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While both fans and detractors speak of superhero cinema like it began yesterday—or about a decade ago when the Marvel Cinematic Universe came into being—the truth is masked do-gooders are virtually as old as the movies themselves. One of the silver screen’s first great adventurers, Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro (1924), was a major influence on Bob Kane and Bill Finger when they created Batman.

As long as there’s been source material with heroes doing daring deeds, there have been producers willing to take a gamble on putting them on the screen. For better or worse that process found its peak synthesis (or corporatized formula) in the 21st century. Yet there was a period just before then—ahead of folks figuring out they should adapt currently popular ‘90s comic book characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Hulk—where the studios went all in on resurrecting something older and,...

With The Mask of Zorro, Antonio Banderas truly marked himself as a genuine star and sex symbol across the globe. While he earned acclaim for his collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar in Spain and made his presence known in the States with Philadelphia and Interview with the Vampire, The Mask of Zorro was his first leading role to near $100 million at the domestic box office. But the iconic swordsman almost had another man behind the mask: Tom Cruise.

According to The Mask of Zorro‘s original director Mikael Salomon, executive producer Steven Spielberg wanted Tom Cruise to star. “Who else was [in the mix]? Some big — oh yeah, Tom Cruise. Early on, [Spielberg] wanted to offer it to him. Have you heard that? He wanted to offer it to Tom Cruise. And my friend and countryman Bille August had done The House of the Spirits with all non-Latinos, and he got in so much hot water because of that,...

These last few years the Criterion Channel have made October viewing much easier to prioritize, and in the spirit of their ’70s and ’80s horror series we’ve graduated to––you guessed it––”’90s Horror.” A couple of obvious classics stand with cult favorites and more unknown entities (When a Stranger Calls Back and Def By Temptation are new to me). Three more series continue the trend: “Technothrillers” does what it says on the tin, courtesy the likes of eXistenZ and Demonlover; “Art-House Horror” is precisely the kind of place to host Cure, Suspiria, Onibaba; and “Pre-Code Horror” is a black-and-white dream. Phantom of the Paradise, Unfriended, and John Brahm’s The Lodger are added elsewhere.

James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...

There are few pulpy visualizations of revenge that play as satisfyingly as the climax of Martin Campbell’s The Mask of Zorro. Released 25 years ago, the still surprisingly lithe and surefooted swashbuckler culminates with a multigenerational crescendo of vengeance, which is served bloody and fierce. On one level of a crumbling Californian gold mine, the original Zorro is a now aged and dying Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins), and he grapples in his last breath with the man who stole his life and imprisoned him in hell for 20 years. Yet a literal platform below this Count of Monte Cristo passion play is something even bleaker and more vicious: the storm of swords unleashed by a younger Zorro (Antonio Banderas) and his own object of disdain: Capt. Harrison Love (Matt Letscher).

When Zorro carves an “M” across Capt. Love’s face, there is no wink or playful banter one...

This article contains major spoilers for The Flash.

Holy revolving door, Batman! The Caped Crusader has been portrayed by more actors on the big screen than any other superhero in history. Most of them have lasted for just one film. After The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale became the first man to have played Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego more than twice on the silver screen. He didn’t have much competition – Michael Keaton was the only other actor to reprise the role at the time.

But Ben Affleck has now beat Bale for appearances as Batman on the big screen due to his return in The Flash movie, making that fourth time Affleck has donned the cape and cowl. Sure, these aren’t movies starring the Caped Crusader but they still count! Meanwhile, Keaton ties Bale for three appearances, with a much heftier role in The Flash than Affleck.

A case can be made that Batman is the quintessential cinematic superhero. He’s certainly been the most adapted to the big screen, with the Caped Crusader starring in 12 theatrically released films when you count animation and William Dozier’s Batman: The Movie tie-in from 1966. There’s good reason for that ubiquitousness too.

The visceral mystique of a dark cowl and cape; the shadowy world of an urban landscape crying out for a hero; even the universally relatable origin of an orphan who seeks to fill the void left by his parents’ deaths. Much of the iconography Batman would come to define in superhero comics was on the silver screen first. After all, Batman co-creator Bob Kane once described the character as “half-Zorro,” and for most folks of his generation, Zorro was synonymous with Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro (1920), the movie which made the story of a daring...

A classic hero is being reimagined for modern viewers, this time for the small screen. Disney+ is currently developing a new "Zorro" TV series, one that will star Wilmer Valderrama ("That '70s Show") as the swashbuckling swordsman. But we now know who is going to be heading up the show behind the scenes, as Bryan Cogman, of "Game of Thrones" fame, has been tapped as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer.

The news comes to us from Deadline, which explains that Valderrama is also on board as an executive producer, in addition to his starring role. The outlet also explains that the "Zorro" show will be "a bold reimagining of Disney's classic series for a modern audience; an epic adventure rooted in California's rich and diverse history, bursting with humor, sinister intrigue, romantic entanglements, and swashbuckling thrills." No word yet on just how soon production will get underway, but we...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Jamie Lee Curtis Shirt from Poltergeists and Paramours

Poltergeists and Paramours pays tribute to Jamie Lee Curtis’ horror legacy with “The Nights She Survived” design by Neil Fraser featuring her characters from Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train, and Halloween 2018.

It’s available on T-shirts in black (27), black tie-dye (27), and Halloween tie-dye. They’ll ship in 2-4 weeks. In honor of Curtis, 25 of the proceeds will be donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. An additional 25 will be split between The Trevor Project and National Center for Transgender Equality.

Archie Comics-Inspired Horror Art from Gallery 1988

Following the success of his solo show last year, Matt Talbot created more Archie Comics-inspired horror artwork from his...

The return of Martin Campbell, the Brit director who successfully rebooted the James Bond franchise not once but twice, on opposite sides of the millennium and gave English-language audiences Antonio Banderas as the title character in The Mark of Zorro, counts as something to both welcome and/or celebrate. That's especially true after a prolonged absence from the kind of stylish, slick entertainments (2011's headache-inducing Green Lantern misfire notwithstanding) that made Campbell one of Hollywood's go-to directors for more than a decade. After two middling, modestly budgeted, ultimately disposable efforts, and now a third, underwhelming film in a row, Memory, a remake of a little-known, barely remembered 2003 Belgian crime-thriller, The Memory of a Killer (aka The Alzheimer Case),...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Hello, dear readers! November is officially upon us, as well as a new week of Blu-ray and DVD releases, which means it’s time to make some room for more horror and sci-fi to fill your home entertainment shelves. One of this writer’s favorite indie genre movies of the year, Come True, is getting released to both Blu and DVD this week courtesy of Scream Factory, and Kino Lorber is showing some love to a pair of classic thrillers as well: The Spider Woman Strikes Back and The Mad Doctor. Other releases for November 2nd include The Banishing, Pig featuring Nicolas Cage, and The Spore.

The Banishing

From acclaimed genre director Chris Smith (Creep) comes the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend, his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and...

Guillermo del Toro is back with a new film, and it's unlike anything he's ever directed before. "Nightmare Alley" is his first stab at film noir, and this story of a mentalist who yearns to escape from the carnival lifestyle does not center on the brilliantly designed creatures del Toro frequently includes in his movies. And if this version is anything like the 1947 version of "Nightmare Alley" that starred "The Mark of Zorro" actor Tyrone Power, this could be one of del Toro's darkest films in quite some time. Check out the new trailer below.

Eddie Mueller, who hosts Noir...

The post Nightmare Alley Trailer: Guillermo del Toro Makes a Noir With Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett appeared first on /Film.

Guillermo del Toro takes a walk on the noir side in his first film since winning the Oscar for directing the 2017 best picture winner “The Shape of Things.” “Nightmare Alley,’ based on the uncompromising 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, offers a bleak depiction of humanity including low-rent carnivals filled with has-beens, geeks and “rum-dums.” Searchlight Pictures is giving “Nightmare Alley,” which had to shut down production during the height of Covid in 2020, the “A” treatment, opening the film on Dec. 3 just in time for awards consideration.

The innovative Mexican filmmaker best known for his acclaimed fantasy, horror (“The Devil’s Backbone”) and sci-fi (‘Hellboy”) productions, co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Morgan. Bradley Cooper plays Stan Carlisle, a handsome manipulative carny worker who has a massive chip on his shoulder. Stan wants to hit the big time and with the help of carnival headliner Zeena (Toni Collette) resurrects her old mentalist act.

The Criterion Channel has unveiled their lineup for next month and it’s another strong slate, featuring retrospectives of Carole Lombard, John Waters, Robert Downey Sr., Luis García Berlanga, Jane Russell, and Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. Also in the lineup is new additions to their Queersighted series, notably Todd Haynes’ early film Poison (Safe is also premiering in a separate presentation), William Friedkin’s Cruising, and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorama.

The new restorations of Manoel de Oliveira’s stunning Francisca and Francesco Rosi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli will join the channel, alongside Agnieszka Holland’s Spoor, Bong Joon Ho’s early short film Incoherence, and Luc Dardenne & Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Rosetta.

See the lineup below and explore more on criterionchannel.com.

#Blackmendream, Shikeith, 2014

12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet, 1957

About Tap, George T. Nierenberg, 1985

The AIDS Show, Peter Adair and Rob Epstein, 1986

The Assignation, Curtis Harrington, 1953

Aya of Yop City,...

Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson | Art by Dexter Soy | Published by DC Comics

I’ve been dipping into these Dark Multiverse books and crossovers for a while now, and as you would expect they have been of mixed quality. Generally, though, they’ve hit more home runs than strikes. The positive thing is that as they are essentially glorified ‘What If?’ books, and the possibilities are endless. Any creator can take a major storyline from the past in the DC Universe that they enjoyed, or more likely have an editor assign it to them, and run with it in a different direction. Heck, I could write those. This time round, Phillip Kennedy Johnson gets that job, with co-conspirator Dexter Soy having fun on the art. Let’s take a look.

So, first things first, this is a dark take on the Hush storyline that ran back in the Batman books nearly twenty years ago now.

Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Jason Fabok | Published by DC Black Label

This book has been outstanding on pretty much every level. Great covers, sensational art and a script that not only delivered what we hoped for, but also supplied the cherry and cream to go on top of that particular pie. Something else not to sneeze at, it all came out on time. No delays. Delays have killed many a good storyline or series, as anticipation can only last so long. None of that here. Thank goodness, as I’ve been literally counting the days until this final issue comes out. Much has been delivered, but there is still a lot to tie up and resolve. I also think Johns and Fabok need to see if they can also gross us out just that little bit more. Do your worst diabolical duo.

Last issue had a big old helping of legacy.

On Sept. 28, 1985 the world got a glimpse of what could have been a very different Batman animated series. The fourth episode of that year’s incarnation of Hanna-Barbera’s long running Super Friends animated series (Super Powers: Galactic Guardians) is “The Fear.” Unlike previous episodes, it wasn’t focused on the Justice League and their ongoing battle against cosmic forces of evil, but instead was firmly grounded in Gotham City and a battle between Batman and the Scarecrow.

Galactic Guardians was the eighth and final season of Hanna-Barbera’s beloved Super Friends franchise, and it was a notable departure from what came before. Galactic Guardians stories were more in keeping with DC Comics of the day, the animation style drew heavily on the work of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, the artist behind the DC Comics Style Guide of the era, and for the second season in a row, the show leaned...

James Bond fans won’t have to experience any serious absence of their favorite secret agent even though 007’s new thriller, No Time to Die, has had its release delayed by the coronavirus pandemic from this month to November.

Fortunately, in addition to Pluto TV’s 24/7 Bond channel (which offers up 18 films with limited commercials), Amazon Prime in the Us is now making 21 Bond movies — basically everything up until the current Daniel Craig era — available starting April 1, all in 4K Ultra-High Definition. There’s currently no word on whether or not Amazon UK will follow suit.

The movies are (in alphabetical order):

A View to a Kill (1985)Diamonds Are Forever (1971)Die Another Day (2002)Dr. No (1962)For Your Eyes Only (1981)From Russia with Love (1964)Goldeneye (1995)Goldfinger (1964)Licence to Kill (1989)Live and Let Die (1973)Moonraker (1979)Never Say Never Again (1983)Octopussy (1983)On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)The Living Daylights (1987)The Man with the Golden Gun...

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas has starred in such box office champs as “The Mask of Zorro,” “Evita” and “Spy Kids,” and worked with great directors, including Jonathan Demme, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh and Julie Taymor. But he’s best known for his eight films with writer-director Pedro Almodóvar.

Sony Pictures Classics’ “Pain and Glory,” for which Banderas won the best actor prize at Cannes, puts both of them in the fast lane for the Oscar race. In keeping with the film’s themes of creativity, reconciliation and the passage of time, Banderas talked with Variety about his early days in the industry. The actor was first mentioned in Variety on Oct. 6, 1982, when two films — “Labyrinth of Passion” and “False Eyelash” — were reviewed on the same page. Banderas spoke from his hometown of Málaga, where he has created a theater company, Teatro del Soho, which opened with a Banderas-directed “A Chorus Line.

In many past instances, directors working on Batman movies wanted their productions to have an anachronistic sense to them. In other words, Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher would incorporate technology, cars and fashion from a variety of eras so that you wouldn’t know in which era the story took place. Though this method wasn’t favored by successors Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder, Batman: The Animated Series and Gotham did follow suit on the small screen.

When it came to Joker, however, it didn’t go for either the anachronistic or modern options. What director Todd Phillips did do, though, was opt to shoot it as a period piece. And while it was plainly obvious that it could’ve been set in the late 1970s or early 1980s, there’s been some debate surrounding this aspect. Hey, it may not be as ambiguous as the film’s ending, but...

Brian Taggert, a prolific TV and film writer whose credits include “Adam-12” and the script for the feature film “Poltergeist III,” died on June 1 at the age of 81.

His cause of death has not been made public, but the Los Angeles County coroner’s officer said Thursday that Taggert died in his home.

Taggert’s career took off in the 1970s with an extensive list of credits that includes “Adam-12,” and “Emergency!” He went on to write for TV films like “The Mark of Zorro,” “The Spell” and “Night Cries,” the television remake of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,” and the TV miniseries “V: The Final Battle” and “V” the series, among many others.

He also co-produced “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”

Also Read: All 21 Pixar Movies Ranked, Worst to Best (Photos)

In the 1980s, he began writing for film, with credits including the 1982 slasher “Visiting Hours” starring Lee Grant...

Brian Taggert, the screenwriter for Poltergeist III and Visiting Hours, died at age 81 at home in Los Angeles on June 1. His death was confirmed by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Taggert had a varied career as a TV and film writer. His television resume from the 1970s includes episodes of Adam-12 and Emergency!, as well as the 1984 NBC miniseries V: The Final Battle. He later worked on the V series that lasted a season, and had three telefilms on his resume:1974’s The Mark of Zorro, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Omen IV: The Awakening.

He turned to film in the 1980s and scored a feature with the slasher picture Visiting Hours in 1982. The film depicted actress Lee Grant as a TV journalist targeted by serial killer Michael Ironside.

Taggert shared Poltergeist III credit with director Gary Sherman. They had also collaborated on the drama Wanted:...

Hollywood classics don’t have to be stuffy — this 1940 swashbuckling adventure has style, great action, laughs and one of the most attractive screen couples of their day, Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell. And that’s not mentioning a superb fencing match, a great, quaint Spanish dance, and a smart cast directed by Rouben Mamoulian at his best. This German import is fully compatible with U.S. players.

The Mark of Zorro

Im Zeichen des Zorro

All-Region Blu-ray Special Edition

Explosive Media GmbH

1940 / B&W/colorized / 1:37 Academy / 94 min. / Im Zeichen des Zorro / Street Date September 27, 2018 / Available through Amazon.de / Eur 15,99

Starring: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard,

Eugene Pallette, J. Edward Bromberg, Montagu Love, Janet Beecher, George Regas, Chris-Pin Martin.

Cinematography: Arthur Miller

Film Editor: Robert Bischoff

Original Music: Alfred Newman

Written by John Taintor Foote, Garrett Fort

Produced by Raymond Griffith, Darryl F. Zanuck

Directed by Rouben Mamoulian

“I am off to California,...

Since its very inception, fans have wondered how Gotham would handle the Joker and his subsequent origin story. As it turns out, the Clown Prince of Crime’s formulation has proved to be as long and as drawn out as Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming Batman.

To briefly recap, season 1 introduced us to a disturbed young man who was guilty of matricide named Jeremiah Valeska. But after being let loose on the city for a brief period the next fall, he died at the hands of Theo Galavan. Then, he was resurrected in season 3 and shared visual similarities to the Joker as he appeared in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Death of the Family. Still, he wasn’t the genuine article.

Before being killed off for good in season 4, his twin brother, Jeremiah, came at us from out of nowhere. And before Jerome left this world, he...

On the one hand, I’ve been rather entertained by what Gotham‘s fifth and final season has offered thus far. But on the other, I’ve been waiting with bated breath to see all of the cool stuff teased in various trailers. I guess that’s to be expected when shooting wraps before the first episode has a chance to premiere.

One such thing I’ve been geeked for is that of the confrontation between Bruce Wayne and Jeremiah Valeska in the appropriately titled “Ace Chemicals.” In that episode, we can expect to see their feud build to a crescendo – and to possibly serve as the pivotal moment marking Jeremiah’s transformative experience.

But, until the big moment arrives, we can rely on this freshly released gallery of images to tide us over. As you begin to browse, notice how both the Mad Hatter and Ecco are there to...

The Half Breed (1916) with live music by The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra will screen after the new documentary I, Douglas Fairbanks Saturday at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The prgram starts at 7pm. Ticket information can be found Here

There’s nothing better than silent films accompanied by live music! The Rats and People is a treasure and St. Louis is lucky to have them here. I’ve seen them perform with silent films several times, often at The St. Louis International Film Festival, and usually at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium and it’s always a stunning good time at the movies. You’ll have the chance to see them perform their magic this Saturday, November 10th when they premiere their new score for The Half Breed (1916)

During the peak of the silent era, the dashing...

Like almost every other movie this summer, “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is a sequel. However, it bears little resemblance to the onslaught of overgrown lizards, animated families, and Marvel brethren; it cost much less, and will gross much less. But what really sets “Soldado” apart is it was never meant to happen.

Sequels are as old as the movies. Comedy silent shorts often built on a continuing set of characters. Rudolph Valentino followed “The Sheik” with the even-bigger “Son of the Sheik.” Douglas Fairbanks went from “The Mark of Zorro” to “Don Q, Son of Zorro.”

In the early decades of sound, studios nurtured franchises that included The Thin Man (six titles), the Hardy Family (16 titles), Dr. Kildare and Ma and Pa Kettle (10 titles). Rarely, studios struck twice on a major success: 1944 Best Picture winner “Going My Way” immediately spawned the even-better “Bells of St. Mary’s,” and 1942 winner “Mrs. Miniver...

One of the best Hollywood historical epics takes Technicolor to Mexico for a Production Code version of La conquista: the Inquisition is still bad, but the Church is exonerated. Likewise with the invasion — Cesar Romero embodies a marvelous Hernán Cortés, substantially less murderous than the one we now know from accurate history books. Tyrone Power is the heartthrob hero and newcomer Jean Peters the lowborn girl who loves him. The magnificent scenery is matched by the music score of Alfred Newman.

Captain from Castile

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1947 / Color / 137 Academy / 141 min. / Street Date October 17, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Lee J. Cobb, John Sutton, Antonio Moreno, Thomas Gomez, Alan Mowbray, Barbara Lawrence, George Zucco, Roy Roberts, Marc Lawrence, Reed Hadley, Robert Karnes, Estela Inda, Chris-Pin Martin, Jay Silverheels, Gilberto González.

Cinematography: Arthur Arling, Charles G. Clarke, Joseph Lashelle

Film Editor: Barbara McLean...

Sean Wilson Jan 16, 2017

From the BBC's Sherlock, through Disney, Hans Zimmer and Young Sherlock Holmes: we salute the music of Mr Holmes...

Few characters have enjoyed as much reinvention as Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth Sherlock Holmes, an enduring icon who is as much bound up with the history of cinema (and indeed stage, TV and radio) as he is with literature. Indeed, adaptations of Holmes stories stretch right the way back to the earliest days of film at the start of the 20th century. Fittingly enough given Holmes' penchant for a violin serenade, the musical scores to his adventures are as richly varied as the outcomes to his mysteries are unexpected. Here are Holmes' musical highlights, from Buster Keaton through to Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Not, strictly speaking, a Sherlock movie but as the title implies, the legacy of the character casts a long shadow over Buster Keaton's silent classic.

In this episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the week August 2nd, 2016.

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Follow-up Dead Ringers Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Dated Scream Factory: Rabid Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Dated News Lionsgate bows new Vestron Bd series, plus BFI’s Napoleon, Peter Gabriel, Da Vinci Code 4K, Phantasm & more Warcraft official for Bd, BD3D & 4K on 9/27, plus Everest 4K, Bates Motel: S4, Arrow’s Dark Water & more Vestron Video – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Vestron Video VHS Covers Vestron Video – Clg Wiki Scorpion Releasing: Joseph Losey’s Steaming Heading to Blu-ray Glengarry Glen Ross Blu-ray Upcoming Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray Releases The Lodger Blu-ray Detailed First Look at New 4K Remaster of Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls Kino: New 2K Restoration of Night People Coming to Blu-ray The Almodóvar Blu-ray Collection Babyface (1977) Blu-ray...

It’s time to talk about remakes again. In this installment of our series, we’re going to be looking at a revamped version of one of the most legendary fictional heroes ever. This week, Cinelinx looks at The Mask of Zorro (1998).

The Zorro character was introduced in the 1919 serialized story, “The Curse of Capistrano”, written by Johnston McCulley, and was published in All-Stories Weekly, the same magazine that first published Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Tarzan of the Apes” and “John Carter: Warlord of Mars”. Zorro was partly the inspiration for Batman. (Parenthetically, in DC comics, Bruce Wayne and his parents were coming out of a theater after seeing a film version of Zorro when his parents were killed.)

The story has been adapted several times. The first time was a silent film version in 1920, starring the cinema’s first-ever action star Douglas Fairbanks as the title character. However, we...

In this episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for Tuesday, March 29th, 2016.

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Follow-Up Kickstarter Projects: Ben Model, Disney Television Animation Don Hertzfeldt Blu-rays News The Iron Giant Kino Lorber: Teen Witch, The Mark of Zorro, Rawhide, 3 Bad Men, The Pit, Chandu The Magician Scream Factory: Bad Moon, Hell Hole, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf Warner Archive: Father of the Bride (1950), Devlin, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Code Red: The Dark 88 Films: Drive-In Massacre Cinema Epoch: Private Lessons Eureka: Upcoming Titles Twilight Time April Preorders Links to Amazon Bicycle Thieves Blue Ice Chantal Akerman: Four Films Cherry Falls The City of the Dead Code 7, Victim 5 / Mozambique Concussion Confession of a Child of the Century Corruption Hidden Fortress Frightmare The Gong Show Movie Hateful Eight Murders in the Rue Morgue...

Mike Cecchini Mar 25, 2019

Your complete guide to DC Comics references, Justice League movie hints, and Dceu Easter eggs in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice!

This article contains nothing but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Dceu spoilers. 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the second movie in the DC Extended Universe series, which began with Man of Steel, and continued in the Wonder Woman movie, will continue further with the Justice League movie, and more. As a result, it's positively packed with references to DC Comics, and hints about the future of the DC Extended Universe.

Here's our complete and spoiler-filled breakdown of everything you might have missed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Batman's Origin

- Just as Man of Steel opened with Superman's origin, so does Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice open with Batman's origin story. Thank heavens for that, because if we...

Take another look @ leaked footage, plus images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", filming the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne', following the screening of "The Mark Of Zorro", that will inspire Bruce to become 'Batman':

"...'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater and are confronted by a petty mugger, who ends up murdering Bruce's parents right in front of him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice"...

Since any New York cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Museum of the Moving Image

“See It Big! Jack Fisk” celebrates one of cinema’s greatest production designers. The first weekend brings four Malick features, Mulholland Dr., Carrie, and There Will Be Blood.

A collection of the Muppets‘ appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson will be presented this Sunday.

Metrograph

A retrospective of the...

Take a look @ a new image, plus footage of actress Lauren Cohan ("The Walking Dead"), as a pivotal character in director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice":

"...Cohan portrays 'Martha Wayne'...

"...the 'socialite mother' of young 'Bruce Wayne' and wife of 'Dr. Thomas Wayne' (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). 

"In DC Comics, the parents of Bruce Wayne are murdered by 'Joe Chill' following a family outing...

"...first Thomas Wayne is killed...

"...then his mother 'Martha' has a heart attack...

"...leaving orphaned Bruce to be raised by family butler/bodyguard 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...never forgetting the man who killed his parents...

"...growing up to become the crime-fighting  'caped crusader' vigilante, known as 'Batman'..."

"...in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice', 'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater.

Take another look @ leaked footage, plus images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", revealing the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne', on the news that actress Lauren Cohan "The Walking Dead" appears in the sequence playing a pivotal character from the DC Comics' universe :

"...Cohan portrays 'Martha Wayne', 'socialite mother' of young 'Bruce Wayne' and wife of 'Dr. Thomas Wayne' (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). 

"In DC Comics, the parents of Bruce Wayne are murdered by 'Joe Chill' following a family outing...

"...first Thomas Wayne is killed...

"...then his mother 'Martha' has a heart attack...

"...leaving orphaned Bruce to be raised by family butler 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...never forgetting the man who killed his parents...

"...growing up to become the crime-fighting  'caped crusader' vigilante, known as 'Batman'..."

"...in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice', 'Dr. Thomas...

The National Film Registry announced this week its annual selection of 25 films and recordings to add to the permanent collection of the Library of Congress, and among them are old Hollywood classics, recent Oscar winners, and beloved '80s favorites.

Highlights of this year's inductees include comedy classic "Ghostbusters" and Tom Cruise's iconic flick "Top Gun." Awards bait fare "Shawshank Redemption" (which nabbed seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture) and "L.A. Confidential" (which took home the Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay trophies) also made the 2015 cut.

There are always a few quirky additions, too, and this year's crop is no different. A recording that Thomas Edison made of a sneeze in 1894 is a new inductee, as is a short animated film from Disney called "The Story of Menstruation," which was shown in American schools as part of health education classes in the 1940s (and was...

The Library of Congress on Wednesday morning revealed the 25 new titles it's sending this year to the National Film Registry for preservation. New are L.A. Confidential, The Shawshank Redemption, The Mark of Zorro, Top Gun, and that Thomas Edison thing of a sneeze in the 1800s. Just in time to help with its reboot's press campaign, Ghostbusters also made the cut. Still no word on how Dan Aykroyd's vodka is doing, though. Anyway, here are all the 2015 additions, in alphabetical order: Being There (1979) Black and Tan (1929) Dracula (Spanish) (1931) Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (1975) Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894) A Fool There Was (1915) Ghostbusters (1984) Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) Humoresque (1920) Imitation of Life (1959) The Inner World of Aphasia (1968) John Henry and the Inky-Poo (1946) L.A. Confidential (1997) The Mark of Zorro (1920) The Old...

Take another look @ footage and images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", filming the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne', following the screening of "The Mark Of Zorro", featuring a character that will inspire Bruce to become 'Batman':

"...'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater and are confronted by a petty mugger, who ends up murdering Bruce's parents right in front of him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice"...

We've already got a fine domestic disc with both versions of John Ford's fine Henry Fonda western. This Region B UK release duplicates that arrangement with different extras, and throws in a fine HD transfer of an earlier Allan Dwan version of the same story -- with strong similarities -- called Frontier Marshal. It stars Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero and Binnie Barnes and it's very good. My Darling Clementine +  Frontier Marshal Region B Blu-ray Arrow Academy (UK) 1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 + 103 min. (two versions) / Street Date August 17, 2015, 2014 / Amazon UK / £19.99 Starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Ward Bond, Alan Mowbray, John Ireland, Roy Roberts, Jane Darwell, Grant Withers, J. Farrell MacDonald, Russell Simpson. Cinematography Joe MacDonald Art Direction James Basevi, Lyle Wheeler Film Editor Dorothy Spencer Original Music Cyril Mockridge Written by Samuel G. Engel, Sam Hellman, Winston Miller Produced by Samuel G. Engel,...

Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...

Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...

Los Angeles, Calif. (October 2, 2015) – In 1915 William Fox founded Fox Film Corporation and forever changed the course of cinema. Over the next century the studio would develop some of the most innovative and ground-breaking advancements in the history of cinema; the introduction of Movietone, the implementation of color in partnership with Eastman Kodak, the development of the wide format in 70mm and many more. Now in honor of the 100th anniversary of the studio, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will celebrate by releasing some of their most iconic films that represent a decade of innovation.

Starting today, five classic films from the studio will be made available digitally for the first time ever – Sunrise (1927), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Man Hunt (1941), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). Throughout the rest of the year a total of 100 digital releases will follow from Fox’s extensive catalog, including 10 films...

Sony Pictures

We haven’t had a Zorro movie since 2005’s universally derided The Legend of Zorro, but in a cinematic climate dominated by masked vigilantes it’s no surprise to hear that his return could be imminent.

Apparently a reboot is readying itself to begin production sometime next year, with a fresh twist on the legend. Most prior incarnations of Zorro have played out in 19th century California, but this upcoming version, entitled Zorro Reborn, would unfold in a post apocalyptic setting.

Zorro Reborn isn’t exactly a new property. It’s had a bunch of talented people attached (chiefly director Bryan Singer and writers Gary Whitta and Justin Marks) in the past, yet nothing ever stuck. But now media company Lantica have suggested they’d like to get Reborn in-front of cameras by spring 2016, meaning a big-screen bow could be reasonably estimated for 2017.

Sony Pictures

Zorro’s an iconic character,...

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ca. 1935. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was never as popular as his father, silent film superstar Douglas Fairbanks, who starred in one action-adventure blockbuster after another in the 1920s (The Mark of Zorro, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad) and whose stardom dates back to the mid-1910s, when Fairbanks toplined a series of light, modern-day comedies in which he was cast as the embodiment of the enterprising, 20th century “all-American.” What this particular go-getter got was screen queen Mary Pickford as his wife and United Artists as his studio, which he co-founded with Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charles Chaplin. Now, although Jr. never had the following of Sr., he did enjoy a solid two-decade-plus movie career. In fact, he was one of the few children of major film stars – e.g., Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis – who had successful film careers of their own.

Olivia de Havilland on Turner Classic Movies: Your chance to watch 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' for the 384th time Olivia de Havilland is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 2, '15. The two-time Best Actress Oscar winner (To Each His Own, 1946; The Heiress, 1949) whose steely determination helped to change the way studios handled their contract players turned 99 last July 1. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any de Havilland movie rarities, e.g., Universal's cool thriller The Dark Mirror (1946), the Paramount comedy The Well-Groomed Bride (1947), or Terence Young's British-made That Lady (1955), with de Havilland as eye-patch-wearing Spanish princess Ana de Mendoza. On the other hand, you'll be able to catch for the 384th time a demure Olivia de Havilland being romanced by a dashing Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, as TCM shows this 1938 period adventure classic just about every month. But who's complaining? One the...

Take another look @ footage and images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", filming the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne', following the screening of "The Mark Of Zorro", featuring a character that will inspire Bruce to become 'Batman':

"...'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater and are confronted by a petty mugger, who ends up murdering Bruce's parents right in front of him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice"...

Nightmare Alley

Written by Jules Furthman

Directed by Edmund Goulding

U.S.A., 1947

A carny cons his way up to high society through cold-reading and (un)timely circumstance. Based on that one-liner, who would you cast? If you say Tyrone Power, I’d say that my friend Stan Carlisle is on his way (The name Stan Carlisle being a con-industry handshake of sorts, informing one con-artist that he’s stepping in on another man’s con, or at least according to Eddie “The Czar of Noir” Muller’s introduction of this film at Tcmff). In Nightmare Alley, Tyrone Power, the 20th Century Fox matinee idol, plays a lowlife con man, who lies and cheats his way from a podunk carnival to becoming a spiritualist amongst the more gullible of Chicago’s upper crust. His character is also the namesake of the above con slang.

And any which way, yes, Tyrone Power...

Take another look @ footage and images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", filming the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne', following the 'Exaclibur' theater screening of "The Mark Of Zorro", a character that will inspire Bruce to become 'Batman':

"...'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater and are confronted by a petty mugger, who ends up murdering Bruce's parents right in front of him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice"...

Take another look @ footage and images from the Chicago set of director Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice", filming the death of the parents of 'Bruce Wayne' in front of the movie theater screening "The Mark Of Zorro", a character that inspires Bruce to become 'Batman':

"...'Dr. Thomas Wayne' and his wife 'Martha' take their son 'Bruce to see 'The Mark of Zorro'. 

"After the film, the Wayne family exits the theater and are confronted by a petty mugger, who ends up murdering Bruce's parents right in front of him..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice"...