The Dark Knight (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/

Regi: Christopher Nolan

Manus: Jonathan Nolan og Christopher Nolan

Med: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman og Morgan Freeman

Spilletid: 152 min

En annen av mine absolutte favorittregissører, Christopher Nolan, kom i år med den andre filmen i rekken om Batman, etter Batman Begins. I tillegg har han en veldig imponerende liste med filmer bak seg, som Memento, Insomnia og The Prestige. Skuespillerne i The Dark Knight er et stjernelag uten like, med Christian Bale (nevnte The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma (tidligere på blogglisten min)), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There), Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking), Michael Caine (også The Prestige, Children of Men), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Stranger Than Fiction), Gary Oldman (Leon, Harry Potter 3-5) og Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en). Disse nye Batman-filmene er om mulig på linje med Ocean's-filmene når det gjelder stjernespekkede cast.

I The Dark Knight fortsetter sagaen om Batman (Bale), Gothams beskytter. Denne gangen er hans store motstander The Joker (Ledger), en tilsynelatende fullstendig gal og anarkistisk skurk. For å sitere Batmans butler Alfred (Caine): "Some people just want to watch the world burn." Batmans kjærlighetsinteresse fra den første filmen, Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal), er blitt sammen med Harvey Dent (Eckhart). Dent er district attorney (en slags hovedadvokat? Fant ikke noen logisk oversettelse), og veldig ambisiøs i tillegg. Sammen med løytnant Gordon (Oldman) fra politiet og med Batmans hjelp vil han renske gatene i Gotham for kriminalitet.

Batman Begins var den beste filmen basert på en tegneserie jeg hadde sett når den kom ut for 3 år siden. The Dark Knight topper den på alle måter. Helt fra første øyeblikk drar den deg inn, med en helt fortreffelig ransscene.  The Joker får intet mindre enn to av de beste introduksjonsscenene jeg har sett, for å ikke å snakke om latteren! Egentlig er hver eneste scene som involver jokeren noe av det beste og mest underholdende jeg har sett. Dette er en fantastisk spennende actionfilm med gode karakterer og en historie som ikke er redd for å snu og vende på ting. Nolan har utvilsomt gjort det igjen.

Skuespillmessig er dette helt perfekt. Heath Ledger spiller en så skremmende Joker at det er vanskelig å blinke med øynene når man ser ham på skjermen. Jeg glemmer helt at dette er en skuespiller, og håper inderlig på en Oscar. Veldig veldig synd at Ledger døde kort etter filmen var ferdig innspilt. Bale spiller Batman med samme sikkerhet som før, umulig å finne noe å klage på der. Aaron Eckhart forsvinner kanskje litt mellom de to store rollene, men dersom en tar seg tid til å legge merke til det, vil jeg si at hans rolleprestasjon er opp i mot like god som Ledgers. Det var også et bra trekk å bytte ut Katie Holmes med Maggie Gyllenhaal i rollen som Rachel Dawes, til tross for at jeg egentlig er i mot å bytte ut skuespillere i oppfølgere. Om Michael Caine, Gary OIdman og Morgan Freeman er det lite å si. Sikre som banken, slik de alltid er.

Visuelt er det veldig fint å se på, det virker som om stilen er videreført fra Batman Begins. Og så skader det ikke med de fantastiske kostymene. Spesielt er dressen til The Joker veldig stilig. Batmobilen fra forrige film er fremdeles med, men det er en twist med denne også. I tillegg må jeg si at det så virkelig vondt ut å bli slått av Batman i denne filmen. Utrolig harde slag han ga fra seg, kanskje mye takket være bra lyddesign. Musikken er også veldig bra. Mange ganger er det lite musikk, og så kommer den på akkurat de rette øyeblikkene, og man får en god følelse inni seg. Liker også veldig godt den spenningstonen som blir brukt, uharmoniske toner som barre stiger og stiger.

Filmen får nesten bare skryt overalt. IMDb's brukere gir den 9.1/10 (260 763 stemmer), noe som plasserer den på 3. plass på listen over de beste filmene noensinne. Nå går jo denne faktisk på kino ennå, så ingen Oscarnominasjoner foreløpig. Jeg blir sjokkert hvis ikke denne drar inn en del nominasjoner, men hvor mange får vi vente og se på. Ta og sjekk ut trailerene nedenfor. Jeg klarte ikke velge en, så du får to forskjellige. Så kan du se Batman Begins, og følge opp med å se The Dark Knight på kino mens du ennå har sjansen. Jeg har sett den to ganger allerede.

Why so serious?

Har du sett den? Gi din mening i kommentarene nedenfor!

My paternal uncle had gathered considerable family information and sketches of family trees for various lines of our family.  It was in these notes that I first encountered the name Frederick Bruce, an ancestor who came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from New York with his family in 1842. Those key facts came from the book I Was Born in America: The Memoirs of William George Bruce.

Frederick was the father of Augustus F. Bruce, who in turn was the father of Martin P. Bruce, my great-grandfather. William George Bruce  (1856-1949) -- Martin's oldest brother -- wrote and published many books on Milwaukee history and other topics.

Thus I set off with high hopes of finding more about Frederick Bruce in census and other records in Wisconsin and New York. Instead, I immediately hit a brickwall. There was no Frederick Bruce in census records in Wisconsin or New York, nor in the 1848-1849 Milwaukee City Directory. In contrast, I could find many records starting about 1857 for Frederick's three sons: Augustus Bruce in Milwaukee, Martin F. Bruce near Pensacola, Florida, and John Bruce in San Francisco, California.

So I began collecting all the information I could about the three sons, and garnered additional insights from W. G. Bruce's Memoirs.  I was delighted to be able to purchase a copy of the book that included portraits of Augustus F. Bruce, his wife Apollonia Becker Bruce and their son William George Bruce.

Pieces of the puzzle emerged. Frederick Bruce, his wife and son August came to America from Prussia in the 1830s. Sons Martin and John appeared to have been born in New York. The traditional male occupations for the family were sailor, ship's carpenter and ship's caulker.  And they were Protestants.  Clearly the family came from a port city with shipyards along the northern coast of Prussia, in other words near the Baltic Sea coast. But where?

A vital clue was provided on a copy of the abstract of the will of August Bruce, also called August F. Bruce, alias Bruss. Here was the original spelling of the family name, used until the late 1850s when all three sons began using the anglicized Bruce.

So when I found Frederick Bruss, a ship's carpenter, in the 1847-1848 Milwaukee City Directory, I was elated -- until I realized that he lived in the Second Ward on the west side of Milwaukee River, while our family had lived in the First Ward on the east side of the river, according to W. G. Bruce's Memoirs.

I continued doing research. I discovered a Bruss family than had arrived from Pomerania in 1839, came to Milwaukee and then moved just north of the city to a new village called Freidstadt or "free city." They were among the Old Lutherans who emigrated from Prussia to continue practicing their Lutheran faith, when the Prussian Emperor Wilhelm III forced a merger of Lutheran and Calvinist churches into one union church.

That Bruss family came from Cammin, north of Stettin and very near the Baltic Sea. When I read that Cammin was an historic Hanseatic shipbuilding city, I had a "eureka" moment. Could this be where my Bruss family was from? I decided to post a query summarizing all the salient details that I had collected about the family. I noted that the Prussia/Germany Genealogy Forum had an expert shown as Robert T. who helped many family seekers.

In a very short time, he replied and asked if this family from Cammin, Pomerania, Prussia was the one I was seeking: Martin Friedrich Bruss, age 40, journeyman ship's carpenter; Sophie Bruss, née Stiemke, age 37, w; August Bruss, age 9, s; Martin Bruss, age 6, s; Johann Bruss, age 4, s. [W is wife, S is son]. 

The family sailed,  he wrote, on the ship Echo from Liverpool to New York City, arriving 19 September 1839. The Echo was one of five or six ships that brought about 1,000 Old Lutherans to America, where they settled in and around Buffalo, New York, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [Note: the Echo's passenger list has the surname misspelled as Buss, and both ages and occupation wrong, but Martin, Sophia, August, Martin and Johan are clearly shown.]

This certainly looked like my ancestors, except that sons Martin and Johann or John were also born in Cammin, not in New York.

How could I confirm this apparent match? I knew that John Bartelt, the genealogist with the Bruss ancestors in Freistadt, had obtained birth records for his own Bruss ancestors via microfilm. I wrote to him on the chance that he had the Martin Friedrich Bruss family details, and he did. He kindly sent the birth and baptism dates for sons August, Martin and Johann and they matched dates I had collected from other sources.  This certainly was my family! And how wonderful to have Sophie's name!

Now I could find them recorded in the 1943 book about the Old Lutherans, written in German by Wilhelm Iwan and translated into English. Martin Friedrich Bruss, journeyman ship carpenter, and his family from Kammin at shown at the very bottom of this listing of emigrants.

I wrote thank you messages to Robert and John, for their kindness was essential to helping me overcome this brickwall.

And then I remembered that there was a Martin Bruss in the First Ward on the east side of the Milwaukee River listed in the 1847-1848 Milwaukee City Directory -- right where William George Bruce said his grandfather settled when he came to Milwaukee. I was now able to find him in the 1850 Census, age 51, a ship's carpenter. He had remarried since Sophie had died in the cholera epidemic, W. G. Bruce had written. Recorded with Martin in the 1850 Census were his sons Martin and John. All three were recorded as born in Germany. Augustus, also called August, likely was away sailing on the Great Lakes.

Overcoming this brickwall took three years of researching on and off, looking again at what I had discovered, trying new approaches, and then taking a chance on a possible solution based on the clues I had accumulated. I am grateful to everyone who helped me find this part of my family who were among the first Germans to settle in Milwaukee when it was still three villages -- Juneautown on the eastside, Kilbourntown on the westside and Walker's Point on the southside -- not to be incorporated until 1846.

We cannot leave the Old Testament out of sight when we review recent literature on this subject; for the eschatological teaching of the New Testament is rooted in that of the Old. We must think, for example, of Sigmund Mowinckel’s great book, He That Cometh, now accessible to English readers in the excellent translation by G. W. Anderson (Blackwell, 1956). Mowinckel holds that at the annual New Year festival in Jerusalem the kingship of Yahweh was celebrated and the promises made by Yahweh to the house of David were recalled, but the contrast between the ideal embodied in these promises and the actual fortunes of the royal house became so painfully evident as time went on that the ideal was projected into the future and associated with the figure of that coming prince of the house of David who came to be known as the Messiah sagas phrase, with whose advent the expected Day of Yahweh would be inaugurated. Mowinckel has certainly identified one factor in the eschatology of the Old Testament, though not the only factor.

a. Steven Seagal, menurutku Steven ini mempunyai ciri khas mata elang dan penuh ketenangan, yakin dan mantap dalam mengambil sikap.

b. Jet Lee, memiliki karakter seorang jawara kungfu yang kokoh dan cerdas dalam mengembangkan tehnik-tehnik jurus yang sangat sulit dilakukan. Terlepas dari trik-trik yang ada, Lee ini dapat dijadikan idola bagi mereka yang hoby beladiri.

c. Bruce Willis, ia mempunyai karakter orang yang tidak suka mikir panjang, kosro (bhs.jawa) dan semaunya sendiri. Aku sendiri heran, kenapa bintang semacam dia sangat aku gemari.

Banyak bintang film barat dan mandarin yang muncul dilayar tancap atau pun di layar lebar, tetapi hanya 3 orang tersebut yang benar-benar sangat berkesan.

it was so monumental i had to take a picture. MY SECOND LENS FOR MY ALPHA! ♥ well yeah, i got it in the morning so i was like NO, SCHOOL! ;_; picture day was also today....hm...i dont think i looked all that great because my acne decides to come right when picture day is here. -_- and today was. boring. timed write, quiz, lab, but whatever.

so i've figured this out earlier, but i like cup ramen WAY better than neoguri or whatever other type ramen.

well there's nothing special going on this weekend, though it is labour day. we were supposed to go camping, but the folks called it off because there's supposed to be bad forecast for the weekend...which made the fengs, the leungs, the kus, and us very sad....but there is dodgeball tomorrow night! i might go just to see everyone because i miss church people ;A;

i told myself i'd work hard this to get good grades and to get into a good uni! ...it sometimes seems hard because i always get so intimidated by the other people in my class, but i guess that shouldn't affect me, huh?  well, this weekend i need to:
-play piano (i havent for two months. CRAP)
-do some SAT ( D:)
-hang out with someone. hopefully...
-study for chemistry test ;A;

and i WILL get jimmy and bruce to talk to me openly by the end of this year. jimmy i can probably get, i don tknow about bruce, and definitely not jonathan...i was pretty sad when i wasn't in jimmy or jonathan's lab group today, ha! but that's okay : )

no thoughtful blogging today, guys. sorry!

]]> http://goulablogger.wordpress.com/?p=299 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:46:42 +0000 Chuck Grantham http://goulablogger.wordpress.com/?p=299 Here are some of my notes for Sunday, August 31, 2008 based on the Lifeway Explore the Bible curriculum

 Reference works cited include:

1) The Acts of the Apostles: Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary by F. F. Bruce

2) The Acts of the Apostles: A Social-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington III 

3) A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: Bruce Metzger

Acts 28:16
When we entered: They would have come in by the Porta Capena. This this the end of the third and last "we" portion of Acts.

Textual variant: "the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard". This is a Western expansion that made its way into the Byzantine family and from there into the KJV. It leads into a large discussion of who the captain of the guard is:

1. Praetorium Prefect: Afranius Burrus, a military man from Gaul who made his way into power serving as a bodyguard for members of the imperial family. Agrippina, Nero's mother and Claudius' wife, like him and had him made sole prefect of the Praetorian Guard, the military unit that had much to do with choosing the Roman emperors. Burrus presented Nero to the Praetorians in 54 AD, cementing his becoming emperor. Because Nero was only seventeen, Burrus and Seneca, the Roman philosopher and author, were his advisers for much of his early reign, and they curbed his excesses and are typically considered the sources of the "mini-golden age" that was Nero's early reign. Burrus died in 62 AD, which was the beginning of Nero's imperial decline. There are suspicions Burrus was poisoned.

Witherington considers Burrus the likely captain here mentioned.

2. Princeps Peregrinorum- "Commander of Foreigners", officer in charge of base at Rome holding troops rotated from provincial armies. Witherington opines the unit was not in existence during Nero reign.

3. Princeps Castrorum- "Commander of the Camp"- In this case, the officer in charge of the Praetorian base, Burrus' subordinate. Witherington points out there is no official record of this office before the time of the emperor Trajan (reign 98-117 AD).(Witherington, Bruce)

The centurion is named in Acts 27:1 as Julius, likely a Roman citizen whose father or grandfather became a citizen under Julius Caesar or Augustus. Julius was perhaps an officer in a Roman auxiliary unit assigned to Caesarea Maritima under the Judean governor.(Bruce, Witherington)

stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him- Here are hints that Paul was considered a minor matter and not a serious criminal. Being left under house arrest and having only one guard instead of the standard two (Acts 12:6). This guard duty normally rotated among soldiers, in four hour shifts according to Josephus (Ant. 18.169). There are indeed hints in Paul's prison letters that he witnessed to his guards over the two years he was in custody in Rome.(Witherington)

Acts 28:17
he called together the leaders of the Jews: Paul again sticks to his policy of speaking to a new city's Jews first. Paul's statements and actions as a Christian made his Jewishness open to questioning. For example, Jewish prisoners in Rome ate figs and nuts to avoid ritual contamination with unclean food (Josephus Life 14).
Jews had been thrown out of Rome by order of the emperor Claudius in 49 AD, and they only started filtering back in after Nero succeeded to the throne in 54 AD. Roman Jews kept a low profile due to strong Roman anti-Semitism, contrasting with the Jewish city districts and separate laws found in places like Alexandria and Tarsus. Jewish population of Rome probably began in 100s BC, when Jewish slaves were sent there. Roman writers and catacomb inscriptions suggest most Roman Jews were poor and illiterate. This is another reason the Jewish case against Paul likely did nothing in Rome: Jerusalem Jewish authorities felt Paul was far enough away not to bother, while the Roman Jews were too poor to fund a legal case, and uneager to draw attention to themselves. Also, Paul, a Roman citizen, had definite advantages in court against a largely non- citizen Jewish opponents.(Bruce, Witherington)

"Brothers", "nothing against our people or the customs"- Paul starts out stressing his Jewishness and being conciliatory.

Acts 28:18
Who wanted to release Paul? Agrippa. Felix and Festus kept him on, one for money and one for political reasons.

Acts 28:19
the Jews objected: Who? Presuambly these are the chief priests, scribes, and bosses of the Sanhedrin.

any accusation against my nation: Witherington suspects Paul was addressing the possibility of a countersuit here, since Roman law took a dim view of accusing someone of a crime and then not appearing in court to follow the charges up.(Witherington)

Acts 28:20
hope of Israel: This term applied to God in Jer.14:8, 17:3. This leads back to Acts 22:2, where the hope topic is resurrection of the dead, which then links to Jesus and the Gospel. Thus it is Paul desire to witness that made him call the Roman Jews to his residence.

Acts 28:21
There are understandable reasons the Roman Jews know nothing of Paul:
1. Paul only there three days. Any messenger or letter from Jerusalem could easily be running behind Paul.
2. Paul likely arrived in Feb 60 AD, at the beginning of the normal season for sea travel.
3. Jerusalem Jews did not see the need to fight Paul once out of the region.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 28:22
it is spoken against everywhere: The Roman Jews had been exiled from the city due to Jewish/ Christian controversy and demonstrations in 49 AD, historically said caused by one "Chrestus", a Latin misspelling and misunderstanding of the Greek Christos. The pagan understanding of "Christ" lead to confusion and derision, because Latin speakers and many Greek speakers had sloppy speech that made it hard to distinguish the i of Christos (anointed) from the e of Chrestos (useful, good). Chrestos was a term used of both slaves, work animals, and gods, and many donkeys and slaves were named Chrestus. Thus "Christian" could be interpreted in ancient times as "followers of a good god" or "followers of a slave or donkey", without any notion of the Jewish background of Christos, "anointed chosen one of God". (Witherington)

we consider it suitable: presumably "it is only fair".

Acts 28:23
arranging a day: Which allowed Paul to prepare his speeches, assure the Romans not to get excited at a large crowd, and the Jews to gather a larger audience, and prepare rebuttals, too.

many came: The Greek a comparative, indicating a larger group than at the first meeting.

dawn to dusk: This description makes one suspects Paul had multiple groups visit him at intervals that day.

kingdom of God: Jewish shorthand for God's action in the world, thus for Paul Jesus' life and mission.

expounded, witnessed, persuaded- Paul presumably used scripture and rhetorical methods of logical argument to make his case. (Witherington)

Acts 28:24
some were persuaded: Though Bruce wants to translate this more as "gave heed", in the sense of "listened but were not convinced", most translate this as "some were persuaded/became believers", because most people see this story as showing some Jews converted, some not. Those who see it as "no Jews converted" must translate this differently. (Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 28:25
Verses 25-28 comprise Paul's final statement. There is an obvious switch in Paul's language, from "our" in 25:17 to "your" here.

Jesus used this same quote from Is. 6:9-10 in Mark 4:12, Mat 13:13, Luke 8:10, and John 12:39. The point of the quote is plainly to show that the OT prophets predicted Christianity's rejection by a large segment of the Jews. Paul's preamble here also has a nice pointer to inspiration of scripture by saying the Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah.(Witherington, Bruce)

Acts 28:26-27
The quote in Greek here is only slightly altered from the standard Greek Septuagint text.

Acts 28:28
The point here is not the total rejection of the Jews, but rather that Gentiles have been included in God's chosen people. Acts, to even remotely resemble history, must necessarily document both the Gentile reception of the Gospel and the large Jewish rejection of the same Gospel.

This is the third and final announcement against the Jews and turning to the Gentiles in Acts, following Acts 13:46, and 18:6. (Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 28:29
Textual Variant: Verse 29 is bracketed by the HCSB and eliminated in many modern versions because it is only found in certain early Western manuscripts, from where it got into the manuscript family behind the KJV. It is also pretty plainly an explanatory gloss to make the transition from v. 28 to v. 30 smoother. (Metzger)

Acts 28:30
two whole years: Roman author Pliny the Younger says two years is the grace period for those convicted by a disgraced governor to get a new trial to presumably exonerate themselves. Witherington mentions one author's evidence that two years was a common period used in rental agreements.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 28:31
with full boldness: Once more Luke emphasizes the believer's boldness in proclaiming the Gospel, showing such boldness is truly a major theme of Acts.

I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone

At night I could hear the blood in my veins

Black and whispering as the rain

On the streets of philadelphia"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One soft infested summer me and Terry became friends
Trying in vain to breathe the fire we was born in
Catching rides to the outskirts tying faith between our teeth
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house getting wasted in the heat
And hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
With a love so hard and filled with defeat
Running for our lives at night on them backstreets

Slow dancing in the dark on the beach at Stockton's Wing
Where desperate lovers park we sat with the last of the Duke Street Kings
Huddled in our cars waiting for the bells that ring
In the deep heart of the night to set us loose from everything
to go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
We swore we'd live forever on the backstreets we take it together

Endless juke joints and Valentino drag where dancers scraped the tears
Up off the street dressed down in rags running into the darkness
Some hurt bad some really dying at night sometimes it seemed
You could hear the whole damn city crying blame it on the lies that killed us
Blame it on the truth that ran us down you can blame it all on me Terry
It don't matter to me now when the breakdown hit at midnight
There was nothing left to say but I hated him and I hated you when you went away

Laying here in the dark you're like an angel on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Trying to learn how to walk like heroes we thought we had to be
And after all this time to find we're just like all the rest
Stranded in the park and forced to confess
To hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
We swore forever friends on the backstreets until the end
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets

By Ray Phillips

Nashville put away its cowboy boots and twang for a night, and the "The Man from New Jersey" rode into the capital of country music with his motorcycle boots and his brand of Country Music -- U.S.A. style. No hats, white or black, here (whoops, forgot about Clarence). Okay, there were a couple of nods to country music. A surprise rendition of the old Elvis Presley, Sun Records tune "Good Rockin' Tonight" (by request) and an-all-too-short "I Walk the Line." Just Nils and Bruce on the latter, a soulful intro to "I'm on Fire," but I'm still wishing for more. As someone who remembers pre-Elvis rock 'n' roll, it continues to annoy me that country music claims him as its own.

This was my first show since Greensboro in April, and it is amazing how the tour has evolved into a three-hour jam session. Sure, a good portion of the show continues to be structured, but there is a lot of "Okay, what should we play next?" From a cohesive setlist with minor changes to Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. To be honest, I'm not sure which I enjoy more, but it is hard to beat the surprises. I remember seeing Bruce grab the "Rosalita Please" sign at the Rochester show and thinking "Hey, that's kinda cool." Little did I know where that was going to lead.

"Growin' Up" is a particular favorite of mine, but the father/son story Bruce inserted made it particularly special. As a father who has some of the attributes of Bruce's, I know where his father was coming from -- and apparently, with a "Here's to you, Pop," Bruce does also.

This show had a little of everything. From basic, simple, three-chord rock 'n' roll to blow-me-away guitar work by Nils, Bruce and Steve on "Youngstown" and "Murder Inc." A true rarity in "Held Up Without a Gun," and a fun cover of "I Fought the Law." Any downers? Yeah, I guess, but as Frank would say, "too few to mention." And now on to St. Louis. Okay, Forrest, let's see what we're gonna get!

Now we just have to do some serious sorting of stuff!

Also, if anyone wants to adopt a very cute 9 year old cat it will save us a LOT of money.

 Reference works cited include:

1) The Acts of the Apostles: Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary by F. F. Bruce

2) The Acts of the Apostles: A Social-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington III 

3)The Acts of the Apostles: Anchor Bible Commentary by Joseph Fitzmyer

4)International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915): Studylight online edition; Esword dictionaries module download page

5) A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: Bruce Metzger

Acts 23:26
Claudius Lysias- He took the name Claudius when he became a citizen, no doubt in deference to the emperor Claudius. (Bruce)
Most excellent- kratisto, a title belonging to members of the equestrian class of Roman society, from whom most governors of minor provinces were selected.(Bruce)

Felix: and his brother Pallas were both former slaves freed by the emperor Claudius or his mother Antonia. Pallas was for a time one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the empire. Felix may have served in Syria/Judea under Cumanus' governorship in AD 48-52 before becoming governor himself. Felix was recalled from Judea over his harsh treatment of Jewish and Gentile rioters in about 59-60 AD.(Witherington)

Interesting to compare Lysias' version of events with Tertullus' in Acts 24:7. Both men bent the truth to help themselves.(Bruce)

Acts 3:29 no charge that merited death or chains- beginning the litany of Roman voices proclaiming Paul's innocence. If the charge of temple violation had been proven, it would have indeed been a death sentence, but no witnesses could prove the claim. The Romans plainly think the Jews are acting very strangely in their hatred of Paul, since Romans mainly concerned themselves with peace and order, and let other things go their way.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 23:30 Here is probably the most honest and laudable part of Lysias' report, where he confesses to protecting a Roman citizen from a murder conspiracy while passing the man and his case on to higher authority.

Acts 23:31
Antipatris: city built by Herod the Great in 9 BC on the site of the older city Kaphar- Saba and named after his father Antipater. It sits twelve miles north of Lydda and 25 miles south of Caesarea. Two main roads lead to it: one through Lydda and one through Bethel. It marked the border between Judea and Samaria. (Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 23:32
The next day: The troops were able to return because from Antipatris on the land was a plain and occupied mostly by Gentiles. (Bruce)

Acts 23:33
Caesarea was built by Herod the Great on an ancient Phoenicia site called Strato’s Tower. Herod built a Hellenistic city with a great harbor there which he completed in 13 BC. After 6 AD it fell back into the lands controlled by Rome, this time under the province of Judea. It was about 60 miles from Jerusalem, and about 30 miles from Antipatris. (Bruce)

Acts 23:34
what province: The Greek strictly interpreted means "what kind of province", but Bruce finds that over- subtle.
Cilicia: Had been made a Roman province by Pompey in 64 BC, and between 25 BC and 72 AD Cilicia was part of the Syria-Cilicia province, at the time governed by the Roman legate Ummidius Quadratus.(Bruce)

Why did Felix not send Paul on to Syria?
1. The matter was too small to pass on.
2. Roman law emphasized a man facing his accusers, and they were all in Jerusalem
3. The Roman custom of trying a man in his home province was only optional before the second century AD.(Witherington)

Acts 24:1
Ananias ...with some elders: In those days as now, rank and wealth has its privileges. Obviously the Jews were hoping their status would help their plainly weak case. The weakness is also indicated by their hiring:
a lawyer named Tertullus: Tertullus is a common Roman name, a form of Tertius, and this man might have been a Jew (Acts 24:6) and likely a Hellenist, like Paul himself. (Bruce)

Acts 24:5
We have found this man: Tertullus launches his well-thought out charges against Paul, each aimed at alarming Felix:
1. a plague- loimon, "pest, plague" a common term used of criminals and troublemakers, a charge leveled routinely against opponents. "Agitator" was a typical hint toward a more serious charge of sedition, which was often tossed in with other charges in Roman legal proceedings as a dangerous catch-all.
2. ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes: this hints Paul is the leader of another in the seemingly unending series of messianic movements in Judea which were constant problems for the Roman governors. In fact Christianity was about the only apolitical messianic movement of the time.
3. desecrate the Temple: the most serious charge, saved for last, since it is a specific offense that, if proved by testimony, clearly deserves the death penalty, as the signs posted in the Temple grounds plainly declare.(Bruce)

Acts 24:6-7
LITV: and wished to judge according to our law; Act 24:7 but Lysias the chiliarch coming up with much force took him away out of our hands, Act 24:8 commanding his accusers to come to you

This part is not found in early manuscripts, and its omission is hard to explain if original. It fits well the kind of self-serving recasting of facts one expects in court, where the Jews describe their lynch mob as an orderly arrest and Lysias' intervention (that saved Paul from being beaten to death) as violent oppression of Jews enacting their legal rights.

Acts 24:12
Debate about the facets of Judaism were common on the Temple grounds and in synagogues, but Paul flatly denies he engaged in this honest activity, thus refuting charges of being a troublemaker or seditionist.(Bruce)

Acts 24:13
Neither can they provide evidence- Paul here challenges the Jews to prove their charges by proclaiming they have no proof.

Acts 24:14
The Way- ancient shorthand used by religious sects for themselves, like the Essenes and the Christians. Opposing sects and observers typically called such sects haieresis, "sect, school", without a pejorative intention.

Paul cannot deny he is a Christian, and the honesty in confessing it is a point in his favor.

my fathers' God: Paul knows that Roman law has long given Judaism a protected, hands- off status, Paul defines Christianity as a form of Judaism, by statement and by asserting it fits all the things in the Law and the Prophets.(Bruce)

Acts 24:17
charitable gifts and offerings: Luke seems to be downplaying yet again Paul's great purpose in going to Jerusalem: to bring the collection for the poor there. This would certainly fit the very definition of almsgiving, as required in Scripture. It is downplayed perhaps because it did not have the good effect Paul had hope, and also because the collection may have been characterized in Paul's trial as a form of evasion of the Temple tax.(Bruce)

Offerings is a reference to the purification rite Paul underwent, and his participation in the Nazarite ritual of the four Jewish Christians.

Acts 24:18
while I was doing this...found me ritually purified in the Temple: Paul emphasizes both his non-criminal behavior and his Jewish piety.

Acts 24:19-21
Paul refutes the charges of criminal behavior in the Temple a second way, by pointing out none of his accusers in the Temple are present for the trial. He then states the only charge the Sanhedrin can bring against is in fact a theological point which is held even by members of the Sanhedrin--even some of those standing there accusing him!(Bruce)

Paul's notice of the absence of the Jews of Asia is a strong point, as Roman law took a dim view of people who formally condemned people to the law and then did not appear at the legal proceedings, destitutuo, "abandonment". In fact the emperor Claudius was even then getting legislation aimed at punishing such behavior enacted.(Witherington)

Acts 24:22
accurately informed: Felix had been governor of Judea since about 52 AD , and may have served office in the area several years before. He was also married to a Jewish woman, thus he likely knew a great deal about Judaism and its factions.(Bruce)

Witherington, on the other hand, sees this phrase as indicating Felix knew the charges were bogus, and that Paul was some sort of enemy of the Temple authorities. It is this knowledge that makes him adjourn the case under the pretext of waiting for Lysias, whose report he already has. Felix is being the politician, knowing the Jewish authorities are complaining to Rome about him already, and hoping not to irritate them further, while still not obviously ignoring Paul's rights as a Roman citizen.(Witherington)

Acts 24:23
some freedom ...should not prevent any of his friends from serving him: It would seem from these lenient terms that Felix was disposed to believe Paul innocent, but later verses (Acts 24:26) put a different interpretation on the terms. Felix was leaving Paul free in hopes of allowing him to gather a bribe to purchase his freedom. Witherington spends some time on the question of Paul's actual terms of captivity and wealth, but it boils down to his being decently treated but carefully guarded, his access to friends all about getting them to get his own money or theirs for the bribe.(Witherington)

Acts 24: 24
Drusilla- Born in 38 AD, she was the youngest of three daughters of Herod Agrippa I. She was betrothed to a prince who refused to convert to Judaism to marry her, then her brother Agrippa II married her to Azizus, king of Emesa. Then Felix saw her and was smitten by her beauty, and persuaded her to divorce Azizus and marry him, who had already had a previous wife also named Drusilla, who was related to Anthony and Cleopatra. They had a son, Agrippa, who died in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

One assumes that Drusilla was likely the one interested in hearing about Christianity, and as 24:26 says, Felix was likely there in hopes Paul would mention buying his freedom.

Acts 24:25
he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come- Paul not only spoke about Christianity to Felix and Drusilla, he apparently preached to them about their failings, a couple who had left behind previous spouses for each other, Drusilla offending her religion by marrying a Gentile, and Felix being on his third wife and infamous for his greed and cruelty.

Felix became afraid: convicted by the Spirit, perhaps. Certainly frustrated that Paul showed no signs of being so cowed he would try to pay his way to freedom. Witherington points out the message of resurrection to future judgment would have been a new one for Felix, and all the more frightening for Paul's knowledge and sincerity.(Witherington)

Acts 24:26
he was hoping money would be given to him: Apparently Felix's ears shot up when Paul mentioned "charitable gifts and offerings" in 24:17. Bribery was illegal under Roman law, with a sentence of exile and confiscation of wealth, but it went on then as it does today. Albinus, one of Felix's successors (AD 61-5) is noted by Josephus for just such activities.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 24:27
two years: The length of Paul's imprisonment, not Felix's administration, which likely lasted more like seven years. (Witherington)

The Western text here adds "but Paul he kept in prison on account of Drusilla", presumably because Paul had offended her with his preaching which was aimed at Felix and Drusilla's marriage, which was disallowed for several reasons under Jewish law.(Metzger)

Porcius Festus: A relatively unknown governor of Judea, presumably of the famous senatorial clan the Porcii of Tusculum, his term in office was likely 58-62 AD or so. He was less severe in his governing of Judea than his predecessors, but still used military force against any insurrectionists.(Bruce, Fitzmyer)

Acts 25:13
From ISBE: "Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I and Cypros. When his father died in 44 ad he was a youth of only 17 years and considered too young to assume the government of Judea. Claudius therefore placed the country under the care of a procurator. Agrippa had received a royal education in the palace of the emperor himself (Ant., XIX, ix, 2). But he had not wholly forgotten his people, as is proven by his intercession in behalf of the Jews, when they asked to be permitted to have the custody of the official high priestly robes, till then in the hands of the Romans and to be used only on stated occasions (Ant., XX, i, 1). On the death of his uncle, Herod of Calchis, Claudius made Agrippa II “tetrarch” of the territory, 48 ad (BJ, II, xii, 1; XIV, iv; Ant, XX, v, 2). As Josephus tells us, he espoused the cause of the Jews whenever he could (Ant., XX, vi, 3). Four years later (52 ad), Claudius extended the dominion of Agrippa by giving him the old “tetrarchies” of Philip and Lysanias. Even at Calchis they had called him king; now it became his official title (Ant., XX, vii, 1). Still later (55 ad), Nero added some Galilean and Perean cities to his domain. His whole career indicates the predominating influence of the Hasmonean blood, which had shown itself in his father's career also. If the Herodian taste for architecture reveals itself here and there (Ant., XX, viii, 11; IX, iv), there is a total absence of the cold disdain wherewith the Herods in general treated their subjects. The Agrippas are Jews.

Herod Agrippa II figures in the New Testament in Act_25:13; Act_26:32. Paul there calls him “king” and appeals to him as to one knowing the Scriptures. As the brother-in-law of Felix he was a favored guest on this occasion. His relation to Bernice his sister was a scandal among Jews and Gentiles alike (Ant., XX, vii, 3). In the fall of the Jewish nation, Herod Agrippa's kingdom went down. Knowing the futility of resistance, Agrippa warned the Jews not to rebel against Rome, but in vain (BJ, II, xvi, 2-5; XVII, iv; XVIII, ix; XIX, iii). When the war began he boldly sided with Rome and fought under its banners, getting wounded by a sling-stone in the siege of Gamala (BJ, IV, i, 3). The oration by which he sought to persuade the Jews against the rebellion is a masterpiece of its kind and became historical (BJ, II, xvi). When the inevitable came and when with the Jewish nation also the kingdom of Herod Agrippa II had been destroyed, the Romans remembered his loyalty. With Bernice his sister he removed to Rome, where he became a praetor and died in the year 100 ad, at the age of 70 years, in the beginning of Trajan's reign."

Marcus Julius Agrippa was his name as a Roman citizen. He renamed Caesarea Philippi "Neronias" during the reign of the Emperor Nero and always seems to have kept in the good graces of the Romans. He had no children. He and Berenice were not only Judean royalty and friends of the emperor, but former governor Felix's in-laws.
He was intensely disliked by the chief priests in Jerusalem, probably due to his strong Roman sympathies and the authority the emperor gave him over the priests because of it:
1. He could appoint the high priest
2. He kept the high priestly robes necessary for ceremonies.
3. He controlled the Temple treasury. (Bruce)

Julia Berenice: From ISBE:" One of the shameless women of the Bible, mentioned in Act_25:13, Act_25:23; Act_26:30. She was the eldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Act_12:1, Act_12:6, Act_12:11, Act_12:21) who ruled from 38-45 ad. Her whole life from the Jewish standpoint was incestuous. Its story is told by Josephus (Ant XIX, v, 1; XX, vii, 1-3), also by Juvenal (6, 156). Her first husband was her own uncle, Herod of Calchis. After his death she consorted with her own brother Agrippa II, with whom she listened to the impassioned defense of Paul at Caesarea before Felix. For a while she was married to King Ptolemy or Polemo of Sicily, who for her sake embraced Judaism, by the rite of circumcision. But she left him soon to return to Agrippa. Later on she figures shamefully in the lives of Vespasian and Titus, father and son."

Berenice was born in 28 AD. She took a Nazarite vow and failed in an attempt to prevent a massacre of Jews ordered by the Roman procurator Florus in Jerusalem in 66 AD, almost getting herself killed by Roman troops in the process. When the Jewish rebels burnt her Jerusalem home, she turned pro-Roman, and subsequently became the mistress of the future emperor Titus, ten years her junior. Titus eventually had to send her away due to public scandal and disapproval, and Berenice drops out of history at that. The stories of incest have never had firm historical proof, but Herod Agrippa II did never marry.(Bruce)

Acts 25:19
a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive: Here it seems that Festus had indeed grasped the heart of the argument between Paul and the Jews. Acts 24:15 shows Paul focusing on the resurrection of all people to judgment as a strong part of his faith and motivation. Doubtless at some point Paul explained Jesus' part as first of the resurrected and judge at the final day. And apparently it all confused Festus.(Bruce)

Acts 25:23
Herod and Berenice: Berenice was the daughter and wife of kings, and seems to have exercised considerable authority in her own right.

Acts 25:25
when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him: By law Festus was required to send him, as the right of appeal was one of the Roman citizen's oldest rights, originally an appeal to the people against a possibly corrupt judge during the Republic, say about 300 BC. Caesar Augustus was made the court of appeal during his reign, and the right continued on for future emperors, though as the Roman empire grew more corrupt, the right became less and less meaningful, and was even ignored.(Bruce, Fitzmyer)

It has been suggested Paul merely meant that he had wished to be judged by Festus, and not the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem when he appealed to Caesar, but it is not very likely that his statement "I appeal to Caesar" could be understood any other way than as Festus took it. That Festus was probably relieved to have Paul off his hands was a benefit to the governor.(Bruce)

Acts 25:26-7
Festus had earlier court records from Felix's governorship to include in Paul's documentation, but he was formally obligated to write a report of his own, and he plainly felt unsure of exactly how to explain the case, being as unable as the rest of the Romans involved in Paul's case to understand the Jewish stridency over what seemed to Romans rather philosophical questions. Thus he was hoping for Agrippa's help in particular to understand how to outline the case, as well as being able to cite an imperial favorite's help in his report. He also knew well that since the case would be overseen by the emperor himself that he dare not seem to be a lazy administrator or a fool in his documentation if he wanted to keep his job.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 26:22
saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said: Rom 1:2, 16:26; 1 Cor 15:3

Acts 26:23
that the Messiah must suffer: famously derived from the texts of Isaiah, but not at all interpreted that way by most Jews of Paul's day.

first to rise from the dead: 1 Cor 15:20, Rom 1:4. Jesus' resurrection is guarantee of future resurrection, and the two resurrections cannot be separated in Paul's thought.(Bruce)

to our people and to the Gentiles: Quote of Is 49:6

Acts 26:24
Festus' remark is not necessarily offensive, especially since he credits Paul with great learning or study.. Madness, genius, and divine inspiration are all closely tied in the ancient mind, as indeed many today see them as close akin. But none of them is the sort of thing a realistic politician has any use for in a report. Festus either sees Paul as becoming senselessly obsessed with the idea of resurrection, or even finds all this focus on Jewish Scripture lacking any relevance to the real world.(Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 26:25
good judgment: sophrosune is an old word for soberness, soundness of mind, the very opposite of the mania Festus declares Paul is influenced by. Sobriety was a virtue in Greek philosophy. (Witherington)

Acts 26:26
speaking boldly: that constant refrain in Acts repeats itself again. The gospel is to be spoken of boldly, and those who so speak are the true believers.

Acts 26:27
Paul now passes from assuring Festus he is sane, to the historical truth of Paul's gospel as something witnessed by men "not done in a corner", no secret, to asking Agrippa if he doesn't believe the prophets, and therefore, Paul's witness, since he only speaks of what the prophets spoke.

Acts 26:28
Agrippa is definitely a politician, for he crafts an answer here that leaves him safely between two positions he cannot afford to take:
1. Saying "no" could be seen as a denial of the prophets and would destroy his credibility as a defender of the Jews and Judaism.
2. Saying yes would be a tacit admission of the truth of Paul's claims about Jesus, something he also must avoid.

Agrippa's answer is a difficult idiom to translate, but it seems likely a courteous slap to Paul, on the order of "You think to make me a Christian so easily?" It could be seen as Agrippa's judgment that Paul had hardly made a case for his beliefs, as well. (Bruce, Witherington)

Acts 26:29
I wish before God- I pray to God
easily or with difficulty- playing off Agrippa's words.
all who listen ...might become as I am: Christians
except for these chains: likely holding up his chains.

Acts 29:31
doing nothing that deserves death or chains: one more Roman judgment in favor of Paul's innocence.

Acts 29:32
if he had not appealed to Caesar: Agrippa places Paul's predicament on Paul's own shoulders, avoiding the obvious fact that two governors had had over two years in which to release him, especially since both governors felt him innocent.

Witherington also cites Sherwin White's famous book on Roman law as evidence that procurators might still dismiss a case once appealed to the emperor. Witherington states this ignores the realities of the situation. While a procurator might legally dismiss a case appealed to the emperor, in practical terms no subordinate is likely to interfere with his superior's authority and prestige by interfering with something referred to said superior. Thus Festus' best action was to make the best documentation he could and follow the law as carefully as possible, in hopes of not offending either the Jews he was to govern or the emperor to whom he reported.(Witherington)

Juas juas juas juas quien se pensara que iba a hablar del Caballero Oscuro lo tiene claro...

La película Batman dirigida en 1989 por Tim Burton dejó un legado en forma de serie de animación que siguió dignamente con la historia del caballero oscuro, mientras que Batman Forever o Batman & Robin casi logran sepultarlo en la nada.

Esa serie era Batman: The Animated Series, la cual tenía una imponente banda sonora compuesta por la malograda Shirley Walter, quien ya participó junto a Danny Elfman en la composición de Batman y Batman Returns. Como tirón comercial a la fatídica Batman Forever, la serie introdujo al personaje de Robin quien acompañaba a Batman como en la casposa serie de los 60. Lo mismo se hizo con Batman & Robin, donde se creo la serie The Gotham Knights, ahora además salía Batgirl. La serie degeneró con tanto personaje nocturno incordiando, de modo que la cadena dio carpetazo final por la baja audiencia que tenía y desapareció de la parrilla (a Superman tampoco le fue mucho mejor).

Batman apunto de ser echado a patadas por tito Cálico

Entonces fue cuando los creadores de la serie original (Bruce Timm y Paul Dinny) decidieron crear un universo totalmente nuevo, esta vez ambientado en el futuro. La verdad es que se trataba realmente de un experimento para ver si a la gente le gustaba que Bruce Wayne colgara el traje de murciélago (y los leotardos) para que el protagonismo recayera esta vez en un nuevo Batman. Por complicaciones de producción dicha película nunca llegó a estrenarse, fue entonces cuando Nolan retomó el proyecto y lo transformó en BatMementostón Begins.

Esa serie era Batman Beyond (aquí conocida como Batman del Futuro) y se ambientaba 40 años después de la serie original. Esta vez el protagonismo recaía sobre un joven llamado Terry Mc Guiness que pasaría a ser el nuevo Batman después de que su padre muriera asesinado y por razones X acabara en la Batcueva del viejo Wayne. El enemigo a enfrentarse en esta ocasión a un renacido Joker a quien se le creía muerto hace años después de un enfrentamiento final contra el Batman original.

La película en cuestión está basada en esta serie, se trata de una película de animación creada directamente en Vídeo y DVD, con lo que al no tener que pasar por los horarios infantiles de las 9 de la mañana permitía introducir una historia algo más adulta y oscura, con muertes en primer plano y escenas algo más violentas a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados esta serie.

Pese a todo ello, la historia se desarrolla de manera muy forzada, sobretodo por mantener vivos a ciertos personajes de la película que estando en la situación que se encuentran perfectamente podrían haber muerto. Pese a todo ello, la cinta no recae en el aburrimiento y la animación está bastante conseguida, su director de animación es Glen Murakami quien ya participó años atrás en películas tan míticas como Akira.

Como curiosidad, el Joker está doblado por Mark Hammill ("Jay y Bob Contratacan" xD) mientras que las hermanas Dee Dee por Melissa Joan Hart (Cosas de Brujas).

Y nada más, ahora estoy buscando la película de Mask of th Phantasm, que según me han dicho logra estar incluso a la altura de las mejores adaptaciones del hombre murciélago...

PD: Batman Begins es una mierdaaa...

Stumped?  Thanks to Lola for suggesting today's Name of the Day:  Bruce.

That's right.  We all know Bruce Wayne is Batman's billionaire-by-day alter ego.  But did you know that the trio of mechanical sharks in 1975's Jaws were also nicknamed Bruce?  Apparently, they were named in honor of Steven Spielberg's attorney.  If you've seen the fish tale Finding Nemo, you may have noted that the head vegetarian shark is known as Bruce - we assume the wits at Pixar were paying tribute.

Bruce came to Scotland with the Normans.  Chances are it was originally a place name, referring to Le Brix or Brieux.  Both were once considered part of Normandy.  Six of Robert the Bruce's ancestors were known as Robert le Brus and a seventh was William le Brus, the Lords of Annandale.  The best known Robert became King of the Scots in the 1300s.  Contemporary records also refer to him as Briuis and Bruys.

It became a surname for descendants of the legendary ruler, and around the 19th century, a common first name.  So common, in fact, that it would be impossible to list all the notable bearers of the name.  In the US, it was a Top 50 name for two decades - from 1945 to 1965.  We'll include a few Bruces here, but doubtless we've overlooked many:

• Born in the USA legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen;
• Actor, martial artist and icon Bruce Lee;
• 1976 Olympic gold medalist turned reality star Bruce Jenner;
• Actor and intrepid baby namer Bruce Willis;
• And, of course, comic crimefighter Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.

There's even a Bruce Museum, but no it doesn't pay homage to all of the above - it's simply a Greenwich, Connecticut cultural institution that started life as the residence of Robert Moffat Bruce.

For a modern parent, the question probably is this:  Has Bruce been out of favor long enough that's he due for a comeback?

In 1952 - the peak of Bruce's popularity at #25 - other chart-topping names for boys included Gary (#10), Larry (#14), Ronald (#15), Jerry (#26) and Roger (#30).  Along with Bruce, most of them still sound not-quite-ready for revival.

Except that names popular in the same era are starting to be adopted by that baby naming vanguard - celebrities.  The Office's Rainn Wilson and his wife Holiday Reinhorn are parents to Walter; Elvis Costello and Diana Krall have twin sons Dexter and Frank; Jack Nicholson has a son called Raymond.

We'll take Bruce over late 90s sensation Bryce any day.  And it strikes us that plenty of 20-something mamas-to-be are likely to rediscover Roger and Kenneth, Douglas and Wayne.  After all, when once-moldy relics like Henry and Oscar sound positively mainstream, the simplest way to assure a familiar, but not overused choice, is to look at a neglected decade.

When the 40s and 50s come back, expect to hear Bruce as part of the trend.

Ayer, como una buena chica, me fuí a los cines del Thader (uno de esos macro centros comerciales que hay en Murcia) a ver la última película de la saga de Batman: The Dark Knight.

Vale que Batman/Bruce Wayne (horriblemente traducido, en mi opinión, como Bruno Díaz en Latino América, al menos en la versión animada) no está del todo mal, interpretado por Christian Bale; pero, y no quiero que nadie piense que lo digo porque está muerto, para mí, el mejor es el Joker, el ya mítico Heather Ledger...

Para mí, ha sido el mejor villano que Batman ha tenido nunca. Mucho mejor que el Joker de Jack Nicholson, el Dos Caras de Tommy Lee Jones, y mil veces mejor que Enigma (Jim Carrey) o Mr. Frío (Arnold Scharwzeneger). Ledger ha dejado a un villano, villano, para la posterida; no es la imagen de Joker a la que está aconstumbrado el seguidor de la filmografía de Batman, es un Joker más digno del cómic, especialmente, del de The Killing Joke (una historieta que recomiendo abiertamente).

Han descubierto a un villano psicológico, retorcidamente macabro y planificador, y al mismo tiempo (como él mismo Joker se define en la película) es "como un perro que corre tras los coches, si algun día alcanzó alguno, no sabría que hacer". Es el kaos en persona, llega y destroza, casi que sólo con su presencia, todo lo que Batman ha tardado un año entero en construir. Destruye la incorruptibilidad de Harvey Dent, transformando en Dos Caras (la actuación de Aaron Eeckhart no ha estado mal, pero creo que al final del film le falta la dualidad que demostraba más Tomy Lee Jones en ese mismo papel). Pero, la actuacíón que más me ha decepcionado no ha sido la de Eeckhart, sino la de Maggie Gyllenhaal... Diré más... Incluso, prefería antes a mistress Cruise, Katie Holmes.

Más, como decía este payaso que daba tanto terror como risa (sí, en esta peli también te reíes o como mínimo se te pinta la sonrisa) ¿Por qué tan serio?

FICHA:

   Película: Batman - The Dark Knight

   Nota: 7

   Anotación: Trepidante, acción, con unas dosis de miedo irracional y locura que la convierten      en interesante.  Sobresaliente Heath Ledger en el papel de Joker, lo mejor de la película, le        puntuo con un 9.5

 

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