Tag: Batman

10 Most Anticipated Animated Films for 2018

Ed Sum with an Ewok
By Ed Sum
The Vintage Tempest

Plenty of animated films will be coming in 2018 for the discerning connoisseur to consider. Disney and PIXAR do not dominate the market, and to offer enough international flavour is what makes this list different from others. While a strong anime theme persists, offered here are my picks for the 2018 year. Not every film have a set date; they are confirmed to come out within the year at least.

This list is organized into the most highly anticipated to “least.”

Godzilla: Monster Planet

Anyone living in Japan saw this movie already and the word is that this film is very good. The expectations from fans living elsewhere are high since this work is coming from the studio who birthed Gojira, and the look is epic.

Humanity had to flee the planet in order to survive this beast’s wrath, and now they want it back. Hopefully the advancements in technology can placate the behemoth! No date is given for the global Netflix release. Perhaps this movie will get a limited cinema screening first, where this film deserves to be seen, before heading to the streaming service.

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There’s No Injustice 2 Mobile’s Improved Gameplay!

Injustice 2By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Warner Bros Interactive and DC Entertainment released a mobile edition of Injustice 2 (for Android and iOS) well ahead of the console edition due out May 16th, and I did not get any other work done over the weekend because of it.

The gameplay is familiar, and the story mode kept me engaged for hours, while watching Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series in the background. While the Mortal Kombat / Street Fighter-like mechanics will always be awkward when played on tablet-like surfaces — tapping and swiping for to activate certain moves — but this game does something to improve the momentum of the character’s moves. I find the controls a lot more intuitive to figure out, especially when I’m the type who does not pay attention to the tutorials much.
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You Too Can Be The Dark Knight with Sony’s 3D Tech in Batman: Arkham VR

playstation-vr-new

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Sony’s PlayStation VR bundle is now available and if some people are still in the fence about it, they can try it out at special events like Fan Expo Vancouver. This 2016 show had Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment exhibiting LEGO Dimensions and demonstrating Batman: Arkham VR (now available on AmazonInjustice 2) on the PS4 ProInjustice 2 and the experience has me believing the hardware is very capable. I was told this updated system is not absolutely necessary in order to become the crime-fighting detective, but it does help with the frame rates and rendering for those players wanting to go by the numbers.

The headwear certainly can use some fine-tuning for people like myself wearing eyeglasses. It is certainly comfortable with or without (I tried both methods on two different demos of the game) and I experienced minor fogging on the lens. If the addition of micro-fans or vents can be put in version two of the hardware, this problem can easily be solved.

playstation_vr_reuters

The feeling of being immersed in the digital environment is almost there; the fact the view does not fully fill the peripheral (i.e. I can see the edges of where the screen ends) shows virtual environments are not that all-encompassing. Part of the fact has to deal with the psychological aspects of distinguishing between real space and imagined space. If the eye detects an object at the edge of perception, the body will be inclined to react.

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Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Brings Back Plenty of Nostalgia

Holy Double, no Triple Take … Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Batman! The Return of the Caped Crusaders is here!

Available to purchase on Amazon
available on Amazon to purchaseInjustice 2

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Holy Double, no Triple Take … Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Batman! The Return of the Caped Crusaders should have my coffin co-writer (James Shaw) wake up from his post-Halloween coma, do the Batusi, dust his cowl off (from all the dirt I dumped on him) and fly to the nearest big box store to buy this animated video release and give a review. He loves the 60s Bat more than I do but his steadfast refusal to review any product on his own is his loss and my gain. Some readers may have wondered why his content is few and far between and I don’t comprehend why he behaves this way.

I picked up this product just because I find the creative heads at Warner Bros Animation never fails to disappoint. Just like the vintage show, lessons in morality are offered and advice in how to overcome obstacles are offered. Maybe James did not hear those messages and apply them to his life.

This video, like the series, is made for the yuk yuks and camp we all recall the TV series represented instead of being taken seriously. Though the show was not blatant in saying we should all be boy scouts, the throwback style was obvious in the many television programs from this era and it is recreated in all its memorable glory. The Andy Griffith Show is the best example of leads imparting infinite wisdom, and other programs like My Three Sons and Bonanza followed suit. Because the two are deputized as duly appointed representatives of Gotham Police, Batman has to remind Robin to do what’s right. From properly crossing the street at a corner instead of jaywalking to get to the other side to stop crime, the humourous examples remain!

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[Victoria, BC] Charles Ross One Man Mega-Hit Marathon (Star Wars, LotR, Batman)

Charles Ross will be taking part in University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre’s celebration of 50 glorious years of creating great theatre. 

Charles Ross presenting One Man Lord of the Rings
Charles Ross presenting One Man Lord of the Rings

Charles Ross will be taking part in University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre’s celebration of 50 glorious years of creating great theatre. During this alumni festivity, he will be performing an exhaustive “One Man” Marathon (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Batman). The fun begins on October 11 and ends on the 17th. There are other shows taking place too, but I’m sure the nerds of Victoria, BC will be there for Ross.

For those who have not seen these shows, I heavily recommend to readers nearby to consider making a trip over to the south-eastern tip of Vancouver Island. Not many people realize this garden city is his home; for those who do not know what this part of the world is like, its beautiful for much of the year because of its varied (mostly British) architectural heritage, temperate climate and laid-back attitude.

To adventure here will imitate part of the hero’s journey Ross often puts across in his shows. To discover what that means requires attending a performance.

To learn more about this man and his works, including a look into how he approached developing each of these One Man shows, please look at these past interviews and look at his current works in progress:

(Otaku no Culture) Charles Ross’ One Man Star Wars & Lord of the Rings

(Two Hungry Blokes) One Man Star Wars Does the Dark Knight Trilogy

(Two Hungry Blokes) Will There Be Further Adventures of Ape Man and Fish Boy?

To purchase tickets, please visit the Phoenix Theatre’s web page here. Matinee shows are offered for Star Wars and Batman over the weekend.

Spending an Evening with Batman’s Brain in Victoria, BC A Summary

An Evening with Batman s Brain-page-001

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

To spend “An Evening with Batman’s Brain” is a perfect way to prepare for next week’s ultimate grudge match in Zack Snyder‘s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The UVic Centre for Biomedical Research presented this discussion March 16, and the two hours went by rather quick. Normally, at a comic convention, these discussions get one hour to get the point across. Two hours are not that common. To add an appearance of The Joker, Two-Face and Scarecrow corralling Batman onto center stage only helped set up the night and provide audiences with a bit of entertainment in what the Clown Prince of Crime exclaimed as “Nerds on parade. Boring!”

I was wide awake and soaking as much of the discussion in. The information presented was jam-packed with fact-filled insights into the psychology of Bats, the dilemmas he faces and the punishment he takes as a man in his prime. The comics and movies (mostly Chris Nolan’s) are referenced, and a bit of the animated series (where my knowledge comes from) is referred to. Dr. Travis Langley (Psychologist at Henderson State University), Dr. Mark D. White (Philosopher at College of Staten Island), and Dr. E. Paul Zehr (Neuroscientist at University of Victoria) each gave their presentations examining this character. Noted CBC Radio personality Shelagh Rogers moderated this panel. She opened the floor for audiences to ask questions and if only this event lasted three hours, I’m sure fans will get more than a general sense of what makes Batman tick.

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