UPDATE: We now have a 1080p HD embed of the trailer that you can view right away after the break…

Fanboys have been drying off their sweaty palms all morning in anticipation for first full The Dark Knight Rises trailer. A teaser released on July 18th gave us only a slight glimpse of the third installment of Christopher Nolan’s beloved Batman trilogy. The new trailer gives a solid look at how Gotham has held up over the last eight years and where it might be headed.

The trailer gives us plenty of contemplate and even more to salivate over. The gut reaction when it’s over is one of relief and anticipation, but also disappointment that it is still seven months away. Nolan and Warner Bros. are following the same structure as The Dark Knight when it comes to releasing promotional material and a recently launched viral campaign. With the prologue currently showing in front of select IMAX screenings of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, we can expect this trailer will be the last look at this movie for a while. The prologue will most likely not be released online as it would defeat the purpose of showing it in true IMAX theaters only.

As for this trailer, it definitely shines a light on Bane’s capabilities and a propensity for remote-trigger explosives. Voice complaints aside, he’s going to make for one terrifying villain. And just to briefly acknowledge those complaints about his voice, just remember this movie is made with purpose and integrity. Surely he is aware of the situation and Warner Bros. will be running in circles trying to correct it. But as of right now, I personally have no quarrel with this voice. I could hardly understand most of what Sherlock Holmes was saying in Game of Shadows and I enjoyed it perfectly fine.

One line of dialogue I heard perfectly well, and can’t get out of my head, is Bane’s message to Batman: “When Gotham is in ashes, you have my permission to die.” Shit just got real:

Via Apple.com for the official HD release, or the HD YouTube embed below:

As for breaking down this trailer, there is plenty to consider. So, here are some thoughts on what might be happening. Obviously, this is highly speculative and comes from my core as a Batman and Chris Nolan fan. Considering all that we’ve seen at this point, there is plenty to consider when trying to unwrap the plot. Yet, there are still so many questions. Will Batman die? Will John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) be a re-imagining of Robin? Is Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) actually Talia Al’ Ghul? But hey, this is why we enjoy Chris Nolan’s movies. They are entertaining and allow us to deliberate for months.

I understand that it’s typical of Nolan to cut anything in a non-sequential way, with a lot of misdirection, but below is how I feel the trailer might fit into the big picture. And it should be noted there are dozens of things to pick up on from the trailer, but these are just some initial thoughts worth sharing.

National Anthem, Bane climbing a ladder, Bane walking through a corridor and Bane pulling the trigger + explosion… This may be all part of the same scene. In my opinion, this will be Gotham’s first interaction with the masked man. A true entrance if ever we’ve seen one. I don’t think he wants to kill all the fans, but rather wants them to first-hand witness his wrath, along with the television audience. His goal is more about getting Gotham to fear him enough to follow him.

The plate of dinner… A reveal of Bruce on a cane. He doesn’t make it easy for you, but it’s clearly Bruce in the reflection. Based on the following dialogue, “You were as precious to me as you were to your mother and father. I swore to them I’d protect you. And I haven’t,” What if that is dinner set by Alfred and there’s a note that says that he’s gone to protect him? And Nolan actually has the balls to put Alfred military background to use and have him try to stop the madness himself.

“The mayor’s gonna dump him in the spring”… Obviously at Wayne Manor and includes a shot of ailing Bruce watching from an above balcony. He’s likely hosting an event to honor Harvey Dent (notice the Harvey Dent pictures stage right and left) and remind the people that Dent was their hero. But this is a private event and there are a lot of smiles being put on to cover their true emotions during peace time. This could be early in the film as an establishing point that it’s been 8 years and we are at peace.

Selina Kyle dance… We’re getting a great statement about the class warfare plot line this movie will take. Selina Kyle is coming from a lower class and sneaking her way into this wealthy masquerade in an attempt to get into Bruce’s ear and threaten him. I think she’s rogue, and uninvolved with Bane’s big plan. But she might buy into it momentarily. She might find out Bruce is Batman and have new respect for him, mirroring Rachel. I don’t think the kidnappings are for some Scarecrow trial of the rich as some has speculated, but I do think that Bane’s mercenaries will hold hostage Gotham’s richest in an effort to make them look weak and pitiful.

“What does it mean? Rise”… Bruce is in some kind of an underground well prison. A lot of theories have been thrown around about this, but here’s mine. Bane injures Batman enough to hold him prisoner and has his mercenaries (the men jumping into the well) drop Bruce off in that prison. Bruce finds out that it’s where Bane is from and another prisoner tells him how Bane came to be and how he was fueled by fear in that place. The shot of Catwoman in the prologue suggests to me that she got caught by police and then did a sexy Catwoman escape. I don’t think these two prisons are connected.

Marion Cotillard… Taking off the mask with a sly smile definitely feels like Chris Nolan winking to the fanboys that she is in fact covering up her real identity as Talia Al’ Ghul, daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul.

Will Bruce Wayne, Batman or both die in The Dark Knight Rises?… The trailer certainly suggests, along with the poster, that we may see the end of this character in more ways than one. One thing is for sure, Bane beats him down enough to give him permission to die.

What Do You Think? Has Christopher Nolan Made A Third Movie Better Than The Rest?

It’s no secret, that here at the The Movie Mash, we are big fans of Christopher Nolan. Barrett and Mike each have The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Inception among their top ten movies of all-time — I have Batman Begins amongst my ten favorites. Nolan is a cinematic genius, and has yet to fail as a blockbuster filmmaker. Many montages have been made showcasing the director’s work, but I think this latest rendition is definitely one of the best. Hit the jump to watch it.

Kees van Dijkhuizen is the man behind the video. He has worked this year on creating a video montage of his favorite directors which include: (my personal favorite) David Fincher, Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, Wes Anderson, Pixar, and more. After creating the previous entries, van Dijkhuizen said he got, “hundreds, literally hundreds of requests” to mash up the work of Nolan. Well, why wouldn’t there be hundreds of requests? Nolan is a visionary with strengths in structruing breathtaking beauty in all his shots — especially his landscapes. We all want to see a man with van Dijkhuizen’s editing talents praise our favorite snippets from Nolan’s films. Without further ado…

What Did You Think Of The Video?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

For those living under a rock, tomorrow marks the day so many First-Person-Shooter fans have been waiting for — November 8th, 2011, the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The day marks the debut of the 8th Call of Duty gaming chapter, and the third version set in the modern era. Any FPS gamer on the planet knows Call of Duty is one of the most prestigious and most played franchises in the genre, and with that kind of noterity comes big fish. While a similar hailed shooter came out weeks ago titled Battlefield 3, it’s marketing campaign didn’t feature two prominent Hollywood fixtures. Hit the jump to see Sam Worthington play the role of “the vet” and Jonah Hill play “the noob” as they stage some real game action to promote the game.

Enjoy the video.

My my, hasn’t Jonah Hill slimmed down a bit? He actually looks good playing the role of an action hero — that is, when he isn’t fumbling around like an idiot like he was in the beginning of the trailer. I love this marketing angle — get big names to promote the game, which especially enhances the idea of online gameplay. Any one of us could matchup with the likes of Dwight Howard or Worthington while testing our skills online — it is unlikely, but you get the idea.

What Did You Think? Are You One Of The Many To Buy Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3?

If you haven’t seen X-Men: First Class, you really are missing out — it is without a doubt the best X-Men film to date. If you are one of the few who still have not seen it, don’t go pass go, i.e. the jump, to see this behind the scenes featurette. The video isn’t really anything special, but I really loved this film, and the extra peek at this cameo is worth the view for any fan.

This Hugh Jackman cameo as Wolverine is one of the best I’ve seen in a movie, and that is another reason why I thought this short video was worthwhile — especially considering his awesome and very brief lines. Check it out.

What Did You Think Of The Cameo?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

The question posed above might not be serious, but the video after the jump has your answer. Star Wars might not have worked with a black guy voicing C-3PO, but it would have been a whole lot funnier — that is clearly shown after watching the ghetto droid talk back to Uncle Owen. Hit the jump to see.

Ready to do some laughing?

What Did You Think Of A Black C-3PO?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Game of Thrones second season seems like it should be coming out now, because in reality, “winter is coming” right around October’s end. We all know that will come more quickly than we would like in Minnesota. However, HBO wants to tease us normal folk who only dream of fantasy land by reminding us, Game of Thrones will be back next season. Unfortunately, no actual footage from the second season is available yet, but hit the jump for a cheap quick thrill to chill the bones of the fantasy lovers longing for the return of Westeros.

Check out the teaser.

Are You Excited For Game Of Thrones Season 2?

To keep the readers entertained over the weekend, I thought I would pass along some cool videos I encountered while trolling Twitter. The first is a fun Star Wars short where stars like Emma Stone, Ken Jeong, Seth Rogen, and Aziz Ansari reenact our favorite scenes from a galaxy far, far away to raise cancer awareness. The second video should make any FPS — first person shooter — fan feel at home. Imagine watching a Jason Bourne-like figure destroying the suited opposition to escape an office with a high value confidential object. Seriously, hit the jump and watch these videos.

First we can start with the comedy in a Star Wars setting.

Don’t miss this. I had a great time watching this short video. The action is well staged, the camerawork and editing are superb, and it features plenty of elements that make a good chase — like a legion of suited minions on the chase, high flying jumps, and an amazing payoff at the end. The short was produced by and the music is from an indie band called Biting Elbows. Check them out if you like the video.

What Did You Think Of The Videos?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Webisodes are a great opportunity for amatuers and professionals to get short production work online. Perhaps, people are less interested in webisodes because they think that quality is compromised in things like acting, the narrative, and overall production. What it really comes down to is that sometimes a webisode series sucks, and sometimes the series is amazing–just like regular television. The best part about it, you only waste about 20-30 minutes coming to the realization that a series is garbage rather than putting hours of viewing into a television series that you decide you hate at episode 7 of 10.

Save your time, check out some webisodes online. As a suggestion from a professor, I began exploring the website http://funlittlemovies.com/. If you have not taken the time to indulge in webisodes, the site is a great place to start with some webisode comedy. There are three main categories in entertainment on the site called Funnies for Fellas, Funnies for Females, and Funnies for Kids.

Here are two series that I have enjoyed so far:

Mr. Gadget



Unreal Housewives

Are You Guys Watching Any Web Series?

Originally an Australian TV show, the American adaptation of Wilfred has brought a unique, witty, disgustingly awesome humor to the summer television lineup on FX. Elijah Wood plays Ryan — a recently single, young professional who has been thrown into depression after losing his job as a successful lawyer. Ryan is ready to call it quits when his attractive neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann), and her dog Wilfred (Jason Gann), come over to greet him in the midst of his suicide attempt. Instead of seeing an actual dog, Ryan sees a middle-aged man in a dog suit, that talks to him in an Australian accent. Ryan quickly comes to terms with the fact that he is the only human being able to talk to Wilfred — as well as indulge in ridiculous activities like bong smoking and beer drinking, all the while getting in trouble with “man’s best friend”.

The mastermind behind Wilfred is Jason Gann. So, not only is Gann the muttly star, he created the screen write and produced both the Australian and American versions. Quite an honorable accomplishment, for what sounds like has been a hard road until David Zuckerman (Family Guy writer/producer) stumbled across the series. Zuckerman played a large role in making the American adaptation materialize into what it is now and what it has in store. FX Networks recently approved a second season, which is amazing news for fans of the twisted and lovable, Wilfred.

How does one go about watching Wilfred without cable access to FX? The entire first season is available on Hulu for free. Well free for now, at the expense of short intermittent advertising during the show. I am telling you it’s well worth it. Episodes run just over 20 minutes, each featuring a specific emotion as the episode title. The first episode is “Happiness”, so if you need an emotional boost of sorts, I would say that it’s the perfect place to start. Regardless of your day’s emotion, this show will certainly keep you entertained and amused for a time.

Watch an excerpt from the first episode:

Has Anyone Been Keeping Up With Wilfred? What Do You Think?

I always love to browse The Onion News Network website and to laugh at the parodies they pump out. The latest joke is on Fast Five, which comes out this weekend. Of course this is the fifth installment of the mindless action franchise, and earlier this week it was announced that a sixth was inevitable. All the previous four films have had lucrative profits, and Fast Five is already making big money overseas since it was released last week. Hollywood, being the money hungry business that it is, will pump out sequels until people stop going to see this franchise. Anyway, hit the jump to see an interview with the “screenwriter” of Fast Five. It isn’t the real author, but it is hilarious to see The Onion poke fun at the idea of how unintelligent these films are.

Watch it and laugh.

Today Now! Interviews The 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of “Fast Five”

I am not going to pretend I haven’t liked the previous Fast and Furious installments, because I have found each enjoyable except the shitty second one with the atrocious acting of Tyrese. The word “bro” or “brah” is uttered in that movie more times than any human should ever be subjected to. Paul Walker and Tyrese couldn’t carry a YouTube video on their own much less a feature length film. Anyway, Fast Five isn’t anything that I am dying to see, but I am sure I will find some time to get to the theater and check it out.

Fast Five hits theaters this weekend.

What Did You Think Of The Video? Will You Be Seeing Fast Five This Weekend?