Director: Sandy Collora
Release Date: July, 2003 at San Diego Comic-Con
Rating: Not Rated
The character of Batman has been forced into a lot of shapes. He's gone from a Dark Knight to a comical prime time star using such silly toys as the Bat-phone. Sadly, everyone's perception of what Batman is and what he should be differs from generation to generation.
The truth is that Batman is a dark character. A kid watched his parents murdered and eventually decided to take matter into his own hands to fight crime himself. Realizing that one man fighting crime needed an edge, he resorted to dressing like a bat and stalking his victims before killing them. Yes, he killed them. This goes against a lot of superhero policies including Superman's, which has resulted in Bat's fighting Superman for killing rights.
This is the dark character that all of wish we could be at some point or another. The guy who hurt a family member or ruined someone's life would surely tremble at the site of Batman jumping from a rooftop to extract revenge on them.
Batman: Dead End gives us the Batman that we deserve - the original Batman. A pissed-off Batman. The Dark Knight. This seven minute, fan-made film is possibly the greatest cinematic portrayal of Batman second only to Tim Burton's Batman in 1989.
With a $30,000 budget, Sandy Collora put together a theatrical-quality film that shows us Batman as he was always meant to be. Then it fulfills fans' wildest dreams by introducing fantasy confrontations with Joker, Aliens, and Predator. You heard me right there: Batman vs. Joker vs. Aliens vs. Predator. While many comic books have come and gone exploring these possible scenarios, no movie has dared venture to this realm.
The Story
The film starts out with Batman getting dressed in his grey and black outfit. In the background, a radio reports of the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum, but Bat's is there to put him back where he belongs. After a confrontation, others interfere that are not of this world.
There was no doubt in my mind that this film was made by true-fans (The making-of film confirmed this thought). Typically, Hollywood movies are pieced together by people who know very little of the characters they are dealing with. The end result is often referred to as being "Hollywoodized". While fans are sick of watching their favorite characters do acts they were never meant to do, we can all be rest assured that Collora has given Batman, the Joker, Aliens, and Predator justice.
Using no computer animation and keeping with the music that is associated with each character, this film will throw fans into a flashback of hopeful wishes as they watch a classic battle. This movie is dark, raw, and very satisfying.
Availability
You won't find this film in the theaters or on TV.
Currently, it is available for download on THEFORCE.NET. The largest format of the film is 160 MB and is worth every second you'll have to wait. I do suggest downloading as soon as you can. It's not known if the film will be available on the Internet forever.
While you're at it, download the making-of film available on the same page. It is a great in-depth look at how Sandy Collora set out to do this film. The key to his success was obviously surrounding himself with talented people who were true fans themselves.
Collora says very plainly, "I think directing is a privilege and I don't take that for granted." That attitude is what birthed a new standard in independent movies for years to come that is Batman: Dead End.
The character of Batman has been forced into a lot of shapes. He's gone from a Dark Knight to a comical prime time star using such silly toys as the Bat-phone. Sadly, everyone's perception of what Batman is and what he should be differs from generation to generation.