Man of steel answers insight commentary episode 36 Batman be Superman TV spots I will ask the obvious question start asking questions and answers welcome to Man of Steel answers insight commentary on your DC see you apologist Dr. awkward I cover a mosaic of topics for fans who love discussing the Man of Steel and the DC cinematic universe together will endeavor to answer the questions criticisms and controversies raised by Man of Steel and those eagerly anticipating the DCC you this episode I react to the first and second BDS TV spots I explained my policy on spoilers cover the marketing like to Lex Luther sponsored content and so much more this podcast dives deep into the DCC you to answer the critics and the confused the show is not meant to convert anybody but the celebrate the films that will lead us into the DC cinematic universe reasonable minds will differ but this is a show for fans who love the DC EU and who love to chew their food happy 2016 this is the year of the DC cinematic universe a little over two months and will be enjoying Batman be Superman with suicide squad right around the corner and wonder woman shooting principal photography right now were about to get hit with a deluge of details and marketing part in the interruption but future Dr. here to talk about piece of that marketing right now the bulk of this episode was recorded prior to the BDS TV spot dropping Saturday evening but I stopped editing to record my quick reactions will rated PG-13 we have that epic choral arrangement and the Batmobile revving up and rounding the corner toward Superman to gets lit up by the Batmobile headlights and he looks regal at night the Batmobile tries to sideswipe Superman but it just bounces off Superman who hasn't budged an inch and careens into some gas pumps were treated to some familiar footage of Batman rising of the card facedown Superman and we get new footage of Batman delivering that familiar line tell me do you bleed cut to Superman looking over his shoulder and then taking off into the sky with Batman finishing the line you will it's short and familiar but it perfectly encapsulates my expectations for the film I was pretty excited and surprised to see it yelled aloud seeing Superman lit up by those headlights and on the most simple level it's literally Batman be Superman I mean Batman attacks and threatens Superman even if you know nothing else about the film in this spot alone you learned that Batman's the aggressor he has a grievance or a grudge which is why he makes a threat you know that Superman is powerful and that Batman is the underdog who intends to take them down for more invested fans it's a remix of a lot of little things we've already seen and know so there isn't any substantial spoilers and were back into the main conflict and characters that look the cinematography and we even get a little bit of stylized slow-motion we get a little bit of performance but not that much Batman is deadpan for the first part of the line and then he delivers his final angry two words through a tightly clenched jaw although Superman doesn't speak that works dramatically since here he's a force of nature he's that in human concept that Batman takes issue with and allowing him to retort in this clip would humanize him as long as were talking themes we have the same ones that we've discussed before Superman's power his strength invincibility and the ability to just take off to the heavens that will got Batman's gadgets his fearlessness his anger in his indomitable will now here Batman's largest and most iconic gadget the Batmobile is effortlessly rendered a rack and despite being humbled in fact his attitude is utterly defiant if you view Batman cynically for a moment the Batmobile represents everything that separates him from a crazy person that dresses up as a vigilante at night and Superman rendered it relevant literally without lifting a finger yet what genuinely sets Batman apart from that crazy street vigilante isn't the Batmobile it's his crazy character and his will that makes him stand up to an alien who could do that fearless at the same time Superman's indifference reluctance and passivity makes it clear that the issue is Batman's at least here and in this context Superman is relatively blameless it's a super short segment but it's soaked in character and it's also filled with intrigue despite being composed of familiar parts what's the context why is Batman already bearing a grudge against Superman at this point in the film why do Superman take off with no further action what other dialogue or action transpired it's a solid TV spot the gives us the essence of the film without really giving us any answers and it's also remarkably funny not in an overtly humorous way but it's deeply ironic in the way that Snyder's films and humor tends to be there's humor in that a 3 1/2 ton armored tank just bounces off Superman there's humor in Superman's absolute disbelief that means impotence and humbling there's humor in the juxtaposition of their powers humor in the dramatic irony of Batman's threat since we know Superman will indeed bleed humor in the dramatic irony of knowing Superman heard that man's last line even after taking off humor in the dramatic irony of knowing Alfred is can a spend many in our repairing that wrecked Batmobile in his welding smock later and most of all guess is going to save this for another podcast but let's just get into it since I'm inspired there's the dramatic irony of Batman's grievance and line we did an analysis of these lines in the prior episode but remember that that question is rhetorical which is why Batman says you will well there's a similar rhetorical question in the merchant of Venice if you prick us do we not bleed delivered by the character Shylock a Jew who is aggrieved by how Jews are viewed as inhuman or less that now here David Hsu chat performs that famous speech I am I should be intellectual dimensions and the same for the same something of a same will you is you bring us to be in the another few volleys and I if you wrong showing the driven during the resolution you in his is a Christian wrong with you shall his sufferance be example of why prevent the villain me you teach I really execute it shall go there is so much we could impact here if you were to replace Jew with kryptonian or some other meta-human but that's another show this discussion Shylock relates the commonalities in the frailties of humanity to express the indignity of different treatment and that makes Batman's do you bleed you will ironic because his grievance with Superman is that he's inhuman that he lacks human frailty and that in Batman's estimation he doesn't bleed yet the expression of his grievance is to make Superman bleed as vengeance or justice yet making Superman blade means that now he has human frailty and that commonality now exists in the basis of them for Batman's grievance is relieved by the very method of vengeance he attempts to extract that is hilarious and more direct terms Batman is upset with Superman for not believing so he wants to hurt Superman which make Superman bleed which removes the reason that Batman is upset with Superman right so this scene and these few lines are tiny microcosm of the entire film because more or less that's what's going to happen over the course of the larger plot certainly with more nuanced twists and turns of this line is way smarter than people realize or give it credit for despite sounding initially like an attempt at manufacturing some quotable catchphrase it's actually a brilliant multilayered reference once its impact it compresses motives characterization culture and citation all into seven little words there's even more to it than that but I've got cut this off for now for now let me send you back to the pre-recorded part of the podcast okay sorry I lied this is future future Dr. here to respond to the second BDS TV spot which dropped shortly after I finished recording everything you just earth off your killing me this episode is never going to air at this rate I'm to go through this a lot more quickly because this is composer some really familiar material with just a glimpse of something new basically Bruce Wayne delivering the line don't believe everything you hear son so I have a Daily planet civil liberties are being trampled on inner-city bat vigilante is only as we can I love you like that is a fight how to fight with this person team and again I'm rocked and how smart and funny these choices are first in terms of the smart while TV spot one is all about the central superhero conflict TV spot to gives us the human character driven drama that is going to drive that conflict there are no capes know Powells or custom rides just civilian characters and a villainous catalyst while TV spot one was Batman's point of view here we get a glimpse of Superman's motivation world and villain while still getting a little bit of Bruce Wayne's characterization whereas Batman operates at night and through force here Superman is Clark Kent who is part of human society and a well lit gathering concerned about the welfare of others there's civil liberties and getting to the bottom of it all within a query basically justice and truth and Bruce Wayne comes off as a sought after celebrity somebody with a valued opinion or position and he's also jaded and has a condescending attitude don't believe everything you hear accuses Clark of being naïve and son comments on the relative age experience and wisdom he is essentially calling Clark a child and that builds the tension for Lex to just bus through with bullies which puts them both in their place every get those familiar lines from the second trailer the entire thing is incredibly and intentionally hilarious again it's relying heavily on dramatic irony the fact that we the audience know things that the characters don't necessarily know when the spot opens Bruce gives that halfhearted smile for the paparazzi showing his exhaustion with the whole affair but we know why the charade ways on him more heavily than just your typical celebrity when Clark introduces himself civilly we know who he really is and where all of this is headed in just a new small detail in this slightly different cut Bruce can hardly be bothered to focus on the introduction and he turns his head to look at a woman in the crowd even as Clark is reaching for his hand the dramatic irony while Bruce might simply be playing his womanizing role in ongoing somebody who stand out to him but we know that she's Diana Prince or wonder woman we get the basis for their misunderstanding between how Clark views the Batman and who he actually is and then we get that wonderfully meta-line don't believe everything you hear son as if the filmmakers are reaching through the screen grabbing the fans by the collar and shaking them to say this right in their face forget the scoops the spoilers screenings the fanfiction dressed up as a review rumor or report someone please make an image macro of this to post in response to all of the above because this is the filmmakers asking you to have a healthy dose of skepticism towards anything that your hearing bust out laughing at this line than the dramatic irony for all of Lex's lines are obvious and of course it's a play on the fact that this entire film is about Batman picking a fight with this person haven't done a humor themed episode yet but I'd love this kind of wit and humor where is the reception to Man of Steel was so heavily saddled with audience for knowledge and expectation when it was intended for an audience purging the film is a blank Slate Batman be Superman is leaning heavily into that as a sequel showed to provide a whole other layer of enjoyment to the film beyond just simply taking everything at face value it seriously smart stuff and I'm loving it okay so you said you back to stock who is blissfully unaware that half of what he's recorded visit be comfort.poor guy Zack Snyder is going to be on Conan on the 13th and were going to have a Dawn of the justice league special hosted by Kevin Smith on the 19th this shows call Batman on Batman so obviously were very excited about the prospect I know little bit
zero yet I hope to very soon but I there's a special coming up this a CW a special to do not to have powers on January 19 first half-hour is a look at legends of tomorrow fantastic new show that they've done a half hours all about the behind-the-scenes second half hours essentially the DC universe movie special so I start normal universal let's put some on TV for like my mom is why why Batman's find Superman with others around so there's this like primer the, shows you this is Batman be Superman Rangers want one for the first act here some footage of wonder woman exclusive footage there to show off exclusive footage Batman be Superman unseen stuff and then the whole thing ends with the world premiere of the suicide squad trailer the second suicide squad drill really the first official and presented are going to force that delivers visual in which I've seen and is no so she open the doors of their movie universe they did this thing were leveraging FRT the time this week on one of those and we got audiences tuned in July heroes like that so that is so exciting I can't wait for that special basically I just wanted to do a clearinghouse of episodes before or that special airs and in the meantime to be putting the Man of Steel analysis on the back burner this isn't meant to be a news coverage show and for that I highly recommend the suicide squad cast hosted by Tim and Scott if you like the show in your looking for regular DC news you can allowed them definitely check them out up a link in the show notes however for this show I think it makes sense to hold off on some of our commentary or deep analysis episodes because were so close to having official Canon weighing in and we just know that Batman be Superman is going to touch on Man of Steel topics this is a unique. Of anticipation when more and more of the general audience is starting to pay attention so let's just ride that way for now and besides Batman be Superman is certainly grabbing my attention right now anyways that said I hope to do at least one Man of Steel tie in video or podcast before Batman be Superman but as we count down to Batman be Superman we just refresh you on my spoiler policy while I'm not personally sensitive to spoilers I respect the people feel differently and out of deference to that I will not discuss spoilers without warning as general principles and do not consider official marketing materials like trailers were sponsored content spoilers I don't consider statements made by the filmmakers in interviews from major publications to be spoilers I don't consider wild speculation or guessing to be spoilers basically the broad guideline is this if it's something that the filmmakers or marketing didn't want you to know at this point and in this way it's probably a spoiler now note that filmmakers and marketing can differ in degree on that and in a recent interview with MTV's Victoria McNally Zack Snyder said quote of course I hate it when spoilers come out you design a movie as a story that involves as you watch it so moment to moment your thinking all my God what's can happen next Arctic and the live a big in a died so you want that experience for the audience as much as you can if you're as an audience member exploring these articles looking for answers to questions that you have maybe you're okay with knowing before you go it's like an individual taste but like I said I want people to see the movie without knowing" so what Snyder is saying is that he'd like people to experiences film with the Platonic idea of the surprise within the moment which is completely understandable of course that desire is in slight tension with the need to reveal enough to get people to pay to see the film so far Zack believes that they've maintain that balance saying in that same interview quote I have the benefit of seeing the movie it's cool that they the critics of the latest trailer think it's too much and I appreciate them not wanting to know but there's plenty that they don't know there's a lot of the movie that's not in the trailer" and that concurs with our calculation of scene footage last episode and for all those who bemoan how much that we know consider how wildly attention seeking fanfiction poorly disguised as leaks diverge if we knew as much as some criticize the marketing as revealing that would be far less room in which to write vastly different takes on what the movie is and that said those fake takes fall down on a lot of little constraints that we know about making them pretty easy to debunk however it's not my job to edit or improve fanfiction and honestly it tempers my publication of exhaustive analysis of what we've already seen because there are a handful of insights that I haven't seen anywhere else yet but might be better preserved in the theater experience here's what I mean go with me on this illustration if you imagine the film like and expertly constructed – that your eagerly anticipating and you have a reservation and this is the first time that anyone outside the restaurant will be tasting that – you've got an idea of the chefs flavors the restaurant the cuisine in may be some of the details about the dish but the ultimate experience of how it will taste is still a mystery now say in advance of that reservation I go through the trimmings in the trash and mechanically deduce a secret ingredient or technique and then I can systematically describe to you why my deductions are correct what will be in the meal and provided analysis of the intended effect but how is that compared to not knowing any of that just discovering that secret ingredient or technique viscerally through taste and texture temperature aroma and plating of a composed dish just as the chef intended within the atmosphere of the restaurant now reasonable minds will differ on that answer I think it's a minor concession to allow those inclined to the latter experience their preference they have one opportunity to be surprised and they have a lifetime to consider the experience afterwards so I can understand the point of view and of course spoilers can go beyond deduction and the source of the information can differ may be that delivery man can tell you some of the ingredients maybe a dishwasher observed all the processes maybe the sous chef knows the recipe or Junior Coke tasted the dish however nothing that they can convey to you in words is the same as sitting in anticipation having it placed before you and how that Clark lifted up to reveal the actual thing for you to enjoy now all that said the anticipation can sometimes be too much for someone which is why many enjoyed the force awakens the second time after the relief of watching it the first time of course in order to get you to make that reservation some disclosures need to be made you'll need to know the reputation of the Scheffler the filmmakers you'll need to know the chefs flavors like you know the filmmakers tone lead to know the cuisine like you know the genre of the movie ill no even some of the ingredients like you know the characters of the film and you how the menu description like you have a synopsis of the story perhaps they'll be atmosphere or advanced reviews or pictures before you experience the thing itself and all of this is setting the table and part of the dining experience if you want to pursue a more Platonic ideal of purity prior to viewing like avoiding all trailers let's up to you but I consider marketing a part of the intended experience and on that front if there's anything that this glut of rumors illustrate if that there is an intense hunger for information by fans despite themselves and write when that's at its peak guess what were getting tons and tons of marketing the WB their marketing and licensing divisions and advertising agencies they know what they're doing considered what we've received recently Lex Luther featured in sponsored content in Fortune magazine and wired magazine Zack Snyder doing interviews with MTV film and can up says he's popping up in crash the Super Bowl videos which blend these huge brands of Doritos the Super Bowl and DC and he's got an appearance on Conan in on the CW forthcoming Henry cavil spoke with Cineplex Jesse Eisenberg spoke with the LA Times and new pieces of merchandising are announced or available nearly every other day I know I shelled out for a few T-shirts and toys look they know anticipation is reaching a fever pitch and their timing the marketing accordingly audience anticipation is a fickle thing in September variety reported on Piedmont's anticipation tracking survey which put hunger games and first age of all Tron in second in the force awakens third well with the benefit of hindsight it's easy to see how the box office told a different story one only hopes that history repeats itself with fandango's December survey which ranks anticipation for 2016's rogue one first finding Dorie second and Batman be Superman third I don't expect the marketing to be as saturated as Star Wars but there's going to be a lot of it and you don't have to engage with it all as much as you think you're being bombarded there are still people out there that don't know that this movie is a thing for them to watch now speaking of general audiences hopefully you had a wonderful holiday like I did and a chance to catch up with family and friends if you have a large family or distant relatives certainly during the holidays you will have family that you love dearly but seriously disagree with and those differences can be anything from politics religions lifestyles sports team loyalties or generational but hopefully you all got along and no one got disowned so you know how to respectfully and lovingly disagree as more and more of the general audience wakes up to Batman be Superman I get more people who are enthusiastic and excited about the DC universe but also people with other opinions and we should try to be patient and positive and graceful ultimately it's a movie and it's not worth telling others down genre film is now mainstream and were all one big happy moviegoing family stands in general audiences alike are that out of the way I just wanted to quickly share the audience reaction to the Batman be Superman trailer during the force awakens at my family reunion this is purely anecdotal but are audience was fairly lively and they laughed at all the jokes they gasped when doomsday appeared in they went completely nuts upon seeing wonder woman and there was chatter into the next trailer all about how they had to see that movie I hope you have such an enthusiastic audience for at least one of your viewings of Batman be Superman but in my family among for generations some of whom remember a time before Superman and Batman existed something care for the seriousness or the dark tone but others were utterly surprised and delighted to learn that that film was coming out and as far as Star Wars was concerned they generally liked it rate NDB eight were adored universally though some found the movie a little loud and their appreciation was relatively superficial and that reaction made me really appreciate just how much these films are made for the fans these days to just be grateful and in all that were getting such sincere DC superhero films and not something more like say a licensed videogame adaptation to fill these are just tacky cash grabs relying on the brand names alone are not relying on just that shallow appreciation but genre films these days are approached with way more sincerity authenticity and quality than ever before I mean consider how Batman be Superman was first announced to a convention crowd using a quote that only be invested fan would recognize these films pay tribute to those references in our faithful to the broad mythology rather than any one single specific slice of nostalgia in a recent interview with time Snyder said quote we know the material I understand the Canon I'm not crazy I know what these characters need from a mythological standpoint" to Yahoo Snyder said quote I try and stay central it's really about staying central to the core that's what I think the audience enjoys most" or talking about budgets which make these films studio tent poles compared to the days when they were disreputable and disrespected oddities with steals $16 million budget or Roger Corman's fantastic four done under $1 million shoestring when Snyder talks about this film he talks about the drama first and foremost before the special effects and the spectacle never excited about motivated the fun in the Senate an amazing experience and to work with my two favorite comic book characters anyways so including wonder woman till I think the fun of the movie is that you know in the end of the drama money and now like they have to figure out each other if he had alike fight each other so it's really about like what makes them tick and how that work out in a conflict of the That gravity and seriousness means that there's practically no stigma in being in or making a superhero genre film at this point in their ever approaching legitimacy as we speak you can hardly look at a nominee list of actors are films that doesn't contain people start in genre films I don't need to tell you just how remarkably stacked the DCC you is would talent to illustrate here is Academy award-winning and Hathaway on Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther and you have experience plan Woman in a big superhero relax alien x-ray so I would you have any advice and going into the kind of superhero blockbuster Is something that he has experienced send to the air and the case will well and criticize me criticizing Chris Singletary a man elected to that end and so is interesting to think of a good Lex Luther he's going to be remarkable. Obviously she's a consummate professionals in her praise of her costar only mean so much but her take on the approach of these icons is an often repeated refrain by all actors would have to take up the mantle and somehow it's something that moviegoers forget again and again I can't understand being disappointed with their take on Luther we have hardly seen what that take is yet is Snyder said in a recent MTV interview quote in the trailer of course he comes across in a very specific way in the movie he's like 1 million times more sophisticated than what you get and 30 seconds but that's also the fun of it that's why you go to the movies so that you can actually see the context and understand the depth" and I buy that the trailer has to show us something to represent the whole but with more context and performance it will fit into a more compelling picture it's like trying to summarize a sophisticated and complicated curry with a single cube of potato or chili pepper made to represent the entire dish by itself somebody could easily say that that potatoes to bland or that Chili's not to their taste but if they haven't tried the whole dish together they can't really fairly judge it now perhaps gives us hints or clues to let us know what it's not like a piece of pepperoni probably means it's not ice cream but not being ice cream doesn't mean that pizza isn't good okay can you tell that had been keeping my New Year's dieting resolution so far without going to D+ just survey some of the sponsored content featuring Lex Luther the start with a fortune article and the do my best to avoid restating everything you can read them on your own for Mr. bring up some points to comment on well Luther is 31 in 2015 so he'll be a few years younger than Clark Kent in BDS as people tend to imagine even if the actors are actually about the same age and that age and timeline is the creative reason for making Jesse's character Lex Junior this allows the Lex Corp. brand to preexist Jesse's character if there was no Lex senior that would mean that Lex Corp. was built by Jesse's character in his teens minor detail but it shows the dedication to the continuity built by Man of Steel going forwards the article brings up defense contract which get raised in the wired article as well and naturally having built up prestige and wealth Lex has an interest in avoiding the end of the world and he takes threats seriously yet he still somewhat cagey about the issue he says he has this world changing technology that will protect everyone from unknown threats that he's uniquely aware of well what's this technology one of those threats isn't something as mundane as cyber security and his operating system or is it something meant to be addressed by kryptonian biotech how much does Lex know about meta-humans and other similar beings beyond Superman let's say at a minimum that Lex is aware of the Atlantean's the Amazons kryptonian's and vigilantes well what technology would allow him to confidently declare universal safety in the face of those is heap misjudging his technology or does he have something beyond what be seen in the trailers assuming that the threat described his superpowered beings is the doomsday we seen the best protocol for facing that consider some response time issues if metropolises on the East Coast and a rogue Superman is wreaking havoc in Seattle what is doomsday can ado about that or what if you're facing the Atlantean's on one coast and the Amazons on the other just some food for thought the article drops a lot of other threads to get picked up elsewhere Lex Corp. in relation to Wayne industries name dropping court and again calling Bruce out as a billionaire Playboy will let's move onto the wired article that wired article came out many months later and it's a little more elaborate and refined it's a better representation of what you'll find in an article rather than sort of a parody of an article and in my opinion it's probably closer to the filmmakers intentions for the character the fortune article seems like it was an experiment that worked in the wired article seems like them doing it in earnest and that behind the scenes footage recently shot is them going all in in building up Lex Luther outside of the film I think that's awesome and engaging and I can't wait to see more of it I love of this world building but at the same time I'm keeping my expectations in check in terms of how much it's going to be in the film itself now ultimately this is still called Batman be Superman and while the praise of wonder woman and Lex Luther have been effusive in universal we don't a how much will be seeing of them get with the force awakens the marketing and the merchandising let us know who the characters would be an fans would build up elaborate expectations upon that but when you watch the film it ultimately focuses on a handful of characters as all ensemble films tend to do and I think Batman be Superman is going to be expertly balanced so my warning is more of a check on fan expectations if you start to believe that were going to get a 20 minute origin for Lex Luther or a 20 minute origin for wonder woman and a 20 minute origin for Aquaman all in one film when I spell it out for you like that I'm sure you know that that's impossible but sometimes you start to think about all these things that you're expecting to appear on screen all at once a circle lose track of the plausibility of that runs hot and as overtly said by the filmmakers and actors Batman be Superman will have layers and even subtle revelations can give rise to complex systems understandings and insights if only we pick up on that are sorry I got off track on their one of the reasons I'm parsing out the wired article from the Fortune one is that they differ in their initial characterization of Lex if you read the fortune article it calls him down to earth than just one of the guys wired however blows that up right in the beginning Lex is intimidating and he doesn't have time for the tropes of a mobile interview and that kind of short circuit of social norms feels more consistent with a narcissistic Lex Luther this kind of Lex is far more direct being openly against the superhuman threat and invested in avoiding human extinction and as a side note about politics and governmental disruption Lex absolutely can do more on the outside that he can do on the inside but if you were to run for office I'd suggest the office of Mayor rather than president it's a bit counterintuitive but the mayor of metropolis would have more direct control over more people and in a network or Parliament of other mayors conference over 75% of GDP more than any US president ever could that's not exactly a movie friendly power play but it's something that of real-world power hungry person might attempt to link in the show notes we get so many more hints of what Lex has been doing behind the scenes including pivoting from one strategy to another after running into a wall she the government artists meaning Amanda Waller if Lex did indeed have it does that mean that he has two different protocols one that he intended to go with and then a second one after he ran into Waller again food for thought I have a whole section about embracing technology but thing America Baffert time and look at what the sponsored content means all these teases and interviews they can only come from a place of knowing the underlying motives intentions and psychology of Lex and that's consistent with what everyone has been saying about the character all along in interview after interview Eisenberg has praised Chris Terrio per sitting down with him and reaching a compelling psychology for the character together Jesse Eisenberg has his own writing chops and he has more ranges an actor than the general audience me know between the two of them and with a lot of space to shape the role of the performance my hopes are very high to touch on Eisenberg's recent interview with the LA Times it's kind of funny that it opens with those same kinds of tropes parodied by the fortune article and subverted by the wired one Eisenberg offering the interviewer Meredith Welner a Mentos before they begin the highlight is when Eisenberg says quote the character has a core of reality Luther has a back story that's tragic and an emotional inner life that's authentic that's in the movie it was my interest in playing the character with a real emotional core and this writer Chris Terry is interest in creating a character it seemed viable in reality" and a little later he says quote to call himself aggrandizing its say that the Titanic was a sailboat he is a narcissist of the first order to complicated in that way as well in that he is terribly troubled and competitive and vengeful he looks at Superman not as somebody to destroy but as a genuine threat to humanity" that seems to be something he shares in common with Batman begins or action of all those different motivations and how they change in end up is something that I'm really looking forward to everyone is going to have their point and if they do this right some people are to walk out of the film relieved that the Trinity one that the justice league is coming but some part of them wondering whether Lex Luther is actually right that asking out about Batman for Superman people are so excited about the Lex Luther and relegating trouble I say to earth can you tell us about your Lex Luther is actually reveal plot as yet he has no hair on his head and I was written by the Sec. or Mrs. like his you are is this really a writer of characters in this movie is you like that kind of cartoonish superhero is very serious well and well-written will direction movie it's really phenomenal
The book is really this point some people can't imagine that happening they were expecting a suave and charismatic Lex M from what little we seen this Luther is manikin over the top and a mad scientist how could this be believable or have a point and if we esteem science and intelligence how could somebody so scientifically brilliant also be evil well let's just look at history tradition and reason with an open mind we know that science is not inherently benevolent that there's been a long tradition of Lex Luther or as a mad scientist and the throughout history there have been scientists on the edge has a rich history of brilliant minds descending into madness is on the top she's right for a neuropsychological issue is an accent which is subtracted totally you please thought was a guy and jumped into a volcano is an irrational fear of being film in love with the vision he claimed love him back the outside of science dangers like van Gogh and politic chess champion Bobby Fischer and perhaps none more as iconic as Nikola Tesla and he was also very interesting many implement of these he was the only human who created by earthquakes that's kind of with God didn't think you'd like the likening the event from birds to do the sky your was it from what gospel but equally fascinating he never hid the a lot interest in his life a man or woman he slept only two hours to a day sometimes for an basically more details of sexual that he was not the hip to sleep because he didn't hit the theater he was thinking that he can quote: he was going to die he was thinking he's going to leave the 156 years I mean if you if you didn't know anything else and you just heard about these things theory that but beautifully dressed the member of the upper 400 the people who would fit in the softly DS started kind of a very good-looking he unveiled the best man and he said mystical inspirations he was not just your regular scientist who will start the lab trial and error he kind of hit almost of Cormack sent to the world outside of Plato's cave so to say your you're making a very convincing case that this was a God among men so once Tesla got it in sconces life in the US as an it as an electrical engineer in, stereotypical mad scientist is also about the electric chair of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse kind of battling over which can't would be using United States AC or DC but that's ever involved in as you give last the vessel did next suit was a fascinating story episode was first organized in control was a little bit like Long Island type of shows he would send he's tubes to Midwest and other places and they would raise state urgings to catch dogs and cats and he would to kill them publicly using the alternating current and then he said this animal his be investing cost and that was a serious blow that's lambasting coast camp so they decided that they kept the answer Edison's performance with performances of the role so that's not calculated that if you lack of very high voltages if he leapt into he's by beat you actually survived and he never used any animals he was he's only guinea pig because he just always was ready to go to life online so he would actually land that high-voltage these two he's by the entities here would stand up and he would turn into fountain of sparks and of course after that nobody would come to think he's had for some time and he's body and he's clothing would continually making a slight callow's after that this is really December the fairytales are made of but it actually happened did the fact that he was born in Eastern Europe and emigrated of young man to the United States did the Eastern European NASA add to this kind of our media character all of you hanging imagine you Essay be an accent certain land show racism had a lot to do and it is a strange looking man wonderfully hand-in-hand theme is over 6 foot two and 340 pound anything really kind of very very slender just not all and you suggested there are people who actually sit thought he was from another planet or had traveled from future of react when he was out in Colorado Springs in working with really high-voltage electricity TM set up a radio transmitter where he would sit and listen at night and thought that he was hearing messages from Mars that he seems Tesla got back to New York City that headlines were really horrible eat kind of immediately became a point of ridicule and they never really lost that stigma nevertheless that statement in fact that Superman comic that can a character named Tesla that was an evil mad scientist was on what when Windows was a lot of damage if a cell line and you must find night and this looks like and you for Superman that's from glaciers version of Superman 1941 cartoon called the mad scientist have a bit of the mad scientist about him and he also had a sort of Strangelove moment late in his life he claimed to inventive the ultimate super weapon might days he picks up the story live in the name of all was that I loved loved the brazenness array causes and he holds a huge press conference to let the world know that he has in fact invented a death red and all these journalists you go to see the death rate in they get their Tesla system down and he talks to the movie explains that he's invented this death Ray because it is a weapon so terrible that it will never be used we all know how well that works out and and they go outside to see the death Ray demonstrated and it's impressive as this large boxy base there's a sort of projecting to coming out of the side of it and he goes up to it me fiddles with some settings in the polls an enormous lever down cookies anyone was or how I really just got scammed and they all go inside and have cookies and milk and the death Ray passes into legend those awesome clips were from studio 360s American icon series which has a wonderful episode on Superman output links in the show notes the basically there is a lot of room in reality for Lex to exist as an eccentric scientist though I suspect that his motivations and point of view can be far more grounded and nefariously recognizable when their ultimately revealed looking over my notes and I think I can save the rest of these for another time I think there's some good stuff in here but I'm coming off winter break and vacation so I'm relying more and clips than usual and on that note let's pivot to David Coyer's recent interview with the writers panel a nervous podcast you can find a link to the complete episode in the show notes I just want to highlight his comments an approach to Man of Steel which I feel continues into Batman be Superman you ask a writer like what is really at character want if you can't summon up in one line then your script is on shaky ground you don't have instructor he should be a some another one is a Man of Steel is super simple right he's your friend he's a guy went two fathers he's got a father to stepfather and feet of the planet will rest on which father he chooses to align himself with kryptonian heritage or his or his heritage will he follow the footsteps of his birth father or will he found the sense of his kryptonian's stepfather or sod this is the theme for you are sure person into world yeah will IED is in I I've realized that Alonso vibrating blade Batman Man of Steel da Vinci that a lot of these characters have father issues which would I do in real life so yeah I do torturous relationship with my father and I think a lot of my life is about trying to repair that relationship so I started out on Man of Steel saying I want to tell a story about immigrant and I realize that I was telling a story about a man who's trying to reconcile these two fathers it came out wise right and while I was writing that film the course of the year so that I was writing the first draft a bunch of things happen so I became a stepfather I became biological father and my own father died always in the course of the year that I do right that's so hard to obviously found its way the skirt because there's scene in Man of Steel people to write what you knowing reasonable how could he possibly write anything about krypton in Man of Steel this scene with Kevin Costner in young Clark in which he tells them he's an alien these from another world and is heartbreaking scene and young Clark says can I keep his pretending on your son and then his dad Jonathan says you are my son but somewhere out there your another father to said I just ripped off my stepson he was explore it was a good first time because I've been in his licensee was wonder so a biological father he sees us Lois but I spend a lot of time that he was on for he you click for hand he remember life before me or without me but it's only click for him because my first biological son was born that I was not biologically his father he discovers and everyone had to biological dad and really together and he said that's what we had that talk about I'm just stepfather but I'm son 90s of your brothers father and is different or not it was a really heartbreaking discussions acclimated and really nothing like a perfect way to put it to the early warning on his fighting no one had thought CD about Superman even go all bodies be action sequences but no one it's are boiled it down into that a lot of great insights and their than a limit myself to one comment which is a reprisal of the idea of layers to the story there are certainly many layers to menace deal in Batman be Superman but here greater expressly talks about three of them has a die genic layer where the reality of the world is dictated by an alien first context story and then there's the creative flair where the themes of the story are shaped by the ideal of immigration and finally a character layer where the feelings thoughts motives and acts of our protagonist are shaped by reconciling the views of two fathers now laying out those three simple principles and having them interact is how you get a rich realistic and rewarding world and screenplay and I have no doubt that the filmmakers approached Batman be Superman in a similar fashion one clear example is the injection of a poignant quotation into Superman's costume recently deciphered for us by Michael Wilkinson at Brazil, caught so I got here we have a new material the third is feeling a little bit more share so you really get the sense of the metal under the blue over certainly have a new fabric okay I don't says I wanted to include a Joseph Campbell twice in the third so that the quite from just cavil is where we had thought to send the line we will be with all the wealth and we decided to translate that into kryptonian and we put it through the on his chest is itself his bicep to give a little extra something for the plan was very shot vision Sarah appreciate that some really interesting insights here's the full and precise quotation by Joseph Campbell himself from his PBS series the power of myth I have not even to risk the adventure all for the heroes of all for him (to follow the thread of the hero where we had gone to find an abomination to find a God where we had thought to slay another initial slay ourselves area thought to travel out what is the center long as you aware yet thought the alone shall be with all the world a deep stuff on a creative level it tells us some of the themes that Superman in the story is meant to represent on a character level it shows us where Superman is at and on the die genic level it appears on the costume because of the importance and its meaning to Superman we focus so much on what set Superman apart and makes him alone being alien that incredible responsibility and his desire to do good get those of the very same feelings and narratives which makes him relatable to us all those things that set Superman apart are the very things that let him be a part of humanity to his utmost after embracing the role of Superman fully and of course Joseph Campbell is open to many interpretations so feel free to hazard your own but I think that inclusion continues to belie the thoughtfulness and the intelligence of those who made Man of Steel and Batman be Superman have a real grasp of what fits with the mythology even right down to the code names are working titles for those films I'm short on time so I promise I'll skip the literary analysis for now but consider this production is and how they fit so perfectly told emotion meaning they Man of Steel was a part of frost Batman be Superman saved my love suicide squad is bravo 14 and was recently learned that wonder woman's production in writing all of that is so spot on okay think I've rambled on long enough this is Dr. awkward your DC cinematic universe apologist signing off CNX time that answers will always and I wrote for it but will be the lawn over to his house was being invited to the salon to get to go to spend time with journalists were writing articles but in no presence of the great man usually when you there would do things to you he would show you inventions and then he was sort of make you part of the inventions one of the regulars of the salons was Mark Twain and Mark Twain and Tesla became very very close after Tesla cured Mark Twain's constipation he been constipated for years and years and has let him stand on a metal plate and ran an electrical charge through his entire body and suddenly he was not constipated which is a very good way to make people close to you if you want to forge a lifelong friendships your their constipation the favorite thing that Tesla and Twain would do is that Nikola Tesla had this now it was really an x-ray done technically it was an x-ray machine might feel the phrase x-ray machine is a certain aura of safety about it that doesn't apply here because really it's like God it puts out an enormous amount of x-rays and Tesla and Mark Twain would take turns being the x-ray gone at one another and to be like not but you have a number of you interpret your family and then I hate which try on it didn't drive right up to you and they did this again and again and again and what options of undeveloped tell them and make these and less extraneous of their body harms their legs there's goals we actually still have them today she after sheet of the interior of Mark Twain's skull x-ray after x-ray in tension all the books that never got written keeping is Tesla salons got larger and larger he became stranger and stranger meeting unbelievably fastidious he'd always been clean we started to see dirt in places no one could see dirty demand things be washed eight 910 times variable sets of very compulsive and it's right about this. That he does have free mad scientist to do it legally put up or shut up time to build a mountain fortress need to build a mountain fortress somewhere in the remote to let you want to Sam and we really more vision to fruition a massive and that you may and he is a will is is is a you a you live in the will will so worrying way my doomsday I the atmosphere will way will it will me me that own and easy living so will pay and you know that very that you live that answers