Batman: Hothouse Online

[cxmxalex]

Also, I'm sure many noticed, but anyways: I tried to throw in a bunch of DC Comics references throughout the film.

--James Gordon's Chicago, Illinois background was first explored in "Batman: Year One". I made a passing reference to it when Detective Glenn Calloway was chastising Gordon for not knowing the differences in police functionality between Chicago and Gotham.
--In the opening scene at the Thornhill Mansion, Lt. Gordon tells Det. Kulesa that Kulesa should be careful to entertain the existence of urban legends (Batman), and also that maybe she should attempt telling Commissioner Loeb about the 'archer in Seattle'. Obviously the archer Gordon's referring to is the Green Arrow.
--The very corrupt Police Commissioner Gillian Loeb is mentioned several times throughout "Hothouse". In the opening scene, Jane Kulesa and her partner Glenn Calloway are revealed to be Loeb's special force who have been out for blood since the Cobblepot case. Next, he's mentioned on the rooftop scene of the GCPD headquarters, where Gordon updates Batman on everything going down internally in the GCPD. He calls Calloway "Loeb's southern lawman", a reference to Calloway's roots from the south. In the upcoming web series "Nightwing: Escalation", Gillian Loeb will be portrayed by actor Phillippe Bernandin. I'll be taking a portrayal combining his comic book character and the Nolanverse interpretation.
--Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, is mentioned several times throughout "Hothouse". Whatever harm he caused the GCPD and Gotham, it was severe. I played around with the notion that he in fact at one point become Mayor of Gotham City, like in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns", and therefore hurt the city's trust in him. Our actor who portrayed Lt. Gordon, Joe Forestano, even had several pins from the 1992 film. But we decided against it. Cobblepot is mentioned again when George and Jim "The Tower" Nelson are waiting for him to execute a drug deal, until Batman interrupts and cancels it. George mentions Cobblepot loves to make Kulesa's camp "play the waiting game". So, apparently, Cobblepot is still on the loose and at large in Gotham.
--Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow, is mentioned when Kulesa is dealing with Dominique Alioso and George Georgiou at the Gotham pier. Kulesa threatens that George will get thrown into Arkham if he's hopped up enough on Edenspring, saying Crane will "love studying" him. This implies that Crane has a free pass from certain individuals in the GCPD, and that the corruption in Gotham City runs very deep, even to Arkham. In "Nightwing: Escalation", Crane will be portrayed by actor Wesley Curtis.
--In the Gotham pier scene, Kulesa tells Dominique that if she isn't on a plane in 48 hours to Metropolis, she will be thrown back into prison personally by Kulesa. I don't even need to explain Metropolis' importance in DC Universe lore.
--Kulesa mentions Stonegate Prison, a prison from the Batman animated series of the 90's. She tells George that if he's lying to her, he'll be thrown back in there, implying that he in fact has served time in the past, but now Kulesa utilizes his skills when possible.
--With his back against a wall, betrayed by his part-time lover and full-time partner Jane Kulesa, Glenn Calloway confesses that his wife Julie and himself have discussed many times moving to Coast City. Coast City of course being the hometown of Hal Jordan, one of Earth's Green Lanterns.

A few other production notes:
--In the opening scene at the Thornhill Mansion, the reason for the piss-poor lighting set-ups and many BAD shadowing was that the cinematographer Eric Platenyk took "ill" that night and literally left set to return home and get rest. I was left in charge of the camera for the first time in my life in the 85 degree New York heat, and didn't know what to do. I didn't want to alter lighting set-ups because it'd up continuity, so, I trucked through it, with mixed results. I only wish I knew back then what I know now about lighting!!
--Originally the opening shot was to be a wide shot jib-down to the crime scene. A jib is a crane-like piece of filming equipment used to perform crane shots. We did rent a jib from a New York City company, TCS, but Platenyk and his A.C. Tyler Kulp had issues setting it up that ultimately ended in failure. Hence, the makeshift dolly shot, which worked almost as well but nowhere near as dramatically as the "Watchmen" style shot would've worked.
--In the opening scene, the "crowd of onlookers" were the children and owners of the location we were using, as it was a residential house in East Meadow, Long Island, New York. Scattered amongst them are obviously Rachel Barker as Pamela Isley but also my still photographer, Rich Forestano, and my assistant director, Jonathan D. Rodriguez. Rich's brother Joe portayed Lieutenant Gordon, and Rich was also my roommate at Hofstra.
--Glenn Calloway was portrayed by "Hothouse" fight choreographer Travis Youssef. I felt a stronger actor would've sufficed better as Calloway because to me, Youssef missed the boat. But I suppose that's on my head, too. His name is derived from the real names of two WWE professional wrestlers--Kane and The Undertaker, who in the WWE storylines are half-brothers. Kane's real name is Glenn Jacobs, while Undertaker's is Mark Calloway. Glenn Calloway is born. The character of Glenn Calloway however was loosely based off of FBI agent Melvin Purvis, who was portrayed by Christian Bale in Michael Mann's recent film "Public Enemies" as the agent spearheading the search for public enemy number one, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp). I also took pieces of Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) from "The Silence of the Lambs" in that they came from small-town southern town law roots to become something greater. It was implied throughout the story that Calloway knew about Kulesa's corruption, and buried the memories with alcohol. Though we only briefly see it, we can see that his marriage is troubled and that he is not in complete control of his life.
--Jane Kulesa, portrayed by Alexa DePasquale, was an original character just like Calloway whom I felt would provide an interesting foil for Pamela Isley and Batman and a perfect representation of police corruption in Gotham City. Again I felt the acting could've been stronger on DePasquale's end, but nevertheless, we go forward. Kulesa is named after a good friend of mine, Mike Kulesa, a fellow indie filmmaker who's always supported me throughout my works. His films "A Recent Event That Changed My Life" and "Roses" are online on Youtube.com. He also made a cameo in my first film "Illusions of Happiness" in October 2008 and served as boom operator on my 2009 film "Waiting Whales". It was on his very first short film "Last Chance" where I took my first ever film crew position as boom operator.
--During the George/The Tower botched drug deal scene, that was all-natural lighting. Street lamps and building lights provided the needed illumination. It is one of the few scenes save some of the interior Calloway Household scenes where we utilized natural lighting.
--Though never given a name, Andrew James Nelson's portrayal of Jim "The Tower" Nelson caused many a laugh on set and during watching of the footage, especially in the drug deal scene with George (Moises Carelus). He was nicknamed The Tower the day we filmed the Calloway House scenes, because of his size and girth that were simply tower-like. The drug deal scene is hilarious in that it displays the "two dumb henchmen" mentality perfectly and it also illustrates that neither of them are really listening to each other, with George's very nonchalant approach to things and his dead-on weather observations juxtaposed with The Tower's heated intensity and anger as to why he doesn't know where Dominique is.
--Dominique Alioso was portrayed by Alysse Zecha, a non-actress Hofstra Dance Team member who I'd met years prior at Hofstra University while studying film. Zecha portrayed an ex-girlfriend character in my film "Waiting Whales". She was a good friend of Rachel Barker's, so, we threw her into "Hothouse". And although she looked a bit too young for the part of Dominique and overacted at times, I thought she did an admirable job. She did play a bigger role later in the film but her part was cut down and eventually almost cut out because she her availability wasn't accommodating to our needs. Basically, Detective Kulesa forced her to go to Metropolis hahaha. It is unknown what happened to The Tower after he was concussed at the hands of Batman, literally. It is believed he returned to serving time at Stonegate while George was released from prison.
--On the rooftop, Lt. Gordon tells Batman a story about an experience he had at the court house encountering Pamela Isley and George Georgiou. This scene was originally in the John Francis Moore comic, and we were going to film it, but with the hectic production schedule, were forced to cut it out. It essentially became a monologue for Gordon, one that I like.
--Detectives Calloway and Kulesa do not appear in John Francis Moore's original tale. The original tale is much more straightforward and laced with beautiful character subtleties, much of which came out into my film, but not all (unfortunately). The scene which suffered the most from the constrictions of actor availabilities, budget and time was unquestionably the final climatic scene. In the comic book, Ivy and Batman have a LOT more physical interaction and dialogue, and Batman doesn't snap out of Ivy's "hold" so quickly. In reality, when we filmed that scene it was around 2:30 A.M. in Locust Valley, New York, at the residence of Alexa DePasquale. So, the actors chose to cut things down, and I approved it, in the interest of wrapping at a timely hour. Before people jump on me about giving actors leeway and sacrificing my vision, just know that by that point I was wallowing away in $3,000+ debt because of many mishaps on set that I won't go into at the moment (mainly equipment/car tow/car ticket based) and had barely slept in 2 days. A change was needed. Do I regret it? Hell yes. But, you try switching places with me given the context, and see how you perform hahahaha.
--The fight scene choreographed by Travis Youssef depicted Batman (Bryan Morton) vs. George Georgiou (Moises Carelus). In the comic book, "George" is Victor, a friend of Dominique and a thug, who is a clean-cut Caucasian blonde. I opted to go in a different direction. Moises, though obviously not an actor, has a certain presence to him when pushed in the right direction, and the fight scene was unquestionably his best scene in the film. Although more angles were needed to really sell it, it turned out much better than I hoped. Much of the comic book was retained here faithfully.
--Joe Forestano as Lt. Gordon chose to use a hairpiece to sell the look of a young, soon-to-be grizzled lieutenant on the rise in the ranks of a corrupt police force. He chose to do his own take on Gordon, not taking too much from Pat Hingle or Gary Oldman's portrayals.
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BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[Deapoolfan]

I just watched it and I have to say way to go! Amazing job! I agree with others about the film in most respects especially when it comes to sound editing, but hey no one's perfect.

The acting from the leads (Batman, Gordon, Ivy and a surprisingly good Alfred cameo) was, thankfully, very good. Especially your actress for Ivy. She wasn't just beautiful, but a great actress and very fitting for the role. Batman was good enough, I'd say average, but when he talked I just loved his voice.

The camera work was pretty consistent most of the way through. But I just have one major gripe; I thought the Batman/George fight scene was terribly edited. It was choppy, inconsistent and the fight not very well choreographed. It was the ONLY time through the whole thing that I actually cringed.

But all in all this didn't barely affected the quality of the film for me. It was an enjoyable film where the writing REALLY shone. I commend you on such an impressive effort and hope you get even better next time around. I'll be looking forward to more from you. Keep up the great work!
_________________
"Death is a learning process."

-No clue who said it

[reptile84]

Wow..So I missed a lot more story details.
Me needs to watch this a 4th time.

I also like the ending scene where Gorden spots Batmans' shadow and is startled. I take it, this implies Batman is also watching HIM.

Yes, I understand the 'money' thing. When I was involved in a fan film as prop guy, I ended up spending about $800 of my own money to make a top notch effort which paid off.
Unfortunately the film never got completed although all the footage was done; bad management....but that's another story.

I think you are apologizing too much over details.
This was a good film and will be a favorite on youtube, I'm sure.

[BiohazardXBW]

i am gona give this a watch when i got tome.

[cxmxalex]

Thanks Biohazard! Would LOVE to hear your thoughts.
_________________
BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[BiohazardXBW]

just got round to watching it, i thought it was great, really no complaints. good Batman, good villains, sexy ivy is a plus since i hate the character in every way. 8.5/10 one of the best fan films around based on Batman.

[cxmxalex]

Thanks a lot, Biohazard.

I just wanted to let everybody know (and I may make a separate topic for this, who knows) that I've begun production of a web series of massive undertaking entitled "Nightwing: Escalation", concerning Nightwing charged with protecting Gotham in Batman's stead when he leaves on a JLA excursion. Nightwing must combat the escalation in the world of criminality, among them rapists, villains, clowns, drug pushers, etc. in a 12-part series. Right now we're finishing up episode 1.

Check us out on Facebook by searching "Nightwing: Escalation".

I enclosed a Dailymotion clip:
Link: (click here)
_________________
BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[xorn]

Any idea when the first episode will be up?

[cxmxalex]

I say, at the rate we're going, mid-October.
_________________
BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[ChristonaBike]

looking forward to it, if u send me a crapload of high quality pictures ill make ya a new poster
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[reptile84]

[chayden]

[cxmxalex]

_________________
BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[cxmxalex]

LMAO.

I would like to add several plot synopsis (es). We're almost wrapped with episode 1, "Exodus". Episode 1.5 "Enter The Cat" follows, then Episode 2, "Edenspring" follows 1.5. There are short episodes bridging the full-length 15 minute episodes. A web site should be coming along shortly. For now, Facebook unfortunately suffices.

Among the many characters are Detective Bullock, Detective Montoya, corrupt GCPD detectives Collins and Strife, Commissioner Gillian Loeb, Lieutenant James Gordon, Nightwing, Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress, Selina Kyle/The Catwoman, Edward Nygma/The Riddler, Query, Echo, Harvey Dent, Grace, Rupert Thorne, Candace, Dinah Lance/The Black Canary, Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy, returning from "Hothouse" former GCPD detective Jane Kulesa, Lady Elaine Marshe-Morton/Lady Vic, and a few other gigantic surprises which I will not reveal.

The footage so far is far exceeding "Hothouse" in every way. No more storytelling flaws and no more bad acting. Scenes are better lit and the fight scenes more fluid. It is an overall more comic booky-approach, which is what "Hothouse" should've been since day one.

EPISODE 1 "EXODUS" Nightwing grapples with a sadistic serial killer, Dr. Elizabeth Klemper, as he arrives in Gotham in his mentor's absence. Klemper is crafty with a scalpel and has connections with the GCPD enabling her to evade the swift arm of the law. Simultaneously, she also holds much in common with career crimininal-now reformed D.A. Harvey Dent. Klemper's interactions with Dent begin him back down an alley he had long thought abandoned and Nightwing finds that Gotham is a whole different animal than Bludhaven, especially with Batman's absence.

EPISODE 1.5 "ENTER THE CAT" Catwoman makes her grand entrance in "Escalation", on the hunt of Edenia jewels held by a British mob. However, problems occur when they traverse into Black Mask gangland territory.

EPISODE 2 "EDENSPRING" The storyline with Dr. Klemper and Mr. Dent concludes, with Dent's inner conflict escalating. Catwoman's home turf of Kittredge Park is disrupted when the drug Edenspring makes its way there, polluting her streets and poisoning those she called childhood friends. Whom they mob has unwittingly targeted as one of their test subjects shifts Catwoman's goals into another gear. Nightwing is there at her side, but can he trust this Feline Fatale? How deep do the mob's leagues with the former Arkham inmates go? Too many questions...

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_________________
BATMAN: HOTHOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/user/CxMxAlex
http://www.dailymotion.com/chileanknightsxe#hp-h-8

[reptile84]

This sounds like quite a production. I hope everything jells
as this is going to be a major undertaking. Keep your spirits high and
film away