And here we go.....

Finally, some news about the 3rd (and final?) installment of the Christopher Nolan "Batman Trilogy" - The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR).

This post is way behind time. Initially, I had wanted to post this but I just didn't find the time to.

Now, I can't even remember which was the first piece of news about TDKR. But I believe, it was Tom Hardy as Bane. Then it was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle @ Catwoman.

Anne Hathaway - my oh my .....

I believe everyone would at least have an idea who Catwoman is.

So, what was the big deal with Bane?

IGN screencap

Well, for those who are not comic-geeks like me, Bane was the guy who.....

Yup - broke Batman's spine. And left Batman/Bruce Wayne crippled (for sometime) in the comics.

We've actually seen Bane once on the big screen in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin.

That movie is without a shadow of a doubt, THE MOST HATED Batman movie-ever. Some fan go as far as to even deny its existence.

Once again, the Marketing Team at Warner Bros. had some fancy ideas. Apparently, the official website was launched with nothing but a looping chant (I personally wouldn't have known what it said but it's kind of creepy). Some so-called genius(es) apparently decided robust some audio-software to listen to the audio file and found the following Twitter hashtag.

#TheFireRises

I'm not a tweeter and won't pretend to know what I'm talking about but accessing/following that hashtag adds the tweeter's profile picture to a large mosaic on the official site.

http://thedarkknightrises.warnerbros.com/

Ideally, the giant jigsaw puzzle would reveal the image over time, but someone managed to extract the final image and it was a photo of.....

Tom Hardy as Bane!

Yeah, that's right - Christopher Nolan is all about realism.

I won't deny that I'm super pumped (heh, geddit?) for this movie! Can't wait for 20th July 2012!

And then, the Hot Toys figures that come after ..... my oh my .....

The Dark Knight no more?

So, if you remember from my previous post, I was rambling on and on about how AWESOME The Dark Knight was. I guess there's nothing much left to say. Therefore, The Dark Knight posts will be kept to a bare minimum or almost near Zero.

Because moving forward, I'm going to talk about the AWESOMENESS which is The Dark Knight Rises!!!!!

Yeah, this final installment of the planned 3-movie "trilogy" (is this the right term used?) is scheduled for a 2012 release.

So this is what we know so far in terms of cast:

Returning:
- Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth
- Gary Oldman as Commisioner James Gordon
- Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox

New:
- Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman (although reports have mentioned "Anne Hathaway has been vast as Selina Kyle" not confirmed Catwoman will be on-screen, or does it? We shall see)
- Tom Hardy as Bane
- Joseph Gordon Levitt as Alberto Falcone

I think there was also talk of Talia al-Ghul being in the movie but I can't recall it off the top of my head now.

Following where" TDK" left off, Batman is now wanted man, as they wanted to protect the reputation of Harvey Dent before he turned into Two-Face caused by The Joker's manipulations. Both Harvey/Two-Face and Rachel Dawes are dead and Joker most probably locked up in prison/Arkham Asylum. There was no mention of what happened to Arkham after "Batman Begins".

The Wayne Manor should have been fully rebuilt with the Batcave, since it was burned down in "Batman Begins". The Tumbler @ Batmobile was destroyed by rocket launcher in "TDK" so Batman will probably get a new ride (and rumors mentions it would be the Batwing/aircraft).

Then of course, most probably a new suit as well.

So, what's there not to be excited about? Can't wait and I'm counting down the days, actually doing it a month at a time.

Other updates, caught "World Invasion: Battle LA" over the weekend starting Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent/Two-Face from "TDK") as Staff Sargeant Nentz from the USMC (US Marine Corp) whose team battles aliens (extra terrestrial).

The movie was enjoyable but I might have been expecting more. The alien designs were not very memorable and too mechanical (as they found that the alien weapons were surgically attached). They are nothing compared to the likes of aliens from movies like the "Aliens" or "Predator" series.

Also, the UFOs are a little too Transformer-ish, if there's such a word.

A warning if you plan to watch it - if you can't stand shaky cameras (like "The Blair Witch Project"), then this is not the movie for you.

Overall, a GOOD (but not GREAT) movie. I would give this a 3/5 star rating.

Do you wanna know.....how I got these scars? Hmm?

I was beginning to feel the effects of the extra hours and days I put in at work. Working straight since 25th August - 6th September 2008 was no joke. During my shift on Saturday, I felt the effects of a flu coming. I don't think I could've pushed myself any further. I needed my rest.

I was supposed to take Sunday off, to recuperate but there was much to do.

• Collect the Hot Toys Joker
• Get new power adapter for the DELL notebook
• Bank in cheque (Income tax returns. YEAH!)

I replaced someone and worked a normal shift on Saturday, and got today off, so it was kinda like a regular weekend.

Rey sent me a message to inform me that my Hot Toys Joker finally arrived on Wednesday afternoon. I told him I could only pick it up during the weekends. Most of the places had it the same time when they got their shipment of Batman. But, in the end, its the item in hand that matters.

The original plan was to stop by Shiok Toys to collect the Joker, then stop at the bank to deposit a cheque, then pick Weng and head down to Midvalley to check out the DELL store. However, I got delayed so I headed straight to Midvalley with Weng after collecting the Joker.

I spent abit more time than I intended to at Shiok Toys and I ended up placing a pre-order for the Hot Toys Hot Angels: She-Predator Machiko. I'm guessing this is going to sell out. And besides, its a unique piece.

VERY NICE

I hope I can afford all this shit! With everything spaced out to come out at intervals of a few months in between I "should" be fine. I just hope this doesn't come out the same time as the Hot Toys TDK Suit Batman.

A few months ago, I got a refurbished DELL power adapter for the laptop from Lowyat. The shop was owned by some Middle Eastern dude who had the whole family working at the store as well. I asked to test the first unit he brought me, and there was some weird shit going on with the mouse cursor after I plugged in the power adapter.

The cursor (using the keypad) was just flying all over the place. I've never seen such a thing, and neither had the owner. The 2nd unit (which I took) seemed fine, but it started acting up when I got home. It only works normally when I tried plugging in a USB mouse!

After that incident, I decided I was better off with an original DELL power adapter. Sure, it cost me RM 150 but it worked like a charm. No flying cursor, no issues. Hope this one lasts longer! I guess we just need to take proper care of it and everything should be fine.

We ended up at the Gardens parking and it was my first time there. It's just like any other mall I suppose. Stopped by at the LEGO shop and just had a quick browse through.

They had the LEGO Tumbler (for RM 350) but I thought since I'm getting the Hot Toys version, I don't need a LEGO Tumbler :p

Didn't stay at Gardens for long and we headed over to Midvalley as Weng had another appointment at 7:30 pm. By the time we arrived at Gardens, it was already after 3:00 pm. Without wasting any time, we headed straight to the IT corner and located the DELL shop.

Tested my adapter - it was good to go. Paid for it and I was told they would email me the receipt! Found that weird, but I did get it via email in the end.

Decided to walk around abit, went to Toys R Us, Jusco, checked out the LCD TVs on display there and at the SONY roadshow etc.

Stopped at Comics Mart after that and found "Batman: Dark Victory"! I've been trying to get that via "other means" but it was unsuccessful. Weng offered to pay RM 50 of it as my birthday present while I top up the balance. Thanks Weng!

Birthday present from Weng

It's been a long time since I last bought comics. But this is the sequel to the comic, "Batman: Long Halloween" in which some scenes from "The Dark Knight" is based on. I've read through the first chapter, and there are lines of dialogue in "Dark Victory" that seem to be in parts of "The Dark Knight" too.

There's a loyalty program at Comics Mart where they give you stamps on a card. One stamp for every RM 25 spent. When the card is full, its RM 35 off the next purchase. And they sell comics, t-shirts, board games, collectibles etc. Sounds interesting but I better watch it!

After that, we headed to MPH bookstore. And after months of looking, I finally found it.

Hard to believe but I have had trouble finding this book recently. I bought "The Da Vinci Code" when it got all that hype when it was released 1 or 2 years back. And that was the last book that I bought!

I've heard that "Angels And Demons" is a better story - the movie starring Tom Hanks (back as Robert Langdon) is in the works and I thought the novels will be reprinted in time with the movie's release, I thought I'd wait it out. Since there were 3 copies in good condition, I decided to grab one. I read "The Da Vinci Code" before watching the movie, and the movie was incomplete because so much had to be left out. I'm expecting the same for "Angels And Demons". We'll see.

So, dropped Weng back after that, headed to deposit my cheque, had dinner then came home.

Then, it was time to open up my new toy.

The front of the outer sleeve


The back of the outer sleeve


The front of the box


The back of the box


The contents

I've been reading forums where people were "repainting" the head because it didn't look like Heath Ledger. The makeup around the eyes were very subtle, hell, the black was hardly there!

Fresh out of the box

I thought I'd try a repaint myself. But I'm not a painter. So I thought "why don't I try something else". I found a M.A.C eyeliner pencil at work the other day. Someone must've dropped it but I kept it. At least now, I have a use for it!

Initially, I was thinking of crayons or oil pastels. But those might be permanent, I think makeup can be removed with water..... or makeup remover if needed.

For Attempt # 1, I coloured the black around the eyes but was told it looked "too cartoony" and "looks like a panda".....

Attempt # 1 - was told it looked too cartoony, looks like a panda


Attempt # 2 - Smeared up the black around the eyes abit giving it a more "messy" look

Yes, its the first time I'm deliberately "damaging" my toy, and a RM 450 toy at that! But I think it looks better now! What do you think? =)

Here's some other shots with Hot Toys Batman (before I modified the paint for the 2nd time):

You wanna know, how I got these scars? Hmm.....?


You ..... complete me!


An unstoppable force and an immovable object

Know your limits, Master Wayne.....

Batman.....has.....no limits

I just had to :p

But, in all seriousness, I found myself being pushed to my limits. 31st August 2008 marks Malaysia's 51st year of Independence and Freedom. 31st August 2008 also marks the date that I lose my freedom. I had to work on both Saturday, 30th Aug AND Sunday 31st August.

It looks like a 6-day working week will be the norm if I want to get my stuff finished. I found extra hours ie. going early, leaving late isn't really as productive. We'll see what happens as I start the 6:00 pm - 3:00 am shift today.

The bus had to stop at Summit to pickup more people, and it arrived a few minutes early. The driver got off for a smoke, and I got off to take some photos - they were having a VW Car Show there.

The focus on the yellow Beetles were intentional, it was Bumblebee from the 80's Transformers cartoon series.

It was mainly the Beetles displayed there but there were also the VW vans. The name eludes me now, but I always have the word "hippie van" stuck in my mind when I think of these.

I don't know why, but I had the urge to get a couple of Rocky snacks while doing my work yesterday.

It's been awhile since I had these, chocolate coated biscuit/pretzel sticks. I'm a sucker for anything chocolate - like the Cornetto Royale Black Forest ice cream cone from WALLS.

Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a jam center with chocolate bits on the top.

Caught the 5:15 pm bus that leaves the office. And since I didn't have proper lunch, decided to get something to eat. I had this urge to have Lagsane at Dave's Deli.

It's been so long since I've been to Dave's Deli, months, probably even a year or more! The layout and concept at the 1Utama branch has been changed. They used to have pretty dim, lighting giving the place a cozy feel. I don't know if there are other branches remaining but 1Utama is the only place I've seen Dave's Deli as far as I can remember.

They've seemed to have added on a lot more dishes to their menu. A lot more than what they used to offer. I saw this sign on the wall, and it was very striking.

I went for the Lagsane and Strawberry Lassi. They don't have the Orange Lassi that I used to order but they've got a few other flavours which I didn't feel like ordering.

The Lassi now comes in a much taller glass and I think the price is still the same, RM 6.50. They used to serve these in their paper cups which was the size of Medium Sized McD's cup. Now, they blend the ice, when in the past, they just popped about 4 - 5 ice cubes into the cup.

Dave's Deli has a 100% Satisfaction Gurantee policy. If you're unsatisfied with any of the meals, you can return it for a full refund (I think that's what the sign said but I can't remember now). The catch is, it has to be 3/4 left on the plate for the refund.

The verdict, the Lassi tasted very strongly of the puree they used. Kinda like the topping they use for the McD Strawberry Sundae. The Lagsane, tastes different from what it used to. Not saying that its bad, but I think it used to taste better. Or maybe it was my tastebuds that were stressed out from all that extra work over the weekend.

I finished everything, so I didn't make use of the refund. Besides, would "doesn't taste the same as last time" be a valid reason?

I've already put in my pre-order for the Joker v2 @ Bank Robber Joker. Looks bloody good.

It's due to be released in December 2008, but Rey seems to get his stuff a little later than the other stores like XL Shop. I don't mind waiting as long as Rey gives me freebies or a good price which he does most of the time.

I really thought I was looking at stills from the movie when I first saw the scans.

Yulli has done some impressive work. Who's Yulli?

Yulli (seated on far right)

She's a cutie too. I think they said she's Korean. She has a blog, but I can't read a word of it. Lots of nice photos of her sculpts and work though.

Those are real skills!

An excerpt of "The Dark Knight" news:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Batman's rich alter-ego Bruce Wayne has added half a billion dollars to his riches. "The Dark Knight" on Sunday became the second movie in Hollywood history to top $500 million at the domestic box office, raising its total to $502.4 million, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros.

The film hit that mark in just over six weeks, half the time it took "Titanic," which reached $500 million in a little more than three months. "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster, remains No. 1 on the domestic charts with $600.8 million.

Despite its brisk pace, "The Dark Knight" is not expected to approach the total for "Titanic," which put up smaller numbers week after week but lingered at the top of the box office for months.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects "The Dark Knight" to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million if business persists as strongly as it has.

Source: Yahoo! News

I want "The Dark Knight" on Blu-Ray!