Batman
This morning I woke up tired, and predictably fell back asleep. This happens every morning, since my corporate departure. It is nice to lay in sleepy laziness, and I thank the heavens that I am afforded the luxury. But still, I wish I was one of those motivated people, like my Dad. He gets up early every morning and goes for a long bike ride or a walk to pick oranges or other such physically and mentally healthy activity. Shouldn't I have inherited these "early bird" genes? Maybe I did, but perhaps I squandered them in my reckless youth.
While I was wasting time looking the ceiling this morning, I thought about Batman. He is obviously one of those really motivated people, like my Dad but times ten. How does he run a hugely successful corporation, swing with the other upper crust at billion-dollar parties, womanize, knit smart sweaters, and fight the forces of evil night after night? I couldn't do it. Even with all the inherited wealth and personal revenge motivation, I couldn't do it. Maybe his trick is that he's a fictional character. I don't know, I'm not one to judge.
Even so I thought Batman could do with a dose of exhaustion reality in a story just for him:
Bruce Wayne was tired. The last few weeks of constant action and boardroom meetings were getting him down. His performance level was edging on dangerous, for himself. So he gets to work, in his free time, on a sleeping pill. A super sleeping pill. This pill would be able to knock you out and give three solid hours of pure REM, and you would wake up refreshed and ready for a complete 21 hour day. So after much labor, he figures it out (for he's a chemistry genius too, didn't you know?), and starts to take them daily.
They work great! He is back to his young ass-kicking self again. Crime is down and stocks are up. But then weird things start to happen. Flashes out of the corner of his eye. A muscle tick at the worse time. He is still a winner still, he is Batman after all, but something's happening. The visions get more real and intense, nightmarish, but he's not tired, strong actually, and getting more and more testy. The daily business and bachelor responsibilities become just as frightening and terrible. He fights harder and harder with his imaginary demons and crawls back to his three-hour bed every morning.
Then one night the unimaginable happens: the bad guy beats Batman. With an army of snakes and netherworldly beasts, the insane fiend tears Batman to pieces. The screen/page goes black.
Several weeks later Bruce wakes up from a mild coma. The newspaper reports a Gotham in turmoil due in part to his insane behavior and subsequent absence as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Alfred nurses him back to health, and pitches the super sleeping pills. Bruce/Batman resumes his daily life as before the sleeping pills, but this time with a firm understanding that he's only human.
Oh, and one more thing: Bubba Ho-tep is awesome.
While I was wasting time looking the ceiling this morning, I thought about Batman. He is obviously one of those really motivated people, like my Dad but times ten. How does he run a hugely successful corporation, swing with the other upper crust at billion-dollar parties, womanize, knit smart sweaters, and fight the forces of evil night after night? I couldn't do it. Even with all the inherited wealth and personal revenge motivation, I couldn't do it. Maybe his trick is that he's a fictional character. I don't know, I'm not one to judge.
Even so I thought Batman could do with a dose of exhaustion reality in a story just for him:
Bruce Wayne was tired. The last few weeks of constant action and boardroom meetings were getting him down. His performance level was edging on dangerous, for himself. So he gets to work, in his free time, on a sleeping pill. A super sleeping pill. This pill would be able to knock you out and give three solid hours of pure REM, and you would wake up refreshed and ready for a complete 21 hour day. So after much labor, he figures it out (for he's a chemistry genius too, didn't you know?), and starts to take them daily.
They work great! He is back to his young ass-kicking self again. Crime is down and stocks are up. But then weird things start to happen. Flashes out of the corner of his eye. A muscle tick at the worse time. He is still a winner still, he is Batman after all, but something's happening. The visions get more real and intense, nightmarish, but he's not tired, strong actually, and getting more and more testy. The daily business and bachelor responsibilities become just as frightening and terrible. He fights harder and harder with his imaginary demons and crawls back to his three-hour bed every morning.
Then one night the unimaginable happens: the bad guy beats Batman. With an army of snakes and netherworldly beasts, the insane fiend tears Batman to pieces. The screen/page goes black.
Several weeks later Bruce wakes up from a mild coma. The newspaper reports a Gotham in turmoil due in part to his insane behavior and subsequent absence as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Alfred nurses him back to health, and pitches the super sleeping pills. Bruce/Batman resumes his daily life as before the sleeping pills, but this time with a firm understanding that he's only human.
Oh, and one more thing: Bubba Ho-tep is awesome.
posted by Stephen "Steve" at 9/04/2004 01:43:00 PM
3 Comments:
Mara said of Bubba-Ho-Tep: "It's the movie we would make if we had a video camera and $1,000."
Awesome, indeed.
I was bloggin about Bubba Ho-tep way back in June. That movie was soooo like, 4 months ago. God, live in the now, Steve.
And why are they making a NOTHER Batman Movie? Why?
I've looked at the movie at the video store a thousand times and talked myself out of it. I think those days are over. Also, Christian Bale is the new batman, what reason do you need other than that?