An anime take on Batman in ‘Gotham Knight’, a trailer for the Coens’ ‘Burn After Reading’, and a fundamentalist editing snafu.

While the rest of the civilized world is out buying the new Coldplay album, comic book geeks lie in the shadows eagerly awaiting the release of the next Batman film, The Dark Knight. Here in Los Angeles, billboards and bus shelters alternating between the Caped Crusader, his Bat-pod, and the Joker can be spotted roughly every half mile on any major roadway in town.

Much less publicized but worth a look will be Batman: Gotham Knight, out Tuesday, July 8th.

Similar to the Animatrix project, which bridged the Matrix movies with a collection of anime short films, this six-film dvd release gives a handful of Japanese animators and American comic writers a crack at Gotham City. Fortunately for bat-fans, one of its producers is the legendary Bruce Timm, who helmed much of the classic Batman: The Animated Series. Not to mention, voice work features that same show’s Kevin Conroy, perhaps the best personification of Bruce Wayne to date. Since that remains one of the best comic book action shows ever created, all signs are pointing to excellent on this one. Should make a fine way to wait out the last ten days before the best movie of the year.

Check out a nice interview with Conroy over here as well.

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Possibly less of a sure thing, the next Coen brothers movie, Burn After Reading, has a trailer floating around.

Considering their filmography of Big Lebowski, Miller’s Crossing et al, not to mention last year’s outstanding No Country for Old Men, this will be one to keep an eye on. Though their prior comedies featuring George Clooney may not get as much praise lavished on them, they brought out Clooney’s funniest performances and made for quick-witted and fun movies. And no one will turn down more Frances McDormand after Fargo.

A spy comedy from a team this clever should be a winner. The most interesting part may be the re-pairing of Clooney and Brad Pitt, whose chemistry carried two Ocean’s 11 sequels that otherwise had no business being made. We’ll have to wait and see how their charisma plays out in the Coens’ capable hands, or if winning an Academy Award will go to their heads and this will end up in the same bin as Ladykillers. A little Malkovich never hurts though, and after a spate of serious roles it might be fun to see Pitt play an airhead again.

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Finally, just because the combination of desktop publishing tools and political fanaticism do not often mix well, a tale of intolerance gone awry.

Please enjoy a tale of how not to use auto-replace when publishing news stories.