Several years ago I wrote an article about anticipation. If
I recall, the main reason I wrote it was because “The Dark Knight” was about to be released,
and I was almost frothing at the mouth as I eagerly awaited it’s release. I
wondered if it could possibly live up to the almost unrealistic expectations
that I had- and fortunately, for the most part, it did. And now, I once again
stand at the precipice of revving up expectations to the point of madness, and
wondering if certain projects can possibly live up to what I hope they can be.
You would
think I would have learned by now. How many times in my life have I built
myself up for something, only to come crashing down under the weight of
unrealistic expectations? (I’m talking
to you, Star Wars Prequels.) Here’s what I am getting jazzed about, and I hope
that some, if not all of these projects live up to the lofty expectations I
have!!
1.
Star
Wars Episode 7- The Force Awakens: We’re just a month away from the long
awaited sequel to arguably the greatest trilogy of all time. Few movies have
impacted my life, and dare I say pop culture, as much as the Star Wars films.
Now I’m not here to debate which is greater- Star Wars or Star Trek. I loved
both as a child. I have a great admiration for Star Trek- I just love Star Wars
more. It is by no means a knock on my fellow Trekkies. I think they are two
different animals which can both be enjoyed, celebrating their differences.
(Don’t bash me, Alex!!) George Lucas created a universe which totally
enraptured me, and I’ve never been able to escape from it, even at the ripe old
age of ##.
I recall the excitement I felt at 9, 12, and 15 when each of the
first films was released. And that old excitement is starting to bubble up
again. I have to admit- when this project was first announced, I was highly
skeptical. And I told myself that I was not going to get too excited, because I
would just be let down again. But slowly over the last few years, my attitude
has changed. I think what started it for me was when they revealed that the
actors from the OT (Original Trilogy) were returning. Suddenly, the bad taste
of prequels and Jar Jar Binks was being washed away. Then the trailers started
coming out. X-Wings. Tie fighters. And ultimately- HAN AND CHEWIE!!!! I lost my
mind a little when I saw them reunited on screen for the first time in over 30
years. And just like that, I had thrown caution to the wind. I am now full
blown crazy for this movie- and I’m not ashamed to admit it. All of my action-figure-death-star-comic-book-owning
childhood nerdiness has returned, and I am embracing my 9 year old nerd self. December
17th can’t get here soon enough. May the Force be With You. Always.
2.
Batman
v. Superman: Dawn of Justice: When I was in the second grade, I became
friends with a boy named Perry McMahon. We quickly became BFF’s, and we spent a
lot of time at each other’s houses. Perry and I shared one big interest- comic
books. Up to that point, I was primarily reading Archie and Richie Rich. But Perry
introduced me to a whole other world of comics- superheroes. Now I knew of
superheroes- I watched “Batman” on TV, and also the Superfriends on Saturday
mornings. Perry had stacks and stacks of comics- I was in awe. So I began
collecting as well, and I was mainly drawn to Batman. I loved the idea that he
was just a normal dude who was really smart, really strong, and really rich. I
loved his Rogues Gallery- who can beat the Joker as a villain? So I was pulled
towards the DC side- Justice League, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, etc. Don’t
get me wrong; I’ve enjoyed Marvel comics as well- Spiderman, Avengers, and
X-Men to name a few. But I was always a “DC” guy first. In 1978 I went to the
theatre to see a movie, and as the tagline for the film proclaimed, I did
indeed believe a man could fly.
The movie was “Superman”, and Christopher Reeve
was perfect. They made a few more, and I kept thinking “Why won’t they make a
Batman movie??” Finally in 1989 my dream came true- Tim Burton’s “Batman” came
out, and I was in heaven. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it. It wasn’t the
campy Batman that I watched as a kid- this was a dark, emotionally scarred
Batman (plus my favorite actor, Jack Nicholson, was the Joker. Heaven).
For
decades I dreamed of the two of them uniting on screen. Marvel finally got it
right- they created their film universe, and made the first Avengers movie. I
quite enjoyed it, but I kept thinking- SURELY now they can make a Justice
League film. And finally, a few years ago, they made the announcement that I
had been waiting on for decades- Batman and Superman would be in a movie
together! And also Wonder Woman! And this will lead directly to the Justice
League! Finally!!
As soon as it was announced, the naysayers were trying to
poo-poo my enthusiasm. The film is being directed by Zach Snyder, who directed
“Man of Steel”. I thought “Man of Steel” was really good, but lots of fanboys
bashed it. I like the vision that Snyder is creating for the DC universe. It’s
different from Marvel’s, and I think it needs to be. The other big controversy
was the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman. I have no problem with that. If you
look at Ben’s body of work over the last decade, he has really matured as an
actor and director. I can’t wait to see him as an older, more grizzled version
of the Dark Knight. The movie comes out in March 2016, and I want to buy my
tickets now.
3.
Twin
Peaks- I’ve already devoted an
entire blog to this one, so I will be brief. They are currently filming the
revival, and it is shrouded with secrecy. Many of the original cast members are
returning- even the ones who died on the show?? And sadly, the Log Lady will
not be back because the actress died just before filming started.
And the actor
who played Sherriff Harry Truman declined to return. Why??? And, they announced
that it won’t air until 2017!!! But it is happening. And I. Can’t. Wait.
So what about you, boys and girls?? What’s on your radar?
Are you excited about anything coming up? I will remain cautiously optimistic
about these projects- and I will let you know if they live up to the Bartley
hype. I’m sure you will be anxiously anticipating my thoughts! Happy
Thanksgiving!!
