The Flash (2023)

[Trini]

Forgot earlier: On the suit: After seeing it in action, the cowl still isn't quite right; and I'm not liking the light up elements. I guess they have to add extra 'pizazz' for cinema, but it's a little too much going on.

 

22 hours ago, ursula said:

Just watched the trailer. Is Kiersey Clemons even in this movie?

Yes, she's still in the cast list, but clearly her role and screentime are going to be small.  😠

 

22 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

... I guess DC is hoping they can use Flashpoint to justify starting over again with the James Gunn-verse, a universe that will hopefully send Miller packing. They can fire just about every other actor they employ for no reason, but not this guy? ...

3 hours ago, shrewd.buddha said:

My guess is that the only reason the studio is desperate to make this movie happen is to introduce the DC multiverse - so they can have alternate movie versions of every DC character and dodge fan expectations of continuity. 
...

They really don't need an entire movie to explain a reset. There'll always be a subset of confused people, but if the bottom line is mostly what TPTB care about, it'll be fine. They can just start the new continuity. Might be a controversial opinion, but everything does not have to be connected -- especially for DC, which has always had multiverses, and multiple versions of characters.

[Guest]

22 hours ago, Trini said:

They really don't need an entire movie to explain a reset. There'll always be a subset of confused people, but if the bottom line is mostly what TPTB care about, it'll be fine. They can just start the new continuity. Might be a controversial opinion, but everything does not have to be connected -- especially for DC, which has always had multiverses, and multiple versions of characters.

I agree. I find it bizarre they feel that this movie is vital to resetting the cinematic universe when two of their biggest movie in the last couple of years were different versions of Gotham than the Batfleck one and they have various tv universes.

It’s like they fixated on needed Flashpoint to move forward without ever realizing flashpoint is supposed to be culmination of story telling. It’s crazy to me flashpoint is going to be the first time we see this Barry’s parents or Iris. 

Even with the Ezra baggage, other than nostalgia for a 34 year old movie, there is nothing to make me care about this storyline right now. It’s a Barry we barely know and probably won’t see again altering the world to save someone we don’t know. Working with a Batman we’ll probably never see again and a Supergirl we don’t know and will probably never see again. Resulting in the characters we actually do know being written off. Even if this is done perfectly it’s going to be as confusing to non-comic fans as resetting with no on screen explanation. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, Tenshinhan said:

Supergirl is Latina in this movie, so it makes sense that she would look different.  Not to mention it's an alt-reality version of the character.

 

Not all Latinas are brunette. Some are even blonde.

[Tenshinhan]

29 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Not all Latinas are brunette. Some are even blonde.

Perhaps, but the point is that Supergirl's blonde hair is the result of her being white in the comic books.  If you make her non-white elsewhere, then it's logical enough that her hair color should change as well.

[cambridgeguy]

3 hours ago, Tenshinhan said:

Supergirl is Latina in this movie, so it makes sense that she would look different.  Not to mention it's an alt-reality version of the character.

This movie is going to have quite the set of people complaining about it.  The racists (Supergirl's supposed to be a blonde Caucasian!), the sexists (how dare they replace Clark with Kara!) and the morally outraged about Ezra Miller group.

[starri]

Even divorcing out the troubling things about Ezra Miller, I've always been very mixed on them as a performer.  I thought they were gangbusters in We Need to Talk About Kevin and Perks of Being a Wallflower, but haven't liked them in much else.

That said, I shamefully admit this trailer made me a lot more interested in the movie than I had been.

[ICantDoThatDave]

16 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

This movie is going to have quite the set of people complaining about it.  The racists (Supergirl's supposed to be a blonde Caucasian!), the sexists (how dare they replace Clark with Kara!) and the morally outraged about Ezra Miller group.

I know, right? Just like how if they made John Stewart a white guy or replaced Wonder Woman with a Wonder Man the only reason anyone could object is because they're racist/sexist.

[Tenshinhan]

2 hours ago, ICantDoThatDave said:

I know, right? Just like how if they made John Stewart a white guy or replaced Wonder Woman with a Wonder Man the only reason anyone could object is because they're racist/sexist.

I'm not sure exactly what it is that you're trying to say, but it doesn't help your argument when you start off by making false equivalences.

[Morrigan2575]

20 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

and the morally outraged about Ezra Miller group.

As much as I love Keaton's Batman I refuse to see this because of Miller. 

[tv echo]

‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’, ‘Flash’ & ‘Fast X’ See Super Bowl Surge On Social Media
By Anthony D'Alessandro    February 15, 2023
https://deadline.com/2023/02/guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-the-flash-fast-x-super-bowl-trailers-views-1235261136/ 

Quote

Also breaking through this year was Warner Bros/DC’s The Flash (June 16) and Universal’s Fast X (May 19) which ranked as the third and fourth most watched Super Bowl trailers in RelishMix history respectively with 24 hour viewership of 97.4M and 94.1M. Last year, Marvel Studio’s trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had the most post-game traffic with 93.1M views.

 

[tv echo]

Despite Ezra Miller, I suspect that The Flash will do quite well at the box office.

I took a look at The Flash's box office competition for June 16. Pixar's Elemental is coming out that same weekend, which you think would compete for the family/children demo, but Disney's animated movies (Lightyear, Turning Red) didn't do as well as expected last year, so who knows.

Edited February 22, 2023 by tv echo

[Guest]

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

Despite Ezra Miller, I suspect that The Flash will do quite well at the box office.

I took a look at The Flash's box office competition for June 16. Pixar's Elemental is coming out that same weekend, which you think would compete for the family/children demo, but Disney's animated movies (Lightyear, Turning Red) didn't do as well as expected last year, so who knows.

Turning Red went straight to streaming due to a Covid surge. 

I agree that it will probably do really well if the reviews are as good as expected. There has been more criticism than an expected and every Flash news story spawns a new batch of stories rehashing what happened so I think it will probably negatively impact the box office somewhat.    But most people are probably unaware

I’m really curious to see how they handle the press tour. They can’t let Ezra do interviews and there is no co-lead. 

[Trini]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I’m really curious to see how they handle the press tour. They can’t let Ezra do interviews and there is no co-lead. 

Literally anyone else in the cast? (Even if they're not a lead.) The director?

[cambridgeguy]

2 hours ago, Dani said:

I’m really curious to see how they handle the press tour. They can’t let Ezra do interviews and there is no co-lead. 

I'd expect a heavy dose of Michael Keaton.  Even if his actual screentime makes him more of a glorified cameo, his presence is a major selling point and most fans are looking forward to seeing him.  There will probably be a fair number of interviews with Sasha Calle and Michael Shannon too.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Trini said:

Literally anyone else in the cast? (Even if they're not a lead.) The director?

I’m sure the director will do press but he’s not a big name and won’t work for a lot of what the press expects. There just doesn’t appear to be a lot of option and it seems the movie relies really heavily on Ezra. They didn’t even include Kiersey in the trailer. 
I was thinking of the situation with West Side Story when they had to hide Elgort but they at least other actors with significant roles to handle the press. 

4 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

I'd expect a heavy dose of Michael Keaton.  Even if his actual screentime makes him more of a glorified cameo, his presence is a major selling point and most fans are looking forward to seeing him.  There will probably be a fair number of interviews with Sasha Calle and Michael Shannon too.

That’s what I am expecting which has the potential to really backfire by setting the expectation that they are going to have a more prominent role in the movie. The fans probably know what to expect but I wonder how it will go over with the general audience who aren’t following all the drama. 

[tv echo]

The Flash is apparently getting an advance screening at CinemaCon in April (ahead of its official June 16 release date)...

‘The Flash’ to Screen for the First Time at CinemaCon 2023 (EXCLUSIVE)
By Matt Donnelly    Feb 22, 2023
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-flash-premiere-cinemacon-1235530943/ 

Quote

“The Flash” is set to blaze through CinemaCon 2023, where Warner Bros. Pictures will screen the superhero blockbuster at the annual convention of movie theater owners in April, multiple sources told Variety.

Showing the film in this capacity is yet another sign of Warner Bros.’ passionate support of the project, one that has been saddled with controversy due to trouble surrounding star Ezra Miller. It’ll be the first full screening of “The Flash,” which opens in theaters on June 16.

CinemaCon is taking place in Las Vegas from April 24 through April 27. Major studios typically bring sizzle reels, first-look trailers and trot out celebrities at the yearly gathering, which is designed to get exhibitors pumped about the movies they’ll put on their screens in the coming year.
*  *  *
Warner Bros. is expected to still bring a formal presentation to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, so “The Flash” is scheduled to play in the late afternoon on April 25 after the studio teases its upcoming film slate.

Edited February 24, 2023 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Directors on Ensuring the Film ‘Isn’t Just for Nerds’ and Why They Left ‘The Flash’
By Adam B. Vary    Mar 9, 2023
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/dungeons-and-dragons-directors-sxsw-the-flash-1235548380/ 

Quote

By that point, [John Francis] Daley and [Jonathan] Goldstein had been working on “The Flash” for over a year, as the latest in a storied parade of filmmakers — including Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa and Robert Zemeckis — who’d entertained directing the first live-action movie about the Scarlet Speedster. The film’s star, Ezra Miller, had played the Flash, a.k.a. Barry Allen, already in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017’s “Justice League,” and Goldstein and Daley saw in Miller’s youthfully playful performance a chance to break away from what Daley calls “this mounting sense of fatigue” among audiences for the tropes of superhero cinema.

“We pitched this idea of a ground-level superhero where it isn’t entirely end-of-the-world stakes,” Daley says. “He’s just learning his powers and is also somewhat dysfunctional with his life. The more imperfect we can make a superhero, the better, because that’s the inherent challenge: How do you give imperfection to someone that is, you know, physically perfect?”

Goldstein and Daley say they met with Miller once over dinner before they began working on a script. “They were intense and very bright,” Goldstein says of the actor. “Later, it became clear that they didn’t want to quite do the same thing as we did.”

Miller reportedly wrote a rival version of the script with Grant Morrison, which the studio ultimately passed on. But by that point, Goldstein and Daley were ready to move on.

“It was a number of creative differences that caused us at a certain point to decide that it was time to go,” Daley says. 

Adds Goldstein, “If we feel like the powers-that-be aren’t excited about making the same movie as we are, we’re not going to win that battle. And so it’s better to cut your losses and get out of there.”

Director Andy Muchietti (“It”) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (“Birds of Prey”) took on the project and ultimately got it to a greenlight. Goldstein and Daley, who have a story by credit on the film, recently got to screen it, and they still see their DNA in the movie.
*  *  *
When asked about Miller’s actions, Goldstein and Daley choose their words carefully. 

“All I can say is, having been through the trying process of making a massive film in the best of circumstances, I was very empathetic toward the people that put a loooot of time and then themselves in making the film, like Andy and Christina,” Daley says. “I can only imagine how fraught that must have been for them. But I’m so glad that the finished product is a super fun movie.” He laughs nervously. “Is that diplomatic?”

Goldstein jumps in. “Obviously, you don’t want any headwinds when you’re trying to put a giant, expensive movie out in the world,” he says. “And hopefully, the quality of the film will come through, and people will embrace it.”

Edited March 10, 2023 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Grant Gustin on ‘The Flash’ Movie | Does He Make a Cameo Appearance?
TVLine   Apr 10, 2023

Edited April 11, 2023 by tv echo

[BetterButter]

 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, BetterButter said:

 

Does anyone know if there have been any plot leaks? Because my guess is that nearly everything in that trailer is coming from the the second half of the movie.

I get why they’re doing it but setting up the expectation that Keaton is going to be a huge role could backfire more than just being upfront. It’s not like the people who will skip because of Miller are going to decide to go if they pretend they don’t have a big role. 

[Trini]

4 hours ago, Dani said:

Does anyone know if there have been any plot leaks? Because my guess is that nearly everything in that trailer is coming from the the second half of the movie.

*Now* you might be able to find legit spoilers, since people are posting reactions to the Cinemacon screening.

Different footage in the Japan trailer BTW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSMQmjQR5ZM

 

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Trini said:

*Now* you might be able to find legit spoilers, since people are posting reactions to the Cinemacon screening.

 

I saw that. It’s one of the only times I do not care at all about being spoiled. Though I’m not sure I can wade through anymore of the “this is the greatest superhero movie EVER” hype. 

20 minutes ago, Trini said:

Different footage in the Japan trailer BTW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSMQmjQR5ZM

 

Thanks for posting that. Interesting that in other countries it’s not being advertised as Michael Keaton starring in The Flash as BATMAN. It does look like a movie I would probably enjoy storywise but some of the effects looked really bad and I never notice that kind of thing. Plus I really hope Sasha Calle is better in the movie because I am not liking her parts of the trailer. 

I’m still going pass on it in the theater but will probably watch on streaming when I can fast forward past Ezra. 

[tv echo]

THE FLASH Director Talks Possible Sequel Plans, Movie's Place In The DCU, And Ezra Miller's Ongoing Recovery
By Josh Wilding    Apr 26, 2023
https://comicbookmovie.com/the-flash/the-flash-director-talks-possible-sequel-plans-movies-place-in-the-dcu-and-ezra-millers-ongoing-recovery-a202916#gs.vugcob 

Quote

The first screening of The Flash took place at CinemaCon yesterday evening and, for the most part, the response has been very positive. We've all grown wary of glowing social media reactions like those, of course, especially as reviews so often differ.

Director Andy Muschietti was on hand following that screening to hype up the DC Comics adaptation, including potential sequel plans.

The filmmaker chose his words carefully and offered the expected response. "We didn't talk about it," he started. "I think that we're all waiting to see how this movie does. Of course, there's excitement about continuing the story, especially if this movie's successful."

"Of course, there's an architecture in DC that is brewing, and it's being created. And the question is, will this new architecture absorb this story? The good thing about the multiverse is that it is possible. The multiverse allows all of these different worlds to coexist and interact. And so hopefully, yes. We don't know yet. That's the truth."
*  *  *
Not helping The Flash franchise's future is the fact it still has a troubled lead in star Ezra Miller. The actor wasn't present at CinemaCon and isn't expected to promote the movie, but Muschietti did share a brief update. 

"Ezra is well now," he stated. "We're all hoping that they get better. They're taking the steps to recovery. They're dealing with mental health issues, but they're well. We talked to them not too long ago, and they're very committed to getting better."

Edited April 26, 2023 by tv echo

[Trini]

8 hours ago, Dani said:

... Though I’m not sure I can wade through anymore of the “this is the greatest superhero movie EVER” hype. 

It's ridiculous, and tiring, and I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. (Especially when Spiderverse 2 is coming out the same month.)

[tv echo]

[Starfish35]

4 hours ago, tv echo said:

Ok that’s funny. 😂

[Trini]

There have been some advanced screenings (not just to movie critics/press), *so spoilers are out there*; even in the mainstream trades.

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

There have been some advanced screenings (not just to movie critics/press), *so spoilers are out there*; even in the mainstream trades.

Not a problem for me. This way I’ll know which parts to fast forward to when it’s on streaming.

[tv echo]

Considering the grooming allegations made against Ezra Miller in real life, who thought it was a good idea to use the scene of a tween girl shouting "I love you" at his character in a promo for the film? ...

Edited May 29, 2023 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘The Flash’: Director Andy Muschietti Says No One Else Can Replace Ezra Miller If There’s A Sequel
Charles Barfield    May 30, 2023
https://theplaylist.net/the-flash-director-andy-muschietti-says-no-one-else-can-replace-ezra-miller-if-theres-a-sequel-20230530/

Quote

In an upcoming episode of The Discourse podcast (which will be released closer to the film’s debut), filmmaker Andy Muschietti and his producing partner, Barbara Muschietti raved about Ezra Miller’s performance as Barry Allen in “The Flash.” In fact, when asked if there is a chance Miller could be replaced in a sequel, considering all of the issues the actor has experienced in their personal life, Andy Muschiettie feels as if there isn’t anyone else who can take over the role and do a better job. Therefore, if a sequel is made and the Muschiettis are involved, Ezra Miller will star.

“If [a sequel] happens, yes,” Andy Muschietti said about Miller returning for another ‘Flash’ film. “I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did. The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. And, as you said, the two Barrys – it feels like a character that was made for them.”

Barbara Muschietti added, “In principal photography, Ezra was brilliant and the most committed and the most professional [actor]. Ezra gave everything for this role – physically, creatively, emotionally. They were absolutely supreme.”

Edited May 31, 2023 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Here Comes ‘The Flash’: A Low-Profile Ezra Miller, the ‘Secret Ending’ Warners Is Trying to Preserve and a Sequel Script on Ice
By Tatiana Siegel    Jun 3, 2023
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-flash-release-ezra-miller-premiere-secret-ending-sequel-1235632040/ 

Quote

With just 13 days to go before the film’s June 16 release, titular star Ezra Miller has done no press and will make a low-profile appearance at the Los Angeles premiere on June 12, only posing for photos rather than doing interviews. The film’s director, Andy Muschietti, and cast members Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle and Michael Shannon will also hit the red carpet that will be missing the standard press gauntlet. (The film’s Michael Keaton and fellow DC Universe superhero Jason Momoa will miss the premiere as they are filming movies in London and New Zealand, respectively.)
*  *  *
“Ezra wants the movie to open and the conversation to be about the movie and not about Ezra,” a source close to Miller explains. “They are focused on their mental health and don’t want it to be transactional.” (Miller uses they/them pronouns.)
*  *  *
But will Miller’s lack of shilling hurt “The Flash’s” box office prospects? The answer appears to be no. The film is tracking for an estimated $75 million opening, higher than 2018’s standalone “Aquaman,” which went on to earn $1.15 billion worldwide after gaining huge momentum abroad. In lieu of Miller’s junketing, Warners has been aggressive with its advertising, putting the film’s trailer into heavy rotation during the NBA and NHL playoffs.

Warners’ decision to throw one premiere only, just four days ahead of the film’s release, has raised eyebrows around town. But a knowledgeable source explains that the move had little to do with Miller and was made “to keep the ‘secret ending’ under wraps.” The version that screened at CinemaCon in April ended abruptly, with a chunk of the final scene missing. At screenings on the Burbank lot this week, the final scene was intact, but Warners blurred out key elements. In fact, the final scene was changed multiple times pre-CinemaCon, the source adds. At the height of Miller’s PR problems, Warners was looking to keep its options open with regards to the future trajectory of the speedster.

For additional PR exposure, Warners is hosting “Flash” screenings — sans Miller — in key cities including one tonight in London that Keaton will introduce as well as events in Toronto, Miami, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Sao Paolo with Muschetti. The studio also has launched a massive word-of-mouth screening program with 400 across the United States and Canada. 

Though Warners never announced it, the studio already has a finished sequel script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“Aquaman”) if a Part 2 is in the cards. That script is said to have guest-starred Keaton’s Batman and Calle’s new Supergirl. Muschetti, for one, wouldn’t consider recasting Barry Allen/The Flash. “If [a sequel] happens, yes,” Muschietti told the Discourse podcast about bringing back Miller. “I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did. The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. It feels like a character that was made for them.”

Edited June 5, 2023 by tv echo

[Guest]

12 hours ago, tv echo said:

“Ezra wants the movie to open and the conversation to be about the movie and not about Ezra,” a source close to Miller explains. “They are focused on their mental health and don’t want it to be transactional.” (Miller uses they/them pronouns.)

I’m honestly surprised how much this pissed me off. My first reaction to what Ezra wants and the idea of a sequel is profanity laced. My second reaction is that I am glad there are still comments like this to remind of just how strongly I feel about not supporting them. I’m not even sure I will be willing to give them the appearance of support by watching on (HBO)Max. 

I’m guessing all the Supergirl and Batman parts will be up on TikTok by then so I can probably watch the only parts that don’t make me want to fling stuff at my tv. 

Unless the surprise ending is Miller’s Flash dying in an unsympathetic way, DC’s handling of this might me enough for me to write off DC movies entirely. The really sad thing is that it wouldn’t be much of a loss. It does make me interested enough that I will probably seek out the full plot to find out the surprise which must be available given how many previews they’ve done to convince everyone it the “greatest superhero movie ever”.

[rmontro]

On 2/14/2023 at 12:15 AM, millennium said:

And it sucked.   Michael Keaton as Batman sucked.  The whole movie sucked.  Tim Burton sucks.  Jack Nicholson -- more than anyone -- ruined the film.   I thought the whole thing was awful, the badness epitomized by that corny five-second sequence of the Batplane improbably stopping in mid-air for a silhouette shot against the disk of the moon

I can't disagree more.  I also watched the Batman '66 series multiple times and read Batman comic books.  I thought the '89 Batman was great, some bad dialogue here and there notwithstanding.  Nicholson was great as the Joker, and nearly ever line he spoke was memorable and quotable.  I remember people complaining about that Batwing against the moon - I understand why they didn't like it but it never bothered me.  I wish Burton would have had the chance to direct the third Batman movie, it would have been a lot better IMO.  

I say all that just to show people can have contrasting opinions.  I'm really looking forward to seeing Keaton reprise his Batman role in this one.  "You want to get nuts?  Let's get nuts".   As for Ezra Miller, I could care less what he did or does off the screen, other than to say I hope he gets some help.

[Bruinsfan]

I saw a recent trailer or presentation that was very Michael Keaton heavy and featured Miller playing both the version of his character from Justice League and one who is apparently one of Adam Sandler's developmentally disabled man-child characters. I suppose Warner Brothers hopes that will draw in the people who'd like cringeworthy comedy mixed in with their dystopian apocalypse movies.

HARD PASS

[Trini]

Review embargo lifted today, BTW.

[millennium]

On 6/5/2023 at 11:46 PM, rmontro said:

I can't disagree more.  I also watched the Batman '66 series multiple times and read Batman comic books.  I thought the '89 Batman was great, some bad dialogue here and there notwithstanding.  Nicholson was great as the Joker, and nearly ever line he spoke was memorable and quotable.  I remember people complaining about that Batwing against the moon - I understand why they didn't like it but it never bothered me.  I wish Burton would have had the chance to direct the third Batman movie, it would have been a lot better IMO.  

I say all that just to show people can have contrasting opinions.  I'm really looking forward to seeing Keaton reprise his Batman role in this one.  "You want to get nuts?  Let's get nuts". 

I have rewatched the newest Batman movie three or four times.   Probably the same for the Nolan trilogy.   I have never felt the inclination to watch the Keaton/Burton movies again.   As for the lines being "memorable and quotable," it seemed to me it was because they were contrived and deliberately written to be "tag lines."  That was the era when movie characters had to have a tag line (i.e. "Go ahead, make my day.")  

"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" 

The worst.  It's not jokey, it's not punny, it has no relation whatsoever to the Joker's character.   Like the rest of the movie, it felt very contrived to me. 

Different jokes for different folks, I guess.

On 6/5/2023 at 11:46 PM, rmontro said:

As for Ezra Miller, I could care less what he did or does off the screen, other than to say I hope he gets some help.

For me, it's a fundamental conflict -- a real-life criminal should not be portraying a superhero.

Edited June 7, 2023 by millennium

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Trini said:

Review embargo lifted today, BTW.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_flash_2023

Right now it’s 72% on rotten tomatoes. Given the hype they have been building, I was expected the critics to be gaga over it. I’m really curious to see what the audience reaction is going to be. 

[tv echo]

The Flash Movie Announces Free Early Screenings
By Klein Felt Posted: June 05, 2023
https://thedirect.com/article/the-flash-movie-free-early-screenings 

Quote

U.S.-based movie ticketing company Fandango announced a series of early screenings for the upcoming DC film, The Flash. 

These free early screenings will occur on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. local time. Below is a list of participating theaters:

• Cinemark Hollywood 16 - Amarillo, Texas
• AMC Newcity - Chicago, Illinois
• AMC Northpark 15 - Dallas, Texas
• UA Colorado Center Stadium 9 & IMAX - Denver, Colorado
• Cinemark 16 - Harlingen, Texas
• Regal Dole Cannery - Honolulu, Hawaii
• Regal Greenway Grand Palace - Houston, Texas
• AMC Grove 14 - Los Angeles, California
• Regal Hollywood Stadium 27 & RPX - Nashville, Tennessee
• AMC Empire - New York, N.Y.
• AMC Altamonte Mall - Orlando, Florida
• Harkins Camelview at Scottsdale Fashion Square - Phoenix, Arizona
• Regal UA Laguna Village - Sacramento, California
• Megaplex Valley Fair - Salt Lake City, Utah
• Santikos Silverado 8 - San Antonio, Texas
• AMC Fashion Valley - San Diego, California
• AMC Metreon 16 - San Francisco, California
• Regal Thornton Place - Seattle, Washington
• Landmark E Street Cinema - Washington D.C.

Edited June 7, 2023 by tv echo

[rmontro]

18 hours ago, millennium said:

I have rewatched the newest Batman movie three or four times.   Probably the same for the Nolan trilogy.   I have never felt the inclination to watch the Keaton/Burton movies again.   As for the lines being "memorable and quotable," it seemed to me it was because they were contrived and deliberately written to be "tag lines."  That was the era when movie characters had to have a tag line (i.e. "Go ahead, make my day.")  

It was definitely a product of its time, but I don't hold that against it.  Same with Batman '66.

As for the Joker, while there were several plot points that didn't match the comics, there were others that did.  Like the falling into the vat of acid bleaching his skin (you didn't have that with Heath Ledger), the mindless murder, the Joker gas, the breakaway hand, the goofy jokes like the chattering teeth and "you wouldn't hit a man wearing glasses, would you?".  I didn't like the Joe Chill retcon, but I don't think Nicholson's Joker was any further from the comics than Ledger's.

[millennium]

10 hours ago, rmontro said:

but I don't think Nicholson's Joker was any further from the comics than Ledger's.

IMO, Mark Hamill's the best Joker we'll ever get.  

[rmontro]

12 hours ago, millennium said:

IMO, Mark Hamill's the best Joker we'll ever get.  

A lot of people think so.  I'm certainly open to different interpretations.  Didn't care for the Jared Leto version though.

[Starfish35]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

Didn't care for the Jared Leto version though.

Well.  I mean.  Jared Leto. 

[tv echo]

Marketing ‘The Flash’: No Ezra Miller, But Lots of Batman and TV Spots
BY BORYS KIT, AARON COUCH    JUNE 7, 2023
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-flash-warner-bros-ezra-miller-1235509432/ 

Quote

Instead of touting its star, the studio has put the focus on the film itself, hyping it to perhaps unrealistic levels. CEO David Zaslav and DC Studios co-head James Gunn have publicly said the feature is among the greatest superhero movies of all time. This has sparked bemused head-shaking from some at Warners who question the wisdom of setting such high expectations. 

“It can’t be the studio telling you it’s good; your friends have to tell you it’s good,” says one insider.

The first reviews, which dropped June 6, are solid, but not the type of notices received by The Dark Knight, considered the greatest film of the genre. The Flash currently sports 72 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, good enough to beat Joker, Warners’ 2019 Oscar-winning, $1 billion hit, which has a 69 percent score.
*  *  *
So far, Warners has sidelined Miller in the press in favor of director Andy Muschietti, producer Barbara Muschietti and Supergirl actor Sasha Calle as ambassadors for the film.   

On June 12, Miller is expected to attend the film’s premiere, which will likely be branded as a “fan event” — one where stars walk the carpet but answer no questions from journalists. The studio previously has experience in such hybrid events. In April 2022, it held a New York event for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which was mired in its own controversies around author J.K. Rowling, the recasting of Johnny Depp — and even Miller, who was arrested in Hawaii days before the event.

Instead of touting its star, the studio has enlisted famous champions, courting celebrities for advance screenings. Stephen King has seen it. (“As a rule I don’t care a lot for superhero movies, but this one is special. It’s heartfelt, funny, and eye-popping,” he tweeted.) So has Jaden Smith. (“ummm best movie ever,” he wrote on Instagram.) Tom Cruise also was treated to an advance screening at his home. (He did not tweet his review, but is said to have liked it.) In fact, the studio mounted what one person described as one of the more robust screening campaigns in recent memory to build buzz, with tens of thousands seeing it.
*  *  *
“They are spending huge, huge. This is a massive campaign,” says the executive familiar with these rollouts.

And if Warners can’t bank on the Flash himself to bring audiences in, it is hoping that Batman, one of the biggest superheroes in the world, can, as well as the nostalgia factor for a returning Michael Keaton. Both have been heavily profiled in the campaigns, and Keaton showed up for a fan event in London last weekend.

But it’s unclear if it’s resonating. Having both Keaton and Ben Affleck back as Batman has drawn comparisons to ground trod by the successful Spider-Man: No Way Home (unfairly, as Flash was to have originally arrived in theatres before that movie). And on the flip side, moviegoers can feel like they just recently saw a Batman movie, in the form of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, released in 2022.  
*  *  *
Normally, studios would also have a big movie’s stars blanket late night talk shows, but due to the writers strike, those shows have shut down. That has been a blow to movies, but in the case of Flash, it may prove advantageous. Miller isn’t conspicuously absent from the shows, and co-stars don’t have to field awkward questions about their troubled star.

Edited June 9, 2023 by tv echo

[baldryanr]

3 hours ago, tv echo said:

But it’s unclear if it’s resonating. Having both Keaton and Ben Affleck back as Batman has drawn comparisons to ground trod by the successful Spider-Man: No Way Home (unfairly, as Flash was to have originally arrived in theatres before that movie). And on the flip side, moviegoers can feel like they just recently saw a Batman movie, in the form of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, released in 2022.  

That's partially true, but at least they used other Spider-men - it's not like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine popped up to mentor Peter.  WB probably wishes Michael Keaton wasn't filming in London since he hasn't really popped up to do interviews or sell the movie in the US.  That might have been a good thing if Miller was able to do the usual stuff (no bitching about how much attention Batman is getting in a Flash movie) but that's obviously out.  Sasha Calle seems charismatic and will hopefully use this to earn bigger roles, but based on the trailers she seems to be the fourth most important character in the film behind the two Barry's and Keaton.

[Trini]

4 hours ago, baldryanr said:

WB probably wishes Michael Keaton wasn't filming in London since he hasn't really popped up to do interviews or sell the movie in the US. 

I don't think Keaton's location has anything to do with it; the only person who is doing proper interviews to promote is Muschietti. Seems like the cast is keeping their distance (for good reason).

[millennium]

I don't think Stephen King has ever passed up an opportunity to supply a blurb.

[tv echo]

In The Flash, Warner Bros. hopes you forget Ezra Miller’s troubles
By Alex Abad-Santos   Jun 12, 2023
https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/6/12/23755803/the-flash-movie-review-ezra-miller 

Quote

Is The Flash stupendously good? Not really! Is it even worth getting into a discourse of art versus artist? No. Is there anything exceptionally exceptional about Miller’s performance? I don’t think so! The Flash and Miller are fun, but Hollywood is full of charming young-ish actors who don’t have arrest records and disturbing cult allegations that could easily hit these beats!

If The Flash makes a billion dollars, Miller stays on. If it flops, Miller is ostensibly out. In a few weeks it’ll become clearer what Miller’s role will be, what Warner Bros.’s future looks like, and if this gamble paid off. And that feels like a story, maybe a truer one about how superhero movies get made.

Edited June 12, 2023 by tv echo

[Trini]

Huh - Ezra attended the Hollywood premiere. Thought for sure WB would keep them in hiding until enough money was made.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Trini
spelling, d'oh!

[ShadowHunter]

10 hours ago, Trini said:

Huh - Ezra attended the Hollywood premiere. Thought for sure WB would keep themm in hiding until enough money was made.

Ezra did a few Interviews and the Introduction before the movie started. It really is something.

[BetterButter]