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Sunday, July 22, 2012 - 9:42pmSanction this postReply
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When I said that Tom Hardy as Bane filled the shoes of a Heath Ledger as The Joker, I forgot to qualify it. Many folks will disagree about this estimation/evaluation of mine. Both The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and The Joker (Heath Ledger) were some very amazing bad guys. Characters that were so well-portrayed that they could literally give you nightmares. It's part of the new "keepin' it real" theme running through these super-hero films nowadays. The scariest evil is not the larger-than-life green monster from 'Megatonia' or 'ClawToothia' or 'VeryScaria', the scariest evil is the most believable evil. This is even true on more than one level.

When something human goes awry, when a human creature is corrupted (rather than a "pre-corrupted" alien or 50-ft tall monster), then true emotional repulsiveness and rational fright ensue. In this vein, The Scarecrow and The Joker really did set a new precedent for "villain-hood" in the 21st Century. The $64,000 question is:

Did Bane measure up?

My answer is yes, but with a qualifier: the mask. In playing Bane, Tom Hardy wore a mask that only let you see his eyes. That's an acting handicap. But it was all that he needed to get the job done, anyway. One film-insider (a producer, I believe), in a 13-minute film featurette at imdb.com, made a comment about Tom playing Bane in the mask [very-loosely paraphrased]:
He is acting with just his eyes, but he is so good at it -- it is enough to make him believable. It is enough to truly scare you.
That, and I also heard from "Fezzik" in The Princess Bride [direct quote]:
People in masks cannot be trusted.
:-)

Ed



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Post 1

Monday, July 23, 2012 - 12:26amSanction this postReply
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People in masks cannot be trusted.
                                    

(Edited by Kyle Jacob Biodrowski on 7/23, 12:34am)


Post 2

Monday, July 23, 2012 - 4:59amSanction this postReply
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Okay, Kyle, you got me there: Most people in masks cannot be trusted.

Ed


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Post 3

Monday, July 23, 2012 - 8:10amSanction this postReply
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Ed, you know, to be 95% confident with +/- 3% error, you need 1054 samples.


Post 4

Monday, July 23, 2012 - 5:18pmSanction this postReply
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Alright, already. So I get it:

There are a lot of people out there, in masks, who can be trusted.

Krighkee, I quote some comedic film -- a fictional character in a comedic fantasy film -- as laying down a fundamental philosophic principle regarding people in masks ... and I get these 'tomatoes' thrown at me? What is this, pick-on-Ed day?

:-)

Ed


Post 5

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - 6:36pmSanction this postReply
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Look at the bright side, Ed.

With people like us, you'll never go hungry.

:)

Post 6

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - 8:11pmSanction this postReply
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Kyle,
With people like us, you'll never go hungry.
Yeah, but I could develop a contact-allergy to tomatoes.

Ed


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Post 7

Friday, March 10, 2017 - 1:16amSanction this postReply
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This is one of my favorite.I have seen some disappointing seen in it but its ok.



Post 8

Friday, March 17, 2017 - 3:50amSanction this postReply
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The full array of comic book superheroes invites some investigation.  

 

Batman represents those who are otherwise physically normal people who have earned or created greater physical powers to achieve moral goals.  Tony Stark (Iron Man), Brett  Reed (Green Hornet), and Lamont Cranston (The Shadow) are in that set. Also, they have dual identies. The wider world does not know who the superhero really is.  

 

Superman, Thor, the X-Men and their counterparts the Avengers, Wonder Woman, and others, were born with super powers.  Their alternate identities as ordinary people disguise their natural beings.  

 

Thor is an exception to that, being a god with no alternate identity.  Thor, in particular, is especially altruistic, having regained his lost godhood only after being willing to sacrifice himself to save others, a obvious play on the Jesus story.  Green Arrow is another conscious altruist whose motives surpass the common philosophy of do-gooding.  

 

Can anyone can recommend a hero (except for Mr. A) who is even mildy egoistic?



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Post 9

Friday, March 17, 2017 - 7:17amSanction this postReply
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 "Can anyone can recommend a hero (except for Mr. A) who is even mildy egoistic?"

Booster Gold

Luke Cage, Here for Hire

 

and, um...
The Justly-Compensated League of Super Heroes



Post 10

Monday, December 18, 2017 - 8:08pmSanction this postReply
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Watched and enjoyed this movie. ;)



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