Marathon of Justice

Tonight's marathon is about experiencing tragic loss, witnessing corruption unfold in the cities that the victims are surrounded by, and experiencing the thirst for justice and vengeance. Whether it's a man brought back to life due to the magic power of a crow, a blind lawyer from Hells kitchen searching for the kingpin, or a vigilante crime fighter who beats the villains to a bloody pulp in hopes of inspiring the city to change. Tonight is about the fight for JUSTICE. We have on our menu for this evening:

                The Crow 1994, Daredevil Directors Cut 2003, Batman 1989, Batman Returns 1992

Now this is a dark marathon about loss and vengeance. All four of these movies share the same theme but have different characters to share each experience with. The Crow has Brandon Lee returning from the dead a year later due to the hypnotic powers of a crow in a quest to seek revenge of the murder of him and is true love. Not only was this Brandon Lee's final film that gained him critical acclaim and cult status, he gave the film an additional level of emotion with his real life demise coinciding with his characters death in the movie. It is impossible to not find that character compelling or sympathetic. Brandon was born for this role and the movie shows it. The directors cut of Daredevil is a tragedy in the sense that it's a good movie that will probably not be seen by most filmgoer's because everyone is so accustomed to the shitty theatrical cut that came out in 2003, they feel no directors cut could make such a mess into a decent film. Well, they're wrong and the directors cut of Daredevil not only adds 30 minutes back into the film, but slaps it with an R rating. The end result is a far more compelling film that is a perfect prelude into the Dark Knight saga. If this version of the movie came out in theaters, Ben Affleck's casting as Batman would've probably gone a lot smoother with die hard fans. Here, he plays a demonized blind lawyer who seeks justice for his fathers death but also fights for his true love Elektra, played by real life wife Jennifer Garner. The final two films are Tim Burton's and Michael Keaton's sensational takes on the character of Batman, which still hold up to this day and has inspired epic debates on whether Tim Burton or Christopher Nolan captured the essence of the dark knight better. The 1989 Batman movie co stars Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale, and Robert Wuhl as wisecrack side character Alexander Knox. The true hero of this film is Michael Keaton, who defied the odds that the comedian who played in Night Shift and Mr. Mom couldn't pull off such an iconic dark character. Not only does he pull it off in such grand fashion, but he proves himself to be the best Batman that ever graced the big screen. The face off between Batman and The Joker is legendary, and took a full 19 years before it could be exceeded or topped with The Dark Knight. In this movie, Bruce Wayne fights crime because he witnessed his parents being killed in an alley by a madman who he ends up becoming his greatest enemy in the film and comic book universe. Everything about the first Batman reeks of greatness. From the memorable acting to the Oscar Winning art-set decoration of Gotham, to the iconic batsuit and batmobile. Burton may not have done as good of a job with the side characters like Christopher Nolan did with The Dark Knight sage, but he does a great job with the main character and the imagery if Gotham. Both interpretations of Batman are fantastic, and should both be appreciated instead of one being criticized in favor of the other. The final movie, Batman Returns brings the themes of loss, corruption, and vengeance all together for a grand finale. Batman not only must deal with The Penquin in this one, but face off against someone who represents himself or could be called his other half. Her name is Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. Michelle Pfeifer is brilliant in this role, and represents the best Catwoman ever put on film. She hasn't been equaled or matched since but Anne Hathaway's version in The Dark Knight Rises comes close. Batman Returns is a great sequel on the level of Superman ll, in which the story is continued from the first movie but also expands. In Batman Returns, you really care about the characters of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, you care about their love story, their rift, and feel the loss at the end. Much like The Crow's loss of his wife, or Matt Murdock's loss of Elektra, you really feel the loss of an amazing but dysfunctional love story. There is no other way to end this evening than with an emotional finale like the one Batman Returns presents. This marathon is a meaningful one.