Batman creator Bill Finger cites 1926’s silent crime thriller “The Bat” as one of the primary inspirations for Batman. And it’s easy to see where he draws his influences from. The Bat in this film is actually a criminal and a master one who steals from the rich. Like Batman he has a bat beacon, he brands all of his calling cards with a bat shaped symbol, The Bat dresses up like a giant bat with a cape and all, and rather than a utility belt, he wields a utility bag where he stores his tricks and supplies including a bat shaped grappling hook. The similarities just don’t stop there. The Bat climbs tall buildings with his ropes and uses the rooftops as his stalking grounds, lurking in the darkness.
Yarasa adam – Bedmen (Turkish Batman & Robin) (1973)
For readers unaware, the Turkish film industry has a long and hilarious history of taking Hollywood films and remaking them sans copyrights and approval from creators. Cult film lovers know of Turkish films and their many knock offs but to see them for yourself is an experience. The Turkish film industry has created their own low budget versions of films like “Superman,” “Star Wars,” “The Exorcist,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “ET,” and of course “Batman.” These films can only be found by bootleg dealers and online sources as they’re so illegal and ripe with potential for lawsuits, the chances of seeing deluxe editions is laughable.
James Batman (1966)
It would be a rare treat if one of the many Batman rip-offs from one of the many foreign countries would actually get Batman right. I think my head would explode if I stumbled on to a Batman wannabe that channeled the tone of the Batman comic books. But, like every other Batman knock off, “James Batman” is a copyright infringing take off on the Adam West Batman series even including a variation of the iconic theme song. This version of Batman however is played as a buffoon by Filipino comedy star Dolphy who takes on the cape and cowl and makes Batman someone as immeasurably incompetent as Inspector Clouseau.
Batman: Ashes to Ashes (2009)
I guess this can be considered a fan film worth watching. Only if you’re willing to endure what it has to offer in the way of pathos and cruelty. “Batman: Ashes to Ashes” pretty much re-thinks the mythos of Batman while knocking off classic movies in the process. Directors Samuel Bodin and Julien Mokrani take from “A Clockwork Orange,” “Batman Returns,” and heavily relies on imagery reminiscent of “Sin City” to get its story moving, while characters like Harley Quinn are turned in to femme fatales with major villains playing only small parts.
Ted (2012)
For a purported comic genius his knuckle dragging fans claim he is, Seth McFarlane really does lob something of a soft ball in his cinematic debut. I can just imagine Seth one day playing with a teddy bear and giving it foul language in his Peter Griffin voice while laughing hysterically and snorting another line off his Asian hooker’s backside, thus leading to writing the script for “Ted.” McFarlane’s cinematic debut is nothing short of abysmal and infantile with the basis of the film centered on a talking live teddy bear with a foul mouth and serious sex addiction. His owner and friend is a man child whose own immaturity borders on mental retardation at times. But hey, “Family Guy” fans might just find this to be genius. Because talking inanimate objects is comedy gold apparently.
Our New Favorite Distraction: Gravity Falls
Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Linda Cardellini. You can’t not love “Gravity Falls” with a voice cast like that. Delivering a Halloween treat three months before my favorite holiday, “Gravity Falls” sets down upon two siblings who incidentally happen to be vacationing in Gravity Falls Oregon, a town filled with the supernatural and the paranormal that keeps them on their toes and constantly in peril. Imagine if agents Mulder and Scully were a young boy with an eye for the suspicious and a girl with a few screws loose and you basically have “Gravity Falls.” And is it any wonder that the theme song sounds like a lighter variation of the “X-Files” theme song?
Dirty Laundry (2012)
I love 2004’s iteration of “The Punisher” starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle also known as The Punisher. It’s a slow boiled crime thriller that eventually transforms in to a chaotic bloodbath with seemingly no limits on its cruelty. And it also has an admirable demented sense of humor. After 2004’s film, Thomas Jane dropped out of the role after a brouhaha with the studios and their direction toward the sequel that was apparently so bad and or radical that Jane just couldn’t abide by it. But since then many fans have argued that Thomas Jane’s performance of Frank Castle is the definitive cinematic performance of the character and his turn as Castle was admirable. It was layered, tragic, searing, bold, and genuine.