Messages

Jett sounds off about the new Catwoman suit.

http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_book-review_shes-got-to-have-ears_8-7-11.html

Apparently he's the voice of the 'the REAL majority of fandom'...   

Anne Hathaway comments on the negative response to her Catwoman costume.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movies/680056/anne-hathaway-takes-mtv-news-to-task-for-catwoman-reaction.jhtml

I never liked the prostitute origin either. I think most people didn't. That's why they retconned it after Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1993). What worries me about this stripper angle is that 'Catwoman' may only be her stage name, and for the rest of the film she may simply be referred to as Selina.

The only time I remember Catwoman ever being a stripper in the comics was in the Elseworlds story Batman: Thrillkiller (1998).



In that story she only wore the cowl when she was dancing. The rest of the time she dressed in ordinary clothing and was an informant for Batman. I hope that's not the approach they're taking in this film.

The other possibility is she may only wear the mask during the rumoured masquerade scene. But location pictures show Hathaway wearing a white dress (presumably for the masquerade) without any kind of mask.

Some people are claiming that she's wearing an eye mask beneath the goggles, and that once they're removed the ears will spring up at the sides. That wouldn't be so bad, I suppose. Just as long as she does have the ears.

It looks like it's legit. Here's a video shot by one of the extras.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR4hVwDhbIg&feature=player_embedded

This guy's wrong about the hostage being Gordon though. Other people from the stadium have identified which character it was, and it's not Gordon.

People who were at Heinz Field are saying this was one of the weaker takes, and that the voice does sound better when you hear it clearly. They're also reporting that Bane had a tube attached to the back of his head, hinting at the use of Venom in the scene.

I've read descriptions of how the scene plays out and it sounds very similar to the circus scene from Batman Forever.

Since he's wearing a mask, I would expect Hardy to be dubbed.

Any eye witness reports of Bane's voice are invalid to me until I see the movie...or a trailer.

Very sensible. The mask is one thing, but he's also having to project his voice into a football stadium. I'm sure when he speaks at normal volume he'll sound better.

[EDIT]

Some witnesses are claiming to have heard Hardy speaking in his Bane voice. According to them, he uses a British accent and his voice sounds weak and wheezy, like an old man. Further rumours suggest the mask he wears may be some kind of breathing apparatus, similar to Darth Vader's mask. I'm taking this with a pinch of salt. I don't think Nolan would stray that far from the source material. Especially not after he's already taken so many liberties with Bane's costume and appearance.

In the comics Bane's father was King Snake, a British super villain. But Bane didn't find this out until he was an adult, and he himself was raised in a Santa Priscan prison without contact with his Dad. So there's no reason whatsoever why he should have a British accent. Not unless Nolan has completely discarded his origin story from the comics.


EDIT: There's an audio recording floating around online that purports to be Hardy speaking in his Bane voice on location at Heinz Field. Here it is. Keep in mind it could turn out to be fake, but quite a few people are claiming it's real.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6wNpKZUz9s

Batman-News.com has reported some rumoured details about Catwoman. According to their source:

•   she's a stripper and a pickpocket
•   she has a history of abuse
•   she does "cool stuff" like jumping out of windows and stealing the Batpod
•   she's very well written and "could potentially steal the show the way Heath Ledger did last time"
•   she will wear the cowl at some point in the movie
http://batman-news.com/2011/08/06/exclusive-details-on-catwoman-in-the-dark-knight-rises/

I know they're trying to emphasize the action more but the suit colors and his demeanor, plus Nolan's involvement, worry me that they'll turn him into a darker character, which is at odds with the whole symbol of hope thing, otherwise I'm somewhat excited.

This pretty much sums up my feelings. I hate to be negative, but I really don't like the muted colours or the way he's scowling.

I find it worrying how often people use the word 'badass' in relation to this film. That's one word I don't think should ever be associated with Superman. I'm glad they're going to have some good action scenes in it, but I'm worried this 'angry god' characterisation is intended to court a younger, more cynical audience at the expense of the character's soul.

Personally I'd rather they'd just stuck with the traditional spandex suit, trunks et al. But I suppose it could've been worse. I am getting tired of the octagonal texturing on all the latest superhero costumes though. First Spider-Man looks like a basketball and now this.

But the Kent farm looks nice.

Here's more evidence, from 'The Joker's Advertising Campaign' (Batman #11, June 1942).

[EDIT]

Could this be the mask? Or is it simply one they used for dress rehearsals?



My opinion is pretty much the same as everyone else's. I'm hoping this is just a prototype costume worn early in the film. The suit is fine – it's got a sleek Jim Lee look to it – but she really needs the cat ears. I don't mind if it's an eye mask or a cowl, but she needs the ears.

It definitely has a sixties/Julie Newmar vibe. The 1960s was the only decade in the comics when Catwoman consistently wore a domino mask instead of a cowl. It was also the decade that first introduced Catwoman's night-vision goggles – in 'The Case of the Purr-loined Pearl!' (Batman #210, March 1969), to be precise.



Having said that, the domino masks still had cat ears. It's the one consistent element of every costume Catwoman has ever worn. The only time she didn't have the ears was in her first few appearances when she didn't wear a mask at all.

So overall I'd say I'm disappointed by this pic. But I'm hoping there'll be another costume we haven't seen yet. Its possible Warner Bros released this particular picture prematurely because they knew those pictures of the stunt double were going to be leaked anyway and they wanted to reveal the outfit first. In which case, there could still be another costume we've yet to see...


EDIT: Apparently I was right (aha!).

Update: Not surprisingly, Warner Bros. didn't release this image for shiggles. They knew that paparazzi and bystanders galore would be snapping shots of the actress (and/or her stunt double) today, straight from the set in Pittsburgh, and they wanted to get a more finessed image out there first.

http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/118/1186306p1.html

Yes! Now I can afford a Hot Toys Batmobile!