Hopeless Is Hot in Hollywood

Times looks at how Batman has evolved from first flick in 1940s

(NEWSER) - With The Dark Knight set to open in the US at midnight Thursday, Batman will see another reinvention in the series of makeovers that accompanied the character to the silver screen beginning in 1943. The Times of London takes a look:

• Low-budget Batman (1943) and Batman and Robin (1949) lacked flair and special effects.
• Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) came complete with supervillains such as the Joker and Catwoman.

Non-Americans are dominating as increasing revenue comes from overseas

(NEWSER) - For a Hollywood award, Oscar wasn't too fond of Tinseltown last night. The Academy Awards were dominated by a crew of crack European actors—and a pair of maverick brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen, operating far from the Hollywood mainstream. It was a record year for the number of Oscars given to people outside Hollywood, with all four winning actors hailing from Europe, writes the Los Angeles Times. More»

Political thriller opens in first on slow Oscar weekend

(NEWSER) - Vantage Point took top spot at this weekend's box office by nearly doubling the yield of number-two pic Jumper, Variety reports. The Dennis Quaid political thriller banked $24 million to Jumper''s $12.7 million and number-three The Spiderwick Chronicles' $12.6 million, both in their second week. Disney’s Step Up 2 the Streets placed fourth with $9.8 million and Fool’s Gold made fifth with $6.3 million. More»

Step closer to Oscar at BAFTA

(NEWSER) - In what many see as a prologue to the Oscars, Atonement was named best film at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards yesterday, and Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor award for his power performance in There Will Be Blood, reports Variety. In a surprise win French actress Marion Cotillard and her portrayal of chanteuse Edith Piaf beat out Julie Christie for the best actress award. More»

Ledger's death forces Warner Bros. to reconsider viral campaign

(NEWSER) - Heath Ledger’s untimely death is a major problem for Batman—or, more accurately, his marketing people. Warner Bros. has built an entire advertising campaign for the upcoming Dark Knight installment around Ledger’s Joker performance, a tactic that’s now fairly awkward, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fans have spent months deciphering clues to find pictures of the creepy, makeup-caked visage of the now-dead actor. More»