The Artist” Mark Bridges

“Hugo” Sandy Powell

“Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor

“W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Alexander Payne

“Hugo” Martin Scorsese

“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen

“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel

“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin

“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson

“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione

“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

“The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Kevin Tent

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker

“Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

“Bullhead” Belgium

“Footnote” Israel

“In Darkness” Poland

“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada

“A Separation” Iran

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng

“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

“The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams

“The Artist” Ludovic Bource

“Hugo” Howard Shore

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias

“War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

“Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

“La Luna” Enrico Casarosa

“A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe

“Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

“Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane

“Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren

“The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George

“Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey

“Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

“Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce

“Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

“War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson

“Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

“Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin

“War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson

“Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

“Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan

“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius

“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig

“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor

“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen

“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

What Do You Think Of The Nominees?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

It’s no secret that my favorite movie from 2011 was Alexander Payne’s The Descendants. Not only was it my favorite, but the film also took home awards for Best Picture and Best Actor (George Clooney) at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. If you haven’t made time for this film, take my recommendation, as well as the recommendation from judging body of the Golden Globes, and get out and see The Descendants. The purpose of this post is not simply to rant about the greatness of this film, but to spotlight the cinematography and the editing from the project. After the jump you can check out a behind the scenes look, which features interviews with members of the production crew.

Check it out.

This video exhibits the beautiful cinematography within The Descendants which takes advantage of the breathtaking lush landscapes of Hawaii. Many of the great shots are on full display in the video, reminding me that I should see this film again. Shooting with the purpose of capturing realism is one reason I loved the way Payne presented his film.

I also like how the Editor Kevin Tent talks about his decision to let the important emotional scenes run long, which helped the moment to strike a stronger chord. Tent had clear intentions with the way he pieced it all together, and this allowed the characters to carry the film with their emotions.

This short behind the scenes look just shows how carefully this great film was crafted. Don’t waste anymore time, and find a date for The Descendants.

What Did You Think Of The Video?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery 

If anyone knows Wes Anderson, watch this trailer for five seconds and you can already tell it is one of his films. The look and feel of his films has a very distinct taste to them. Hit the jump to enjoy the trailer for Moonrise Kingdom, which features many of Anderson’s usual cast of characters like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, but also new faces like Bruce Willis and Edward Norton.

Check it out.

I’m definitely not the biggest Wes Anderson fan, but I did like Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Royal Tenbaums, and loved The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The man has a style that is unlike any other. While it isn’t really my style, I respect him as a filmmaker and a storyteller.

Moonrise Kingdom hits theaters May 16th, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Trailer?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Just to keep all those in desperate need of something new from The Dark Knight Rises I thought I’d pass along some photos that will be in the next issue of Entertainment Weekly. For now, this is all we have — don’t be so ungrateful, we just got a new trailer and the prologue barely a month ago. Besides the new photos, Christopher Nolan recently responded to the critics calling out Tom Hardy’s dialogue as Bane indecipherable. Hit the jump to check it all out.

First I’ll start off with Nolan responding to the backlash concerning Bane’s voice. The quote below appears in the issue.

I think when people see the film, things will come into focus. Bane is very complex and very interesting and when people see the finished film people will be very entertained by him.

While I for one didn’t understand everything that came out of Bane’s… eh, mask, I got the gist of everything he was saying in the prologue and the trailer. The beauty that lies within this “problem” is the ability to watch the movie over to catch it all. If Nolan isn’t concerned, I’m not either.

Below you can see the spread of new images which includes Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon as well as Bane vs. Batman. You can also follow this link to see the cover of the magazine.

What Do You Think Of The Images?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Each of the past three years has gotten a treatment of my top ten favorite movies here on the Movie Mash. I cannot believe I am already writing another one of these posts, how quickly time flies. For a year many critics considered to be a downgrade in overall quality in terms of content at the cinema, I found this year to be full of gems — of course there will always be movies that fail, but I believe 2011 had more than its share of films that soared. Hit the jump to check out my favorites from 2011.

Always remember, I can only attest for the films I’ve seen. Since I didn’t see them all, these are my favorites amongst the ones I did.

10. The Debt

One of the stronger films in terms of overall production this year, The Debt featured stellar shots from director John Madden, dynamic performances from a talented cast, and a story that built to a well deserved climax. This film centers around a Nazi death camp doctor, essentially a man who did cruel experiments on Jews in WWII, who escaped prosecution. The team featured above is charged with bringing him to justice. I love films about WWII, and I love films that are historical fiction. Since this hits both those definitions, its easy to see why I was a fan.

9. Martha Marcy May Marlene

Welcome to the acting game Elizabeth Olsen. It’s funny to think that in her breakthrough role, the youngest Olsen has already surpassed her twin sisters in acting achievements — that is, unless you consider Holiday in the Sun a cinematic success. Olsen was mesmerizing in her role playing the off kilter character who is uncertain of herself and her future. I spent the whole movie trying to figure her out, and in the end I still don’t know if I fully grasped what she was really about. Looks like I’ll have to spend another two hours being enchanted by her when I watch it again.

8. Warrior

This film does reek of clichés and a predictable storyline, but for some reason I didn’t care — by some reason, I mean well written and well developed characters. The Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton brother dynamic is compelling the first two-thirds of the film because of how distant their relationship is. However, the most inviting piece to the film is the former alcoholic Nick Nolte trying to get his sons to forgive him for past drunken misdeeds. His plight is truly heartbreaking. Don’t forget the exhilarating action within the walls of the octagon, a sure hit for any MMA fan.

7. Drive

What a year for Ryan Gosling. The only actor to even be in his class in terms of quality roles in quality films is Michael Fassbender. This film may have been marketed similar to a Fast & Furious type movie, but don’t be fooled. This slow burning film spends more time in the shadows with barely a spoken word than racing around town in beefed up cars. It took awhile to really grab me, but once it did, I was sold. The subtlety in Drive makes it unlike many films of the year — the true testament to its greatness comes from contrasting subtlety with in your face violence so seamlessly. Oh, and how could I forget? Drive has an 80′s mixed soundtrack that heightens the viewing experience tenfold.

6. X-Men: First Class

I’ve been waiting a long time for this film, an X-Men done right. Those who have read my thoughts on X-Men in the past know each mutant film before this has disappointed me. Finally Matthew Vaughn got it right with the help of James McAvoy, the quickly ascending Michael Fassbender, and Kevin Bacon. The only demerit comes from January Jones and her awful getup throughout — ugh, I hate January Jones so much. Can we please find an attractive blonde that can actually act?

5. Attack the Block

This is the film on the list few have probably heard of, but no one should miss. This is an alien invasion flick, but not one like you’ve ever seen before — imagine aliens invading a British ghetto, and a band of likable and oftentimes difficult to understand thugs standing up to said dark creatures. The aliens are ruthless in their pursuit for human destruction, and that adds an element of tension making the audience fear for the lives of the cast. But it is always kept lively listening to these boys comically banter back and forth. Even if you only understand 30% of what they say, that percentage will make you laugh, because these kids are hilarious. Make a date with Attack the Block in 2012.

4. 50/50

Perfectly cast and acted from top to bottom. 50/50 benefits from a great mix of comedy and drama blending in this heartwarming true tale of a man who survived cancer. If the story feels personal, it’s because Will Reiser wrote the film, and he is the one who survived, “stage five back cancer”.  I laughed and got choked up, which usually equates to my type of film.

3. Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The Summer provided a nice surprise for me when I stumbled across Crazy, Stupid, Love. I will admit, I can be a sucker for a good romantic comedy, and this film was one of the best I’ve ever seen in the genre. Equipped with a star studded cast, a story that weaves all the characters together in a unique manner, this film invites the laughs and tears to begin. While some have called it formulaic, I would argue what film in this genre isn’t? While Crazy, Stupid, Love doesn’t stray from the beaten path, it still has enough originality to feel fresh to the genre.

2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I really have fallen head over heels for this latest Fincher flick. While it couldn’t crack the number one spot held by The Descendants, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo had me mulling over everything that happened within it days after viewing it. So, I went and saw it again. Currently I have a date to see it a third time once my wife finishes the book — yes, this 2.5 hour dark tale is that good. In my opinion, Rooney Mara is without a doubt the best actress of the year playing the year’s most fascinating character, the 2011 version of Lisbeth Salander. Add Fincher, one of the best storytellers in the game, to the thriller/mystery mix, and this film should be amongst the award favorites in the coming months. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, along with the film below, are the only two warranting the grade of perfection in my book for 2011.

1. The Descendants

I did not get to write a review for this film, but Mike praised it as well. The only difference is that I would have given The Descendants an A+. It was such an emotionally powerful film, especially considering the subject matter which is very close to my heart. A family trying to cope with the loss of a mother, which is now being led by the not always there father played by George Clooney, is struggling to figure out what is next. This dramedy, drama/comedy, finds the perfect moments to incorporate laughs throughout the trying tale. The moment I was sold on the perfection of this film is an emotionally triumphant sequence showing Clooney at his best, with one of my favorite songs on the year, a soft guitar melody called Deep In an Ancient Hawaiian Forrest, ringing loud over the images. That moment is what what I consider cinematic gold.

The thing that surprised me the most while composing this top ten is how many of the films below could have been a part of it. As I said before, many have called it a down year in terms of cinematic quality, but I found it to be better than years past. All the films listed below are films I would recommend you get out and see if you haven’t. It’s not often you will see me strongly advocating 20+ films in one year.

Honorable Mention: Friends With Benefits, Limitless, Thor, Super 8, Cedar Rapids, 30 Minutes or Less, Ides of March, The Lincoln Lawyer, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Tree of Life, and The Help.

What Is Your Top 10 Of The Year?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

It has been awhile since anything new has come out regarding The Amazing Spider-Man, so I had to post when I saw the great spread of new stills from production. This type of marketing by Sony is brilliant — just when we start to forget about the 2012 reboot, they release more pictures, posters, or information about the movie to remind us the Summer is not far off. Hit the jump to check out the lot.

I think all these photos are pretty sweet, especially the pictures of Emma Stone with blonde hair. I wasn’t sure how well she could pull it off, but now she is officially cute with any hair color. She really looks a lot younger with that hair cut too.

One thing I have found strange is how much backlash I hear when I inform people unaware of the reboot. Many reply with disgust, but I don’t understand why. More Spider-Man can’t be bad, especially from a new artistic director creating a darker version of the tale. The cast and new director, the grittier take on it all, and the marketing campaign have got me drooling for more Spidey this Summer.

What Do You Think Of The Layout?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Today is the day many of us will get the DVD/Blu-Ray Box Sets we’ve been coveting, the movie posters of our favorite flicks, or the fan boy t-shirts that have caught our eye. Hope the day is special to all our readers and your families. Stay safe, and look for the reviews of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and We Bought a Zoo in the coming days — both are amongst the top films of the year.

Merry Christmas,

The Movie Mash Staff

As the much anticipated trailer and IMAX prologue for The Dark Knight Rises approach, hardcore fans are getting increasingly anxious for anything Batman-related. Well, the appetizers have been served as Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. have just launched what Wired and Empire Online believe is the beginning of a viral campaign for the 2012 film.

This actually gives us a little more insight on one of the more enigmatic casting bits. Alon Aboutboul was cast early on as a “mad scientist” and we haven’t really heard from that role since. In some set videos from Pittsburgh, his character was believed to have a scene, but it was unconfirmed.

These viral images give little background on the character, but do state clearly that he is deeply afraid of something. If you read the correspondence on the second image, you’ll notice that whatever he is afraid of, it’s bad. Could it be the League of Shadows? Many believe the League of Shadows will return to the story, and mysterious characters like Marion Cotillard will be involved in the secret organization’s return to Gotham. It would definitely bring the story “full circle,” as Gary Oldman once put it.

Check out the images below. While indirect, they definitely point fingers at a terrifying organization trying to hunt down Dr. Leonid Pavel. If you have any theories or exciting ideas as to how it fits into the bigger picture, share with us in the comments section.

(click images to enlarge)

The image below showed up via the Twitter account of The Dark Knight Rises (@thefirerises).

The occupation of “nuclear physicist” is particularly intriguing. We’ve seen set photos of a mysterious device that could definitely be nuclear in nature. If that is the case, and the League of Shadows has kidnapped Dr. Pavel to create a nuclear device, we are in for one wild ride.

The Dark Knight Rises trailer will release in front of Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows and the IMAX prologue will be featured in front of select showings on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on December 16th. Some press are seeing it early on December 8th, so if you have no self-control at all (like myself), check out the Internet for potential spoilers.

What Do You Think? Good start to the viral campaign?

What a difference a week makes. Just last Monday Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises wrapped its long, action-packed, 7-month production. Earlier this week, Empire held a clever cover reveal contest where fans could vote on who would be featured on their Nov. 24th TDKR issue: Batman vs. Bane. Bane won handily, but both covers were revealed online several days ago. Now, thanks to some awesome Bat fans in the UK, we have some digital scans of the hard copy issue featuring  new set pics, as well as some big reveals into the story of Nolan’s final Batman chapter.

SPOILER WARNING: There is a major plot reveal, albeit an “official reveal” via Nolan himself.  

Proceed at your own peril….

OK, where to begin? Let’s get the biggest story tidbit out of the way first, shall we?. In the Empire issue, Nolan discusses the story timeline of TDKR in relation to the ending of TDK. Many have been speculating that this final chapter would pick up right after the last film left off. That being, Batman on the run from Gotham PD. A hunted vigilante, selflessly taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s death. Well, while that timeframe might be immediatley addressed in the film, Nolan has decided to incorporate a long gap into where this final chapter will take place….8 years later. Nolan elaborates on the time gap, as well as Bane’s archetype as a villain and how he’s the biggest foe (physically and mentally) Batman has had to face yet:

It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.

So when you’re looking to continue the story – in this case finish Bruce Wayne and Batman’s story, as we see it – then you certainly don’t want a watered-down version of a character you’ve already done. You want a different archetype. What Bane represents in the comics is the ultimate physical villain. 

8. YEARS. That is probably one of the most interesting/biggest reveal of the plot thus far. What does that mean? It means that Batman has hung up the cape and cowl for almost a decade because of  the emotional pain of being directly/indirectly responsible for Rachel’s death.  But what has he been doing all this time? Why did it take Bane so long to unleash his fury upon Gotham City? So many questions (Riddler pun).

Along with that reveal, probably the most exciting inside scoop comes from Tom Hardy describing Bane the character, who delves into graphic detail into just how brutal this character is. Hardy elaborates:

He’s brutal. Brutal. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.

First of all. Look at the limited edition Empire cover above. For all those concerned about Hardy’s physical stature as Bane can rest easy. The dude is cut. Straight up jacked. Look at those arms! And we don’t even know if there will be some CGI touch-ups to make him even bigger than that. Anyway, let’s quickly revisit Hardy’s description of how “brutal” Bane will be in this film: “stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his first through chests, ripping out spinal columns.” HOLY SHIT. How will this film be rated PG-13. So. Bad. Ass.

We also have some deets from Oscar-winning Costume Designer Lindy Hemming on the functional aspect of Bane’s mask:

He was injured early in his story. He’s suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jaw line and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is…the anesthetic.

So what about the highly-anticipated 6-minute prologue set to debut in front of 70mm IMAX prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on December 16th? It’s seemingly a similar formula to the prologue of The Dark Knight that was attached to I Am Legend in 2007 – an introduction to the main villain and some random, juicy footage to chew on. Nolan elaborates:

The Prologue is basically the first six, seven minutes of the film. It’s the introduction to Bane and a taste of the rest of the film. With Bane we are looking to give Batman a physical challenge that he hasn’t had before. In terms of finishing our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft an epic.

Let’s revisit that again: “We were trying to craft an EPIC.” With all the on-set footage we’ve seen of prison riots, stadium explosions, grande chase sequences and an all-out war on the streets, it seems as though Nolan is attempting to craft the biggest film…ever.

See some scans of the Empire issue in the gallery below (click image to enlarge).

The Dark Knight Rises into theaters July 20th, 2012.

[via Slashfilm, First Showing]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

After 179 days, three continents and dozens of spoiler-ific set leaks, Christopher Nolan’s final installment of his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, has wrapped filming; after a final two-day shoot on the Queensboro Bridge in NYC over the weekend. My reaction can be seen HERE. Anyway, it’s been a fun ride with all of the forum ninjas providing behind-the-scenes vids and pics; but honestly I’m so happy that it’s wrapped so that, from now on, we will only see footage that Nolan & Co. want us to see. Which is a good thing. More after the break.

We all knew that TDKR would wrap in November, but “official” didn’t come through until I saw Jospeh Gordon-Levitt’s tweet from a couple hours ago calling “picture wrap,” supplemented by a link to his Tumblr page wearing a Batman hat (below):

So what’s next? Remember, remember…the 16th of December. Next month is going to be The Dark Knight Rises insanity. With a 6-minute IMAX prologue playing in front of prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol AND a second full-length theatrical trailer attached to Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows; both debuting on December 16th; YouTube and Google will most likely crash from an avalanche of searches and pirated video uploads. After six months of barely anything (two official production stills and a one-minute teaser trailer), we are finally going to get a juicy, detailed look at exactly what Christopher Nolan has planned of us come July.

What Do You Think? Discuss.