Geeky Daddy’s Top Ten (And Bottom 5) Choices To Win The Hollywood’s ‘Battle For The Cowl’ To Play Batman

4 Dec 20174 Dec 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

With the news that Ben Affleck will no longer donning the Cowl as Batman for any future films, fans everywhere are clamoring for any information on who will win the Hollywood Battle For The Cowl!

Word is director Matt Reeves already has his favorite choice in mind: Jake Gyllenhaal.

Gyllenhaal is an interesting choice and probably more likely to receive some serious consideration this time around than he did previously. He was in the running for Batman Begins, which he lost to Christian Bale and his raspy voice, but now has the successes of End of Watch and Nightcrawler padding his resume.

Rumor mill has it that Warner Brothers is exploring the idea of having a series of stand alone Batman movies as opposed to one long, continuous story arc spanning multiple movies. This could help open up more casting possibilities who otherwise wouldn’t want to be attached to a long-term, multi-film contract.

Stand alone movies also opens the possibility for multiple genres of Batman films: A horror film stalking the Scarecrow, a detective movie matching wits against the Riddler, an action film vs. Killer Croc (preferably not the one from Suicide Squad), a comedy with Clayface and so on.

Here are Geeky Daddy’s Top Ten Bruce Wayne/Batman casting ideas:

TOP TEN Batmen

Tom Ellis

The first “Tom” on our list is already playing a character from the DC Universe, Lucifer, on the Fox television series (not so ironically called) Lucifer! Tom Ellis plays the fallen angel with a charisma that could easily transfer into Gotham city’s favorite billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

Tom Hiddleston

Obviously this is extremely unlikely to happen since Tom Hiddleston currently has a multi-film deal with Marvel. Hiddleston has literally stolen every scene he has appeared in throughout his Marvel career as Thor’s brother Loki, the Norse God of Mischief.

After appearing in the entertaining made for television mini-series The Night Manager, Hiddleston is now a serious consideration to sign another multi-film franchise deal as the new James Bond.

I don’t think any actor can handle three franchise deals at the same time, except of course Dwayne Johnson.

Brett Dalton

Known mostly for playing the (overly played out) role of Grant Ward on ABC’s Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Brett Dalton has the super hero look and chin to fill out the Dark Knight’s cowl.

Luke Evans

Known for many roles such as Jason Statham’s little brother Owen Shaw in the Fast & The Furious franchise, Bard in the Hobbit movies and as Gaston in 2017’s Beauty & The Beast movie, Luke Evans has one of the most important traits necessary to pull off a truly convincing Batman: a cool voice! It is raspy without the over the top gravelly Vin Diesel impersonation Christian Bale attempted.

Justin Gordon Levitt

Last we saw Christopher Nolan casting staple Justin Gordon Levitt in the Batman-verse was when he inherited the Batcave from the believed-to-be deceased Bruce Wayne at the end of The Dark Night Rises. While I would love to see something done with Levitt in the Batman role, I wonder if audiences would find it to confusing seeing him cast as Bruce Wayne.

Jensen Ackles

Jensen Ackles has cultivated an incredible following since staring in the CW program Supernatural, which is currently in its 13th season! He is also somewhat familiar with the Batman world having provided the voice for Jason Todd in my favorite animated super-hero movie of all time – Batman: Under The Red Hood.

Casting Ackles could be a great way for Warner Brothers to sell some Batman tickets to the female market ages 18-40.

Matt Bomer

Who else was a fan of USA Network’s White Collar? I thought that show was very well written and casted. My wife was a huge fan of Matt Bomer on White Collar as well. This picture pretty much sums up why. She could watch his scenes with the TV on mute and enjoyed them just as much.

Ryan Gosling

Speaking of men my wife likes more than me, star of Blade Runner Runner 2049 and women’s favorite memes all over Facebook, Ryan Gosling would also have the physique, presence and acting chops to pull off billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

Karl Urban

More of an unconventional choice, Karl Urban personifies how I picture the aged, reclusive and disgruntled Batman of Frank Millers Return Of The Dark Knight comic mini-series. Closer to the age of 50 with a male version of ‘resting bitch face’, Urban has that ‘I hate everybody” presence about him and could easily be seen threatening those damn kids at the front of Wayne Manor to get off his lawn!

Nathan Fillion

Ten years ago or shortly off his stint as Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly, Nathan Fillion probably would have been my first choice as the world’s greatest detective. Fillion showed a diverse range of emotion as an actor on Firefly and Castle and could successfully take Bruce Wayne in a comedic, action or dramatic direction.

It would have been cool to see him cast opposite fellow Firefly veteran Alan Tudyk as a goofy villain such as Mad Hatter, Joker or Ventriloquist.

Manu Bennett

Again, probably ten years too late, CW’s Deathstroke, Manu Bennett, could pull off an interesting aged and embittered Batman.

Bottom Five You Wouldn’t Want to See As Batman

SETH MACFARLANE

As Batman, this would be taking the caped crusader just too far down the comedic route for me. And who would the villain be? A resurrected Caesar Romero Joker?

joker cesar — The painted over mustache was always the best.

However, in a supporting role, Seth MacFarlane could be a fun choice. Perhaps Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend and later adversary Dr. Thomas Elliot / Hush or fellow billionaire hero Ted Kord / Blue Beetle.

Side Note: Anybody else think The Orville is rather hit or miss? Some episodes are funny and thought provoking but others seem like poorly written Star Trek: The Next Generation fan fiction.

JIM PARSONS

It would be interesting to see Jim Parsons outside of his hit television series Big Bang Theory but I just can’t see him patrolling crime alley. I could, however, see him as one of the deranged patients inside Arkam Asylum.

His experience portraying Dr. Sheldon Cooper’s obsessive compulsive disorder and eidetic memory could be put to use as an unbalanced Mad Hatter or Riddler.

ROWAN ATKINSON

Mr. Bean would undoubtably make the world’s worst Dark Knight of all time. I can already picture him attempting to subdue a perp with his Batarang and just nailing himself in the crotch.

If Warner Brothers does decide to lighten up the Batman universe however, Rowan Atkinson could pull off a very convincing Alfred Pennyworth.

DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON (AKA Franchise Viagra)

I am not sure if it is California law that any film project with a budget north of $100 million needs to have Dwayne Johnson‘s name attached to it, but it seems like they all do.

If ‘The Rock’ wants to expand his acting horizons and take on a villain role ( a la Arnold schwarzenegger in Terminator) I think he would make an awesome Killer Croc!

KEVIN SMITH

I am okay with Kevin Smith writing the script for a new Batman film, but that would be about it.

Batman Day At Build-A-Bear Features New Harley Quinn, Joker And Others

22 Sep 201722 Sep 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

My wallet is fortunate enough that Lil’ G-Man is still to young for this, but those days are ending soon…

Tomorrow (Saturday 23rd) is Batman Day and Build-A-Bear is joining in the fun with new characters from DC Comics. Included are a online exclusive Harley Quinn (celebrating her 25th anniversary) and Joker bears, as well as sneak peaks at the new Justice League characters that will be released mid October to coincide with the movie.

Harley Quinn Bear — The classic Harley Quinn, not the Margot Robbie one

Joker Bear — Want me to make a pencil disappear?

Currently, Build-A-Bear has Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman costumes available for your bears, but these will be complete kits.

The Top Teethers for Your Baby Geek

27 Jun 2017 geekymommieLeave a comment

Lil’ G-Man still has no teeth, but he drools like Niagara and loves to put just about anything and everything in his mouth. Watch your fingers around this little guy! So we decided to save our knuckles and stock up on some epic teethers. Here are our top choices for geeky teethers.

Bumkins – DC Comics Silicon Teether Combo Pack – Superman & Batman

Why have one superhero teether when you can have two? Bumkins really nails it with their superhero line-ups and the silicone makes it really easy to clean. For little girl geeks (or boys who think she’s awesome), they also have Wonder Woman, but not part of a set. Lil’ G has Batman because we purchased before we knew we could get in a two-pack.

Bumkins Nintendo Silicone Teether, Game Boy

Did I mention how much I love Bumkins and how I think they’re super cool? They also show their geek love toward retro gaming with the Game Boy teether. You can also get a Nintendo NES remote, but the Game Boy is just too amazing not to get. And if Lil’ G ever gets interested in Game Boy, we still have a fully functioning system in black & white and everything!

Little Toader Teething Toys, Baconease Appe-Teethers

Mmm…bacon. Not sure exactly how it happened but bacon has somehow made its place in geeky culture (much like the beloved Mountain Dew). This bacon-shaped teether is sure to get you plenty of looks when out in public. And love the name – Baconease, not to get confused with the condiment Baconnaise. (which is awesome)

MyBoo Autism/Sensory/Teething Chewable Dragon Pendant – Green

While not quite as intimidating as Dany’s Drogon, all fantasy geeks need to have their own dragon chew toy. This dragon comes in a pendant format (with a safe, breakaway clash) so mommy or daddy can also look stylish. Ok, so maybe not stylish, but it’s better than a lot of teething necklaces on the market!

Fresh Baby So Easy First Teether, Green

So while this teether isn’t technically a sword – it’s a SWORD! It has little nubbies on the top to soothe gums and feel like a baby toothbrush, and a guard so that your baby isn’t the next greatest sword swallower.

Sugarbooger Silicone Teether, Retro Robot, 2 Count

So not exactly sure what a sugar booger is, or if I’d ever care to know (seriously – who approved that name for a company?), but these retro robots are pretty adorable. They feel very Mystery Science Theater 3000 to me, or even a little bit of Jetsons action. Just don’t think about boogers when you baby chews on these!

As always, please support the Geeky Daddy Family by supporting our affiliates such as Amazon.com and ThinkGeek.com. Thank you.

Top Five Cult Movie Soundtracks of the 80’s

12 May 201720 May 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

I was re-watching Flash Gordon the other day and was enjoying the audible odyssey that is Queen’s work on the soundtrack, and it got me thinking about other great cult movie soundtracks of the 80’s.

So I compiled this list of the Top 5 Best Cult Movie Soundtracks Of The 1980’s.

(Criteria for the list: I excluded mainstream commercially successful movies such as Rocky or Top Gun. While excellent flicks and soundtracks, they do not classify as “cult following” type movies to me, and hey, it is my list…)

5. Heavy Metal

The best analogy for the experience that was 1981’s adult sci-fi/fantasy animated insanity would be to imagine spending a long weekend on a bad acid trip with Gary Busey in an old Vegas strip club. Only crazier.

The movie, like the magazine it was based off of, was a collection of short stories that combined for an orgy of violence, nudity and sexuality. Not Sidekick friendly at all!

But we are here to talk about the soundtrack, which was pretty darn good, and had lots of legal issues. Major musical heavyweights of the time, such as Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick and Journey, were all featured on the soundtrack. Black Sabbath and Devo also had music used in the movie, but due to legal issues were not featured on the soundtrack until 1992. That was when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle creator Kevin Eastman purchased the Heavy Metal publication and settled the legal issues.

4. Transformers (1986)

I still get chills whenever I see Optimus Prime arrive at Autobot City saving the day to the tune of Stan Bush’s “The Touch”.

Or the level of despair when Optimus Prime died, which is too traumatic for me to post a video of…

Okay, now I need a minute to re-compose myself…

Okay, I’m back. The Transformers soundtrack offered a terrific mix of Stan Bush’s inspirational songs “The Touch” and “Dare” with some heavy rock by N.R.G. and Spectre General. Well…it seemed like “heavy rock” to a 9-year-old at least. And screams 80’s more than synthesized Vince DiCola Keyboards, whose work (with Frank Stallone) was also featured in Staying Alive and Rocky IV!

There is nobody I would trust more to create an 80’s montage soundtrack of me training to fight a Russian boxer than Vince DiCola!

Side Note: How much cooler was Optimus Prime than Rodamus Prime? Prime was the great self-sacrificing warrior leader while Rodamus was a precursor to the whining millennial. Maybe that will be the topic for a future article…

The Transformers soundtrack did get a 20th anniversary re-release in 2007 with 3 new tracks by Vince DiCola and a reboot of the Transformer’s theme with Stan Bush.

transformers re-release — Prime still has “the touch”

3. UHF

The movie UHF was co-written by “Weird Al” Yankovic and his manager Jay Levey and is more of a montage of hilarious bits than an actual 2 hour movie with a…oh what’s the word for it…oh yeah, a plot.

The best parts of the movie, other than the soundtrack, were the early performances by Fran Drescher (pre The Nanny) and Michael Richards (pre Kramer and racist rant).

The soundtrack featured a collection of song parodies from artists such as Tone Loc, Dire Straits and R.E.M as well as UHF commercials such as Conan: The Librarian, Spatula City & Ghandi II.

The album was one of Yankovic’s few releases to not reach gold or platinum status, but this is my list with my choices…so there.

2. Batman (1989)

The Batman movie and soundtrack were both huge commercial and critical successes in the movie blockbuster summer of 1989. (While it’s not exactly a cult-classic, it’s geeky and thus made the list!) When Warner Bros brought Prince on to quarterback the soundtrack for Batman (with Tim Burton musical staple Danny Elfman), the idea was to use mostly existing Prince material and to have Prince perform the funk music and Michael Jackson performing the ballads.

But as with most things in regards to the 1989 Batman release (i.e. Bill Murray as Bruce Wayne), things changed quickly. In the course of just six weeks, Prince recorded the entire album of new music including unique hits such as Batdance.

Clips like this make you wonder how different the movie would have been if the studio had gone with their original casting ideas for the Joker, such as David Bowie and Tim Curry.

At one point, Robin Williams was actually signed on to play the Joker, but it turned out Warner Bros was just using him for negotiation leverage with Jack Nicholson. Warner Bros offered Williams the role of the Riddler for the sequel but at that point there was too much bad blood between Williams and the studio.

Many of the tracks, such as the Future and Batdance, featured spoken dialogue by Michael Keaton or other actors, which made for all kinds of legal rights issues. This is why the Batman music is not featured on other Prince albums.

Instrumentals were all written and composed by the talented Danny Elfman.

1. Flash Gordon

The Flash Gordon soundtrack was the second movie album produced Queen, the other being Highlander. Queen’s unique theatrical style is part of what makes this movie’s feel so unique.

Per queenonline.com, Brian May, Queen’s guitarist and lead song writer, explained: “We saw 20 minutes of the finished film and thought it very good and over the top. We wanted to do something that was a real soundtrack. It’s a first in many ways, because a rock group has not done this type of thing before, or else it’s been toned down and they’ve been asked to write mushy background music. Whereas we were given the licence to do what we liked, as long as it complimented the picture.”

The Flash Theme was actually one of only 2 songs on the soundtrack to feature Mercury vocals, but nobody can think of the film without hearing Freddy Mercury singing his iconic “Flash! Ahhh!”

Honorable Mention: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

I left this one off the list simply because the album is really just one track, but a good one.

And who rocked the 80’s view of post-apocalyptic fashion better than Tina Turner?

What are your thoughts on my list?

Anything else you’d add to this list? Would you change the order? Did I not give Tina the credit she deserves?

Comment below.

amazon music — Amazon Music Trials Available!

New Aquaman Footage Released By Zack Snyder

4 Mar 201719 May 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

Justice League director Zack Snyder released some brief footage on Vero yesterday of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman swimming underwater.

In the video, Aquaman appears to be swimming towards either Poseidon or possibly Ocean Master. Either way, the special effects look pretty cool.

Snyder does not specify if this particular shot is from the Justice League movie he is directing (which has a release date of November 17th, 2017) or the upcoming Aquaman movie that, as I mentioned previously, will be directed by The Conjuring and Furious 7’s James Wan. Aquaman has a scheduled release date of October 5th, 2018.

Warner Bros does plan on releasing solo movies for all their Justice League members over the next few years as they continue to build popularity for their non-Trinity (Batman, Superman & Wonder Woman) DC Comics properties.

justice-league-first-image — They all look so serious…

Per IMDb.com, here is the synopsis of the Justice League movie:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash-it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

In Justice League, beyond Jason Momoa as Aquaman, we will see Ben Affleck return as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko.

aquaman-action-figure — Aquaman Action Figure Available On Amazon.com

Geeky Daddy Movie Review Of Lego Batman

16 Feb 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

As always, I will do my best not to reveal any major spoilers, but be warned, specifics of the movie ahead……

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

We saw Lego Batman 3-D in standard seats (non DBox) on Valentine’s Day. This was one of the first movies I have seen with my wife since Grayson was born. It was great having a movie date night with a non pregnant wife again…especially because pregnant women need to get up to pee about every 20 minutes. By the way, how spoiled am I that I have a wife who suggested to me “Hey, how about we see Lego Batman on Valentine’s Day?”

In Lego Batman, Will Arnett returns to voice Batman/Bruce Wayne (That’s right, Bruce Wayne is Batman….I warned you about spoilers!) as he did for the initial Lego Movie. This time around, Batman must save Gotham City from the Joker’s evil plot while also learning how to be part of a family again….ahhhhh.

The casting of this movie was very well done. Will Arnett, Michael Cera (Robin), Rosario Dawson (Barbara Gordon) and Ralph Fiennes (Alfred) were the focus of the story and all put in very solid performances against an armada of villains.

And when I saw an armada of villains, I mean it. Maybe too many. The writers did a good job of working in the A-list villains (Joker, Bane, Riddler) all the way to the D-Listers (King Tut and Condiment King) with humor. They even branched out to recruit villains from other Warner Bros properties including Voldemort and Sauron. It was funny, but the number of characters was also a little distracting. (Gotta say though, I would love to have seen a little General Zod)

There were quite a few witty references to all the previous Batman movies, acknowledging everyone from Adam West through Christian Bale. These were done in quick creative ways that did not distract from the storytelling of the movie. Lego Batman also did do a decent job of trying to incorporate the adult theme of Batman having a symbiotic relationship with his villains.

The animation was well done and there was plenty of fast paced humor to keep the adults engaged, but I did find myself getting a little bored mid way through the movie. The sarcasm was funny, but at times seemed to get tiresome and a little too forced.

Favorite line in the movie:

Grayson: “My name is Richard Grayson but my friends call me Dick.”

Wayne: “Well, kids can be cruel.”

In the end, Lego Batman is an enjoyable time and worth a trip to the theater. Especially if you are a fan of “Easter Eggs” or familiar with some of the campier villains from the comics or 60’s TV show.

Overall I would give Lego Batman a 4 out of 5 (or Babysitter Worthy) and a Green on the Geeky Daddy Sidekick scale. I was leaning more towards a 3.5, but the fact that you can take the kids and not have to pay for a babysitter helped push the movie up another half point.

What did you think of the movie? Please comment and let me know.

I love feedback

img_20170214_132136028 — Lego Batman & myself. Can you tell which is which?

Geeky Daddy Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

12 Feb 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

Geeky romance differs from typical Hallmark romance.

Don’t do flowers. FLowers are a weird gift because they are guaranteed to die soon.

“Here I picked these from the ground. They are guaranteed to wither away and die soon. Like my love for you.”

Here are some better options:

1. Star War inspired “I love you” & “I know” pillow cases. Say “I love you” the way a scruffy looking nerf herder would. (Amazon Prime)

2. Batman inspired his and hers pillow cases. Nothing says “Let’s patrol the night” like matching Bat signals.

3. Jack Link’s Beef Jerky in a fur-lined heart shaped box. Because Geeks can still be tough, rugged and manly. (Amazon Prime)

4. Cup holder USB car charger. This is actually super cool and functional. Has 2 USB and 2 lighter sockets with adapters for iPhone 7/7plus, Galaxy S7 and GPS Dashboard cam. Sweetie, if you are reading this, I would gladly take this or the Jerky!

(Amazon Prime)

Kevin Smith Has An Interesting Idea About What To Do With The Batman Movies

7 Feb 20177 Feb 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

Kevin Smith thinks Warner Bros should take Batman the Star Wars route and have annual installments with different creative teams.

“Get on that schedule,” Smith said, “and throw him around to everybody! … Just make a bunch! Make that [kung fu] one, make a ridiculously expensive one, make one in space… make Justice League Dark. Every year, there needs to be a Batman movie.”

This is an interesting idea and more or less already being done successfully with the animated movies. There are plenty of villains, supporting characters and library of story arcs to play with. Warner Bros could easily be a decade in before stories get stale or bottom of the barrel villains need to be scraped up.

kevin-smith-thinks-batman-movies-should-go-star-wars-route — Source comicbook.com

You can check out the full episode of Fatman on Batman HERE.

Saturday Night Fun with Little G-Man!

2 Feb 20178 Feb 2017 geekydaddydaveLeave a comment

Grayson received this amazing Batmobile walker when he was born and is just about big enough since it has three different heights. The control panel is great with sounds and lights – the gear shift makes voom-voom sounds. But, we had to play our own music in the background. Sorry, but they only make this child sized!

baby-grayson-named-after-robin-nightwing-gets-his-first-batmobile-youtube — Click Here to view video on YouTube

If you’d like your own Batmobile (or a pink Batgirl Mobile), you can find it on Amazon.

Ben Affleck Steps Down as Director of “The Batman”

2 Feb 20177 Feb 2017 geekydaddydave2 Comments

Well this is disappointing.

Source: Warner Bros

This rumor has been circulating for a little while now and Affleck has now confirmed it with an official release.

Per Affleck’s official release: “There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions. Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world.”

Ben Affleck is a very talented director with accomplishments such as “The Town” and “Argo” under his utility belt (see what I did there) and I was looking forward to seeing what he could do in the superhero genre.

ben-affleck-batman-google-search — Source: Warner Bros

One thing to note is that the official release makes no specific mention of the screenwriting for “The Batman”. Since Affleck used the term “collaborate” it does seem possible that he will remain involved in the screenwriting. Geoff Johns has been co-writing the script with Affleck.

Forbes does list a few possible replacements for Affleck as director, although no list has been confirmed by Warner Bros.

“The Batman” is not the only recent DC Comics movie to lose a director. Wonder Woman lost it’s initial director and The Flash has gone through two.

Here are Geeky Daddy’s Top Ten Bruce Wayne/Batman casting ideas:

TOP TEN Batmen

Tom Ellis

Tom Hiddleston

Brett Dalton

Luke Evans

Justin Gordon Levitt

Jensen Ackles

Matt Bomer

Ryan Gosling

Karl Urban

Nathan Fillion

Manu Bennett

Bottom Five You Wouldn’t Want to See As Batman

SETH MACFARLANE

JIM PARSONS

ROWAN ATKINSON

DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON (AKA Franchise Viagra)

KEVIN SMITH

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5. Heavy Metal

4. Transformers (1986)

3. UHF

2. Batman (1989)

Honorable Mention: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

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Who are some directors you would like to see helm “The Batman”?

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