Reverend’s Reviews: Did The Bat Make Him Do It?

Debate has been raging on Reverend’s Facebook page since last Friday’s “midnight movie massacre” in Aurora, Colorado. Some believe Christopher Nolan’s hyper-realistic, post-9/11 take on Batman in his Dark Knight series of films may have played a part in the alleged gunman’s decision to shoot up a theater full of opening night moviegoers, killing 12 and injuring 59 others. However, other FB friends — including several fellow film critics — are certain that nothing in Nolan’s movies or any movie can compel one to commit acts of violence.

I hadn’t seen The Dark Knight Rises, the concluding chapter of Nolan’s series, prior to the shootings. Now that I have, I want to share my reflections not only on the movie but on the (far from new) argument over the effects of violence in films that is being waged in media and government spheres with renewed vigor.

The plot of The Dark Knight Rises is complex, drawing in elements from and allusions to 2005’s Batman Begins as well as its most immediate predecessor, 2008’s The Dark Knight. To summarize most simply: Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has retired his Batman persona and become a recluse in the wake of his physically- and mentally-bruising battle with The Joker and Harvey Dent/Two-Face. After eight years of low crime and relative peace in Gotham City, two new troublemakers enter the scene. One is Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a masterful thief with who is occasionally referred to as “The Cat” but never Catwoman in her Robin Hood-esque effort to rob from the rich and give to the poor. The other, definitely more dangerous threat is Bane (Tom Hardy, who seems to be channeling Sean Connery vocally), a hulking, mask-wearing terrorist out to first lead a people’s uprising against Gotham’s wealthy 1% and then destroy the city with a clean energy generator-turned-nuclear weapon he has craftily commandeered.

New alliances are forged and surprising betrayals occur as Batman strives to take Bane and his henchmen down. Following their first instance of hand-to-hand combat, which Bane decisively wins, Wayne is exiled to a decrepit underground prison where he uncovers hidden truths about his foe as well as about himself. It’s a good, dramatic sequence but it also slows The Dark Knight Rises down in its middle third (the film runs nearly three hours). The movie’s first third and final third are well-paced and undeniably exciting.

All in all, the gifted Nolan’s latest epic is typically well-constructed (despite a plot hole here and there) and beautiful to look at. I loved Batman’s new flying vehicle and Batcycle with extremely versatile, multi-directional wheels. If I were still 10 years old I would totally want those toys for my birthday and/or Christmas. The stock company of actors who have appeared in one or more of Nolan’s previous films is exceptional, and newcomers Hathaway and Matthew Modine (as Gotham’s new police chief) are excellent. (The role played by actress India Wadsworth, interviewed here last week, turns out to be fleeting but fairly pivotal.)

Viewing the film in the wake of last week’s Colorado incident, I was relieved to discover that while it is violent (though relatively bloodless) it doesn’t glamorize violence or anarchy and make them look as “cool” as I thought The Dark Knight occasionally did. Heath Ledger’s deranged but charismatic Joker blew up hospitals and fired guns and missiles indiscriminately, by and large making it look fun. Is it any wonder that James Holmes, the alleged perpetrator of the Colorado shootings, dyed his hair and identified himself as “The Joker” to arresting officers? Meanwhile, the standout sequence of chaos in The Dark Knight Rises occurs when Bane detonates a series of explosions that demolish Gotham City’s football stadium and other locations, while simultaneously trapping most of the police force underground. While impressive, it is on such a scale and magnitude that imitating it in real life would be virtually impossible. At least, I hope and pray so.

Many critics (myself included) and filmmakers consider the movie theater to be a hallowed, sacred space. Nolan noted this himself in his post-shooting remarks last weekend. The Century Aurora 16 multiplex where the shootings took place has remained closed since July 20th, and some locals are calling it a memorial that should not be re-opened. I’m inclined to agree with them in part that auditorium #9, site of the fateful Dark Knight Rises screening, ought to be designated as memorial space but the remainder of the theater should go back to business as usual. Otherwise, the gunman will achieve an even greater victory than the horrific loss of life he caused.

The film industry, however, does indeed need to do some soul-searching in the wake of this catastrophe. Warner Bros. has responded well in the short term, immediately cancelling most ads for The Dark Knight Rises and pushing back the release date of its gunfire-imbued Gangster Squad to next January. The studio is also reportedly cutting a scene from Gangster Squad that depicts a gunfight in a movie theater. Moving ahead, I hope the studio takes steps to ensure that next summer’s Man of Steel Superman reboot, which is being produced by Nolan, isn’t as grim an affair as The Dark Knight trilogy has been. I also hope they take a lighter approach to any future Batman movies. I’m not recommending they resurrect the over-the-top camp sensibility evident in 1997’s Batman & Robin, but I at least would appreciate a villain who prefers — impossibly — to freeze Gotham City than gun down its police force, execute its wealthy citizenry, and blow it and the remainder of its inhabitants off the map.

Of course, Warner Bros. isn’t the only studio making movies, superhero-themed or otherwise. All studios and producers run the risk of unintentionally glorifying the violence their storylines are in most cases attempting to denounce. It’s a delicate balance in this world of computer-generated mayhem in which any large-scale disaster can be executed to terrifying yet awe-inspiring effect. Even if the movies themselves aren’t emphasizing violence and bloodshed, their trailers frequently are doing so. The stream of trailers prior to The Dark Knight Rises screening I attended seemed like an endless assault of gunshots, bone-crunching punches and explosions, with their sound effects and volume jacked up for maximum effect. The trailers in question were for The Watch, The Bourne Legacy, The Expendables 2 and Total Recall. Their representative studios are undeniably using violence and mayhem to sell their product.

Do movies make people go out and commit acts of murder and terrorism? No. We each have free will and can choose to live violently or not. Can movies at least partly inspire the motives, methods and/or settings of those who choose to act violently, especially if such people already have less-than-healthy psyches? Yes, I believe they can, and the Aurora tragedy is just the latest example of this. Hopefully, it will be the last.

Reverend’s Rating: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Report: Outfest 2012

Out Glee actor and newly-published children’s book authorChris Colfer brought this year’s 10-day long Outfest festivities in Hollywood to a close Sunday night with the premiere of Struck by Lightning. Colfer not only headlines the comedy but wrote its screenplay, his first. Talk about multi-talented!

By Outfest’s end, several movies had implanted themselves in my consciousness as among the very best that not only Outfest but contemporary GLBT cinema has to offer. These are in addition to a handful of films I was able to preview and acclaim before the fest began (see Reverend’s 2012 Outfest Preview). The standout for me was Matthew Mishory’s Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, which is notable both for its provocative depiction of an unquestionably bisexual, pre-celebrity Dean and its gorgeous, primarily black-and-white visual style. The mostly speculative bio was photographed by Michael Marius Pessah, who was designated one of Outfest 2012’s “Five to Watch” before the fest began. Also, actor James Preston gives an arresting performance as Dean.
 

A close second for me was Ira Sachs' already highly acclaimed Keep the Lights On, The film won raves at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival's Teddy Award earlier this year, and it walked away with two of Outfest's most prestigious awards (please find a complete list of Outfest award winners in the comments section below). This authentic, semi-autobiographical saga of two lovers struggling with drug addiction and other challenges over the course of their nine-year relationship is, by turns, heartbreaking and hopeful. Thure Lindhardt and Zachary Booth are exquisite as the on again, off again pair. Keep the Lights On is shaping up to be the gay-interest movie of 2012 and is scheduled for theatrical release beginning in September.

I was thrilled to not only catch That's What She Said, the feature directorial debut of actress Carrie Preston (True Blood, Ready? OK!, Straight-Jacket), but to finally meet Preston after four years of phone interviews and e-mail exchanges. Her hilarious, NYC-set dramedy about female BFFs and their travails boasts a superb turn by Anne Heche, truly the best performance I've yet seen her give. While cut from the same raunchy girl-power cloth as recent hits Bridesmaids and Friends with Kids, That's What She Said has a truer, warmer heart than either of it predecessors.

A reader commented here recently on my interview with Sassy Pants star Haley Joel Osment that it's good to see filmmakers using more average looking/less physically perfect actors in gay-themed films. This was true of several Outfest entries but perhaps most significantly in I Want Your Love. Writer-director Travis Mathews enlisted a full complement of everyday physical types for this thoughtful drama of gay maturity, and they all engage in graphic, non-simulated sex. It's striking, even shocking, but ultimately moving.

As usual, a number of fine documentaries were screened at Outfest, including the highly-touted Vito, Love Free or Die (about out Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson) and How to Survive a Plague. Of those I saw, I was most impressed and informed by United in Anger: A History of ACT UP by Jim Hubbard. While it gets a little long and repetitive in detailing the 25-year history of the pioneering organization, the doc provides valuable insights into the initial years of the AIDS epidemic, the US government's inability/unwillingness to respond effectively, and ACT UP's leadership and often volatile tactics.

All in all, Outfest's 30th anniversary lineup was one of its best to date. Here's to 30+ more years of spotlighting the finest in GLBT cinema.

Report by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Interview: One Grand Dame

Sandra Bernhard has distinguished herself in the entertainment industry since the late 1970's as a stand-up comedian, singer, actress and author. More recently, she has gained regard as an advocate, activist and mother. For all her achievements to date, Bernhard is being honored as Grand Marshall of the San Diego Pride parade on Saturday, July 21st.

She often wields a harsh or bitter attitude in her comedic performances, which landed Bernhard in hot water in 2008 when she declared that then-Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin would be "gang-raped by my big black brothers" upon her arrival in New York City. Fortunately, Bernhard was nothing but pleasant and gracious when Reverend spoke with her recently.

"I know, isn't that exciting?," she replied to my congratulations on being named Grand Marshall. "It's always great to be among my people and to appreciate each other." Bernhard was so honored previously during the St. Louis Pride parade two years ago and reflected fondly on the experience. "It was great, so fun; there was definitely mutual admiration" between her and that parade's spectators.

Along with the elders among us, Bernhard has watched the growth in prominence and equality of our LGBT community over the past few decades. This growth has exploded in just the last few years. "I think it's really timely and the perfect evolution of the gay movement," Bernhard noted. "It's a natural thing, but it is an ongoing battle and we need to keep those in mind who have paved the way for us: feminists, black people, and others who have suffered oppression."

Bernhard was raised in a Jewish family and came of age (along with Reverend) in Scottsdale, Arizona. After graduating from high school, she lived on a kibbutz in Israel for a year. She then moved to Los Angeles and began to develop her stand-up comedy while making ends meet as a manicurist. Soon after, Bernhard became a regular performer at The Comedy Store and was cast on The Richard Pryor Show, which she describes as "a great learning experience." She presently ranks among Comedy Central's listing of the 100 greatest standups of all time.

"When I was really little, my inspirations were Carol Channing, Carol Burnett and Phyllis Diller," Bernhard shared. "My musical influences were Tina Turner, Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell. It's pretty obvious I've always been attracted to tough, ballsy women."

The comedian-turned-actress made a big splash with her first major film role in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy (1983). As Masha, a psychotic woman who stalks and ultimately kidnaps a talk show host played by Jerry Lewis, Bernhard inspired Oscar speculation and won the National Society of Film Critics award that year for Best Supporting Actress. Other prominent movie turns followed including Casual Sex?, Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird and, my personal favorite, Hudson Hawk. She plays the megalomaniacal Minerva Mayflower in this campy, 1991 comedy-adventure.

Though the big-budget movie starring Bruce Willis in the title role became a notorious flop at the box office, Bernhard has no regrets. "It was a blast, to live in Europe for three months and just fool around, because they spent so much money on that movie. Also, Richard E. Grant, who played my husband, and I have remained very good friends since then."

Bernhard was also famously good friends -- and possibly more -- with Madonna for a time. During an appearance together on The David Letterman Show in the late 1980's, the women alluded to a romantic relationship between them and staged a sexy confrontation before the flummoxed Letterman. Bernhard also appeared in Madonna's documentary Truth or Dare but the pair later grew distant.

As one of the first actresses to portray an openly-lesbian recurring character on TV, Bernhard had a six-year run on the hit sitcom Roseanne. She also played herself on two renowned episodes of Will & Grace. She includes these among the highlights of her career to date, along with The King of Comedy and her one-woman show Without You I'm Nothing, With You I'm Not Much Better, which became a movie in 1990.

"For me, almost every time I get up to perform live, it's a major moment," Bernhard said. "To still feel that way after thirty years is a great feeling." Today, she is making the rounds with a new live show, working on a new book, and working with some producers to try to resurrect her 1992 late-night show Sandra After Dark, at least as a weekly show. Bernhard also continues to make frequent guest appearances on various TV series, including recent shots on Hot in Cleveland and the final episode of GCB.

"On a career level, just getting up every day and being creative is something I enjoy and am blessed to be able to do," Bernhard reflects. "On a personal level, spending important quality time with my daughter and spending time with my family and friends" is important to her at this stage of her life. Bernhard, who lives in New York but gets back to Southern California and Arizona regularly, has been partnered with her girlfriend for the past 13 years and their daughter, Cicely, will be starting high school this fall.

Before concluding, I asked Bernhard if there was anything she wanted to say specifically to the GLBT community of Southern California. "I think it's really important to stay mobilized and to stay clear about our goals, and to get marriage equality recognized at the federal level," she replied. "There shouldn't be any question about that."

To keep up with Bernhard, visit her website.

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend’s Interview: Batmania Rises

These final days leading up to the release of anticipated blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises have seen Internet speculation about the movie’s content reach a fever pitch. Does hulking villain Bane (Tom Hardy) kill Bruce Wayne, with co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt potentially assuming Batman’s cowl? Will Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow make a rumored cameo? Does Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman wear the black latex as well as predecessors Julie Newmar and Michelle Pfeiffer? Will Gotham City survive the terrorist attacks and urban warfare shown in the trailers?

A conversation I had last week with actress India Wadsworth shone very little light on the finished film, which she hadn’t yet seen. Wadsworth couldn’t even confirm who she plays in The Dark Knight Rises. While billed as “The Warlord’s Daughter,” some with more knowledge of the Batman comics and graphic novels than I have deduced that Wadsworth may actually be appearing as Talia Al Ghul and/or Talia’s mother. Talia is the pseudo-villainous daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul, the destructive mastermind played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins. Neeson is slated to make an appearance in the new sequel, with another actor listed as playing a younger Ra’s. Could “The Warlord” be Ra’s mysterious alias?

“I really didn’t find out what I was doing until the day of filming,” Wadsworth says. “I had little advance knowledge of my character and didn’t have much time to prepare.” She also claims that, to this day, she doesn’t know who “The Warlord” is. Still, Wadsworth was thrilled to be cast in what I referred to as one of the most highly anticipated movies of all time.

“Oh my God, that sounds so scary when you put it like that!” she responded. The British-born actress and model has had a number of roles on BBC shows and in independent films but The Dark Knight Rises represents her first major movie. “I auditioned in London but didn’t even know what movie I was auditioning for,” Wadsworth said. “When they called and offered me the movie, I was so excited and said ‘yes’ right away.”

What is known about this climactic entry in director/producer/co-writer Christopher Nolan’s ultra-serious take on the superhero is that the drug-fueled Bane, possibly under the direction of a higher authority, cuts Gotham City off from the world and launches a punishing assault on The Bat (returning Christian Bale). Other returning cast members include Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, who are joined by series newcomers Gordon-Levitt, Hathaway and Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.

Wadsworth did reveal — perhaps cryptically — that she worked closely with co-star Hardy during her four days on set. In one Batman comics storyline, Talia Al Ghul had a reluctant relationship with Bane at her father’s behest after things with Batman, Talia’s one-time lover and Ra’s initial intended successor, didn’t quite work out.

“I kind of don’t really know how my character and story fit in (to the final film),” Wadsworth shared, “so I’m excited to see the film when it comes out to see how it all turned out.” Of her experience on set, she enthused: “It was awesome! It was such a huge, massive set. There wasn’t any green screen so it was all right there. Christopher Nolan is such a genius.”

Given that The Dark Knight Rises is the 25-year old’s introduction to the cast of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, I asked Wadsworth whether she was very familiar with the iconic character beforehand. “Yes, definitely,” she replied. “I was a huge fan of The Dark Knight and found it inspiring. I’m also a huge fan of Tim Burton and his earlier Batman films."

Wadsworth is currently better known in the UK than in the US thanks to her appearances on BBC series, London Fashion Week runways and in various beauty campaigns. That may well change after this Friday, when The Dark Knight Rises is released worldwide. She was discovered by a model scout when she was 14 years old and has been noted as an “Afro-Asian head-turner.” Despite Wadsworth’s rapid success as a model and actress, furthering her education after high school was important to her. She went to the London School of Economics and studied social anthropology, a field which captured her interest because of her African and Chinese roots.

“I wouldn’t say my dream is to be a movie star but I love the craft of acting and modeling,” Wadsworth said. “I want to be a success and happy with what I do, whatever that ultimately is.” She is currently shooting an indie film, Counter-Clockwise, and trying to base herself in the Los Angeles area. No matter who or what she plays in Batman’s latest, secrecy-shrouded epic, I predict even bigger things for Wadsworth in the future.

Interview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.