pair of meciums

hey! a big fan of books and art :)

[gellbs]

Bruce Wayne is breathtakingly beautiful.

His eyes are a piercing shade between grey and icy blue, his hair is so dark it seems to swallow all the light in the room, letting Bruce be the one to shine, his body is elegant, it seems delicate while also showing obvious strength.

Bruce Wayne is beautiful and that is a fact everyone knows.

Except for Bruce Wayne.

(greatest detective everyone)

When he enters the gala fashionably late, he thinks the reason everyone stops to stare is because, well, hes Bruce Wayne, the richest man on earth (probably the whole universe), so of course they would stare. He is rich and famous.

(He would never expect the real reason to be that the gala guests are staring is because the moment he entered time seemed to slow and the sir around him began to glimmer)

While training in the Watchtower's training room with the others Bruce, after a long time, decides hes comfortable enough to spar without the cowl. So he takes it off.

Suddenly none of his sparring partners seem to be able to focus.

Bruce guesses its because this is due to him never sparring with them without his cowl, so this would be slightly shocking. Especially when underneath the cowl is multi billionaire Bruce Wayne whos usually all smiles and giggles.

(The league is convinved Bruce is some kind of meta or cryptid with the power of seduction which he uses to distract his opponents, because no one is that beautiful for no reason)

When Bruce Wayne wins "the most handsome man of the year" award again, for like the 4th time in a row, he pays no mind to it. Being the multi billionaire he is, he just guesses they're trying to suck up to him and tosses the magazine away.

(Alfred doesn't bother to correct the misunderstanding, instead he goes back to Bruce's study and tosses away all the marriage proposals.)

When Bruce takes in Dick Grayson as his ward, he doesn't really expect anything...like this. Dick holds up a story book at him, the eight year old smiling brightly (God, Bruce is so happy to see Dick smiling again) while pointing at a unicorn on the page.

Its hair is dark like its man, which looks to be flowing in the air. The background is a dark forect, but the unicorn seems luminated.

Bruce just smiles and pats Dick on the head, while trying to think of places to get a dark haired, dark mained horse that could also possibly have a horn.

(Dick pouts and runs back to his room to continue to read his fantasy book. "Unicorns are pure hearted and powerful creatures with beauty that is out of this world" he reads, while thinking about his..dad? Dad.)

Superman is no exception to this "power" of his.

Clark and Bruce have recently began dating after years of will they won't they. They're sitting on the edge of a roof, staring at the city ahead. Bruce is distracted, staring at Gotham with a hawk like eye, trying to see if there are any criminals out and about

"-really beautiful" Bruce blinks, turning to look at Clark, all smiles in his bright blue and red suit. Bruce feels his body relax as a small smile spreads on his lips. He turns his head back towards the dark city "Yeah, Gotham is very beautifu-"

"No!" Clark interrupts him and Bruce's eyes snap in..shock? towards him. "I mean..No, yes! Yes! Gotham is very beautiful, but uhh...I was...talkingaboutyou.." He mumbles the last part, and Bruce doesn't want to admit it but the constant wind blowing in his ear makes him unable to hear it.

"What?"

"I meant that you're really beautiful, like...super beautiful..."

"Oh"

Bruce feels a warm blush spread on his own cheeks as he drops his gaze back to the city ahead.

(Later Bruce will look at himself in the mirror, trying to see what what Clark sees)

[somewherefornow]

BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN & DICK GRAYSON/NIGHTWING in BATMAN (2016)

[brucedefender4eva]

Stephanie, on the verge of tears, reluctantly signing up for her McGraw-Hill: Fuck… I can’t believe I have to pay over $100 to do my homework

Bruce, setting down a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and pressing a kiss to her forehead: I have to pay over $100 for you to do homework, gumdrop

——

Dick: *Blah blah something something mad at Bruce*

Bruce: Okay, birdie, stop holding my hand then

Dick, practically glued to Bruce’s side and would've his Dad carry him if he didn’t know Bruce was hiding a sprained ankle: …

Dick: Shut the fuck up, you sack of shit. Listen here motherfucker-

——

Bruce, going over a new case with Tim: She’s not in the picture? Did the mother run away, or is she dead?

Tim, half paying attention: I think she died or ran away.

Bruce: Thank you, baby, that was so unhelpful

——

Selina, at a fancy diner with Bruce: …?

Bruce: *sigh* When I told him we had a date, he insisted on coming along so he could see your cats afterwards

Selina, grinning: That’s adorable.

Damian, happily eating food off the kids' menu: Baba, can I taste your food too?

Bruce: Of course, Habibi

——

Jason, being dramatic: You don’t even love me!

Bruce: Because I won’t let you eat chickpeas? That’s why I don’t love you?

Jason: Yes!

Bruce: Darling, you’re allergic to chickpeas

Jason, even more dramatic: It’s only a mild allergy! Let me live!

Bruce, exasperated: Believe me, I’m trying

——

Bruce: What’s this?

Lois, holding up a large box full of things: Presents for you and your brood

Bruce, looking at the handwritten tag: “For assorted Wayne’s”? You don’t know how many kids I have?

Lois: Do you know how many kids you have?

Bruce: … thank you for the gifts

——

Duke, snuggled up with Bruce and watching TV: This is bad… like, really bad

Bruce: We don’t have to continue watching it, sunshine

Duke: No, this is my allotted Bruce time, and we’re gonna watch trash TV

——

Bruce, watching Cass put a tutu on his service dog: …

Cass: Ace likes it. Give us a twirl, Ace

Ace, somehow, looking like he’s dissociating: Ruff… *slowly turns once*

Bruce: …

Cass: Alfred the cat scratched me, and Damian is hiding Titus away… it was either him or the turkey

Bruce: You don’t have one big enough for Batcow, Princess?

Cass: Not yet

——

Alfred: You wouldn’t happen to know where my sandwich went, would you, Master Bruce?

Bruce, in the middle of taking a bite from said sandwich: No…

Alfred: Hmm

——

Texting

Bruce: Come over

Selina: Can’t. Stealing things

Selina: And I’m on the opposite side of the city

Bruce: *sends a sexy picture of himself in lingerie*

Selina: IM ON MY FUCKING WAY. DONT MOVE

Five seconds later

Selina: OPEN YOUR WINDOW!!

——

Tim: It’s quiet. What’s going on?

Bruce, sipping coffee: Lois took the girls on a girls' shopping spree. Dick went with them to ‘keep an eye on them,’ but we both know he just wants to shop as well

Tim: Wtf? I wanna go… I’m going to my room to sulk

Bruce: I’m sure you could find their location and join them, sweetheart

Tim: No, it’s the principle of the matter

——

Bruce, scruffing Damian: Stop it

Damian, struggling but making no progress: He needs help! I’m the one to help him!

Bruce: That is a raccoon eating from the trash, honey

Damian: I need him!

Bruce: I think it’s foaming at the mouth. I’m calling animal control

Damian, making grabby hands: Come to me my child!

Bruce: Stop that!

——

Jason, raiding Bruce’s closet: Can I have this? *holds up a leather jacket*

Bruce: No, I just bought that. You already have most of my hoodies

Duke: Ooo, can I have this? *holds up the same leather jacket*

Bruce: What did I just say to your brother? You literally have half of my sweater collection

Jason: The lining is so warm and soft

Duke: And it smells really good!

Bruce: Give me my jacket you little theives

——

Texting

Bruce: I’ve got a mission off world so you won’t be able to contact me for a while

Dick: What???

Dick: I wanted to hang with you

Bruce: You told me you weren’t coming over to the Manor this week?

Dick: Yeah but now that I know you’re not gonna be here I wanna hang

Bruce: We can hang out when I come back, love

Dick: Nah, I won’t want to anymore

——

Bruce, hovering: Alfie…

Alfred, sighing: Here *pushes tea toward him*

Bruce: Hmm, thank you *takes a few sips before pushing it back*

Alfred: I could just make you your own cup, Sir

Bruce: It doesn’t taste as good if it isn’t yours specifically

Alfred: You’re just like your children

Bruce, genuine: I have no idea what you mean

——

Stephanie: How many laxatives can you give someone before it’s too much?

Bruce: Depends on how much you hate them

Stephanie: That’s… very helpful. I’ll keep it in mind

Stephanie: So… 40?

Bruce: Please don’t kill anyone by making them shit out their guts. I don’t know how we’d twist that for the media

——

Lois: I hate living on a reporter’s salary

Bruce, desperate: Please let me give you money

Lois: You know the answer to that

Bruce, sad: Yeah… *already making plans for everyone in the company to get a raise*

——

Duke: Ughh… my tummy… it hurts

Dick: Sounds like food poisoning

Bruce: Could be the skittles you ate off the ground

Duke: Couldn’t be, skittles would never betray me like that

Dick: Couldn’t be?

Bruce: You dropped them in the driveway. I’m pretty sure I saw you eat some gravel

Duke: Erghhh… my tum tum…

——

After a gala

Jason: So you decided to jump in the fountain and swim around to get out of the conversation?

Bruce, soaking wet: You can’t shame me, every thing I do is while I’m sober. You wish you had this confidence

Jason, know Bruce is the concept of anxiety forced into human form: Alright pa…

——

Bruce: I saw you and Damian cuddling

Tim, frozen: … what…

Bruce: I saw it all and I took pictures, the two of you are adorable

Tim: … no

Bruce: Yes

Tim: You can’t tell anyone! We’re supposed to be antagonistic!

Bruce: We’ll see

——

Texting

Bruce: Ace keeps alerting me but I feel fine. What should I do?

Dick: Sit down Tati

Jason: Sit the fuck down papa

Tim: Get out of public, sit down, and drink some water

Bruce: I’m starting to feel icky now, my leg gave out, and I think I’m seeing things

Cass: Did you bring your meds?

Steph: This is B we’re talking about

Duke: I’m gonna come find you and sit with you, okay?

Bruce: Okey

Alfred: I’m already starting the car

Damian: I am coming along. Baba, hold on

Steph: Cass and I are getting med bay ready

Dick: Omw

Jason: You better get ready to be coddled pa

——

Bruce: Someone saw my stretch marks and thought they were elf harm scars. I’m so embarrassed

Alfred: Master Bruce, it’s alright

Bruce: I guess. Glad they didn’t see my actual self harm scars lol

Alfred, sternly: Bruce

Bruce: Sorry. No jokes about self harm, I forgot. You’re lucky it wasn’t a joke about my suicide attempts

Alfred, even sterner: Bruce

Bruce: Shutting up

——

Steph: I actually hate how good at makeup you are

Bruce, doing a smokey eye on Cass: I’m good at a lot of things

Lois: But why makeup?

Bruce: I like to look pretty and I have to cover up my self harm scars lol

Alfred, from around the corner: Bruce

Bruce: Ughhh

——

Bruce, head in Selina’s lap with Alfred the cat on his chest: …

Selina, gently scratching his scalp with her nails and watching as his brain turns off: …

Alfred the cat, asleep and giving Bruce healing purrs: …

——

Dick, wearing a new jacket and giving Bruce a fashion show: So?

Bruce: Huh, this one actually looks nice

Dick: Thank you, thank you-

Titus, walking in and b-lining to Dick: Boof! *starts cobbing on his jacket*

Dick: Man, can I help you?! There's drool everywhere!

Bruce: Don’t be mean, he loves you

——

Tim: Daddy-o, we want froyo

Bruce: Okay? Do you want to take one of my cars?

Damian: Timmothy is too lazy to drive, you must take us

Bruce, already grabbing his keys: What am I, just a chauffeur to you?

Damian: Yes Baba

——

Dick: Please tell Selina to stop touching your ass in front of us

Jason: Please

Bruce: I can’t help what my mama gave me

Jason: I’m gonna go drown myself in the pool

——

Texting

Tim: Made a huge mistake

Dick: Everything alright? Do you need help?

Tim: Made Dad do a TikTok

Jason: What??

Steph: Which one

Tim: The one that has the song So Far So Fake by Pierce The Veil

Damian: What does that mean?

Tim: And white whyne. He was too good at both of them

Duke: Tim what the fuck

Tim: For some reason it didn’t occur to me that having him shake his ass on the internet would have repercussions

Steph: Scrub the internet. Now

Bruce: What is a DILF? And why do people want to see me 'bounce it'?

——

Steph: Bought you a pie

Bruce: …

Bruce: You know I have complicated emotions about hot fruit

——

Bruce, surrounded by his kids: … I could’ve sworn I only went to bed with Selina last night

Dick: It’s cold

Damian: It started raining Baba

Tim: I thought this was my room

Steph: I wanted to take blackmail photos

Cass: *shrugs*

Jason: I was forced to be here

Duke: I don’t like being left out

Selina: Alright then

[somewherefornow]

BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN & DICK GRAYSON/NIGHTWING in INFINITE CRISIS (2005)

[arkangelo-7]

Yes, a world in which the Justice League and the Avengers live side by side is objectively so fucking cool, but it also provides the DC/Marvel execs the opportunity to do the funniest fucking thing ever:

Make Slade Wilson and Wade Wilson cousins.

[icecreamsayscold]

reporter and CEO

[bookwormrants]

merry christmas, please don't call by bleachers is so perfect for batfam like here is part of the lyrics: Oh, golden boy, don't act like you were kind You were mine, but you were awful every time So don't tell them what you told me Don't hold me like you know me I would rather burn forever

But you should know that I died slow Running through the halls of your haunted home And the toughest part is that we both know What to happened to you Why you're out on your own Merry Christmas, please don't call

You really left me on the line, kid Holding all your baggage You know I'm not your father Who says welcome to your uptight While it flickers like a street light He flickers through your damage

Oh, golden boy, you shined a light on our home And at your best you were magic we were sold But don't tell 'em what you told me Don't even tell 'em that you know me I would rather burn forever just so much. some of these i can imagine jason thinking about dick; his response; realizing that someone isn't perfect. the loss of trust in peoplesa;ldkfja;lsdkf j

[effemimaniac]

when two adhd girls link up... ANYTHING could stop us

[celaenaeiln]

Bruce: *losing it* I need to find this killer. I need to stop him now before someone else’s becomes a victim- WHY WONT THIS CAR GO?!

Jason: First, I removed the tires, and second- HAS SOMEONE CALLED DICK YET?!?

Tim: I DID HE SAID HE’S ON HIS WAY

Steph: WELL TELL HIM TO “ON HIS WAY” FASTER! BRUCE IS READY TO BUST OUT OF HERE!

Damian: FATHER STOP THIS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR, GRAYSON WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED!!

Dick: *rushing in* hey, what’s wrong? What’s wrong, B?

Bruce: Dick! I need to stop this psychopath, he’s going to kill everyone in Gotham.

Tim: YOUR ARM IS IN A SLING, YOUR ANKLE IS SPRAINED, YOU HAVE THREE BROKEN RIBS, A BARELY BANDAGED KNIFE WOUND, INTERNAL BLEEDING- WHO ARE YOU GOING TO STOP IN THIS CONDITION?!

Dick: Okay, I got it. Bruce, open the door.

Bruce: *opening the car door for Dick*

Jason: Oh, ofcourse, he listens to the Golden Boy. Sure guess the rest of us are invisible or shit then.

Dick: *hopping in* *removing the manual brake lever*

Dick: okay, let’s go.

Jason, Tim, Steph, and Damian: what.

Bruce and Dick: *speeding off on tire rims and no breaks into the dark Gotham night*

Jason: WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?! WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THEM!!

Steph: Alfred, what happened?!

Alfred: *Wiping down the plate Dick grabbed the last cookie off before zooming away with Bruce* A lifetime of trust and experience, young master Stephanie.

Damian: Pennyworth, did you know this would happen?

Alfred: I’ll be sure to let Master Dick know to bring you along next time.

Damian: tt. Acceptable, I suppose.

Based on this:

Batman and Robin (2011) Issue #23

Batman (2011) Issue #14

[bookwormrants]

just saw a jonathan bailey edit and i now headcanon him as older dick grayson like CMON

[frownyalfred]

okay so I know this is a super emotionally charged scene and a huge moment for them both in UTRH but the casual competency and BAMFness of Jason 1) accurately throwing a projectile RIGHT at Bruce’s face and 2) Bruce just casually catching it an inch from his eyes without either of them remarking upon how BATSHIT crazy that is? after all that time apart, all the pain and trauma, Jason still knows that Bruce can catch it and throws it anyway. and Bruce catches it, knowing that this is possibly Jason — because it can’t really be anyone else.

[a-timely-problem]

it's so funny to never watch a show and only know the storylines BC of Tumblr and fanfics. Like, I know literally everything about it but in my mind? Those two characters with palpable tension where at least one of them kept on almost dying and the other one is somewhat evil with a dark backstory that made them who they are, actually get together

[happyhour]

An interpretation of SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

So if you haven’t seen Charlie Kaufman’s brilliant Synecdoche, NY, you may not want to read this because I’m going to get into a lot of the plot points and such.  Then again, maybe you do want to read it.  It probably wouldn’t hurt to know what happens before you go in.  After all, Flannery O'Connor used to tell her audiences what would happen in A Good Man is Hard to Find before she would read it to them.  She wanted her audiences to pay attention to how she told the story, not the story itself.  Which isn’t a bad approach to Synecdoche.

First of all, I must admit that this theory on the film is not mine alone.  No, this was hashed out at length with my friends Adam Ohler (whypandawhy) and Michael Reich (videothing).  This is certainly the result of a group effort.  And, all modesty aside, I must admit that although Charlie Kaufman refuses to discuss what the film means, I really think our interpretation is correct.

Okay, it’s gonna get spoiler-y from here out.  You’ve been warned.

The key to understanding Synecdoche, NY is realizing that protagonist Caden Cotard (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is dead.  He has killed himself before the movie even starts.  I’ll admit I’m not 100% clear on whether the events depicted in the film are purgatory, or a Bullet in the Brain sort of death dream, or what have you.  But the specifics on that are not really important.  Whatever it is, we seem to be in some sort of time loop, a la Star Trek: The Next Generation (more on this later).  And the time line is muddled, sped up, mashed together; as if Caden is reliving all the moments that led to his suicide.  And Caden is completely oblivious to it.  Maybe even in denial.

The first hint we get that Caden is dead comes immediately at the film’s open.  Over black, a child (presumably Caden’s daughter Olive) sings a simple rhyme written by Kaufman himself.  The lyrics are innocent enough at first:

There’s a place I long to be

A certain town that’s dear to me

Home to Mohawks and G.E.

It’s called Schenectady

I was born there and I’ll die there

My first home I hope to buy there

Have a kid or at least try there

Sweet Schenectady.

At this point, we fade in from black onto an image of a clock.  The time is 7:45 AM.  And the lyrics to the song offer the film’s first clue as they take a decidedly darker turn:

And when I’m buried and I’m dead

Upstate worms will eat my head

For every person that you know

Once you say…

Think you’ve seen…

You won’t see them again

There’s always a last time

That you see everyone.

There’s always a never again.

It certainly sums up the tone of the film.  But look at those words.  The words over the first image of the film are “I’m buried and I’m dead.”  You don’t notice it on first view but that is the case.  Then the soundscape changes to the morning radio show that wakens Caden from his slumber.  It is a literary show; the host and a European woman are discussing death.  She reads a poem about winter and its bareness.  This is how the movie starts.

The movie then cuts to Caden’s wife wiping his 5 year old daughter’s ass.  Her shit is green and it causes some minor concern.  I think what is at play here is some symbolism of the color green in relation to Caden.  Her name is Olive (olives are green), her shit is green, she wears a green jacket in one prominent scene, and later in the film – as Caden reads her journal – she remembers said green jacket fondly.  I suppose that the green represents life.  Olive is Caden’s life.  And when she is taken from him, it ultimately leads to his demise.

The first 25 to 30 minutes of the film are fairly straightforward.  Sure there are surreal moments with Caden’s new mystery disease and when he gets whacked in the head by a faucet from an exploding sink.  But compared to the rest of the movie, this is fairly benign.  These are the moments in Caden’s life before his suicide.  He still has his family, he still has his career as a theater director.  Things are falling apart but he’s not done yet.

It’s only after Caden’s wife (who’s name is Adele Lack – Adele meaning “noble” and Lack meaning, well, “without”) leaves for Europe with Olive that things go off the track.  Caden’s wasting disease accelerates.  The disease is not a real disease but yet a manifestation of Caden’s insecurities and neurosis.  In fact, just before Olive leaves, Caden walks her to school and explains that the boils on his skin are called “neuroses” which is a physical ailment different from “neurosis,” which means you’re crazy.  Riiiiight.

Another huge clue comes when Caden goes to see his marriage counselor alone.  He notices a book on the table.  It’s called “Little Winky” and it was written by Horace Wood.

“‘Little Winky’ is a virulent anti-semite, who works in a gin mill during prohibition.  The story follows his initiation into the Klan, his introduction to the pornographic snuff industry and his ultimate degradation at the hands of a black ex-convict, with whom he embarks on a homosexual affair,” his therapist explains to him.  She goes on to inform him that Horace Wood wrote the book when he was four years old.  Caden is shocked.  

“He wrote this when he was four?!” he exclaims

She responds, “Well he must have.  He killed himself when he was five.”

“Why did he kill himself?” Caden asks.

“I don’t know.  Why did you?”

Why did you?

Caden is taken aback.  "What did you say?“

"I said why would you?”

It seems that Caden has killed himself at some point after his wife left him.  Wherever he is now, he is denying the fact that he is dead.  And it’s at this point that, just briefly, a little bit of the truth has broken out and smacked him in the face.  But of course, he quickly returns to his denial and things move along.

He tries to move on in life and love.  He has always had a flirtatious relationship with Hazel (Samantha Morton), his theater’s ticket office girl.  But due to his own insecurites and his own Hamlet-esque inability to act, he ruins things.  In one of the few scenes that leaves Caden’s perspective in the film, Hazel buys a house that is perpetually on fire.  This is one of the films more poetic set pieces and it is a step further from reality than the rest of the movie.  It’s because Caden wasn’t there to see this scene.  This is something that happened without him but in his death rattle, he imagines what it must have been like.  The woman showing Hazel the house admits that her son, Derek, is going through a divorce and is living in the basement while he sorts things out.  She asks Hazel if she would like to meet him and immediately calls for him.  Derek emerges from the basement, shirtless; his body obviously superior to Caden’s.  Hazel later marries Derek and starts a family with him.  So it is natural that Caden would imagine there meeting as orchestrated, overly simplistic, and portraying Derek in a less than flattering manner.  In addition, I would imagine that the ever-flaming house represents that love is hell for Caden.  He wants it, he can take it, but he can’t seem to get it.  It burns and it doesn’t stop.  It doesn’t ever even reduce the house to ashes.  It only eventually kills Hazel (“I think it was smoke inhalation,” the EMT tell Caden).

Later in the film, Caden spots Hazel and Derek with their children at a hotel rooftop pool.  It destroys him.  He attempts to throw himself off the roof but is stopped by a stranger.  This factors in later, when Caden is directing his never ending opus that blindly grasps for what is “true.”  

Caden receives a “genius grant” to create a work of art on the stage.  This seems like a good thing at first but ultimately is his undoing.  It’s as if his acceptance of the grant was the beginning of his descent to hell, or some other undesirable plane.  The play features 1000s of actors playing themselves in a huge warehouse.  If you’ve seen the movie you know what happens.  It gets more and more meta, crawling up its own ass like some sort of perverse ouroboros, to the point where Caden hires Sammy Barnathan (a man that has been following Caden for years and is strategically placed in the film’s background leading up to his introduction) to play himself as the director of the play.  Sammy plays Caden so well that he falls helplessly in love with Hazel (and not the stand in hired to play her).  When he cannot have her, Sammy leaps from the roof of the hotel roof pool set, killing himself while shouting something to the effect of “take a look at yourself, Caden.”  Caden stand over Sammy’s lifeless body shouting “I didn’t do it!  I never jumped!  Somebody stopped me!  Somebody stopped me!”  I suspect that no one actually stopped him.

The film gets even denser at this point.  Caden starts spending nights, cleaning Adele’s apartment in New York.  He never sees her, only hears recordings of her voice.  And Adele believes that the work is being done by a spinstress cleaning woman named Ellen.  Eventually, Caden writes Ellen into his play.  But Caden is old and burnt out on life.  After decades of claiming that he “knows how to do the play now” and a seemingly infinite amount of titles, he more or less gives up.  He allows the actress playing Ellen to start playing his role as director and he becomes the cleaning woman.  Ellen almost immediately accomplishes with the play what Caden has been trying to and failing to create his entire life.

Caden the cleaning lady deteriorates.  It’s clear that the end is near.  He gets an ear piece from Ellen to wear in his ear in which she tells him every last thing to do, something he’s been wishing for his entire life – someone else to make the decisions for him.  Caden walks through the city and to the warehouse.  There are dead bodies everywhere.  He eventually finds an old woman who is Ellen’s mother.  She holds him on a bench  There is a sunny flash back to Ellen and her mother some years ago when Ellen was just a child.  It becomes clear that all Ellen wanted was a child to recreate that day with, but she never had one.  I can’t be sure what this all speaks to.  This is one part of the film where I am unsure of my theory.  But I think it speaks to one of two things: either Caden feels as if he should never have been Caden, that he should have been a simple cleaning woman; or, that Caden actually wasn’t Caden.  Perhaps this is Ellen’s veiled purgatory (although I believe this to be unlikely.  Just food for thought).  Whatever it is, there’s something at play here that I can’t quite figure out.  If you have any ideas let me know.  Clearly the idea of failing to have offspring, one’s thwarted attempt at immortality figures in here.  Perhaps Caden never had a child after all?  I welcome your thoughts on this matter.

The voice in Caden’s ear tells him that the time is 7:45.  There is graffiti on the wall of an analog clock reading 7:45.  Remember the opening image of the film?  A clock reading 7:45.  It is at this point that the voice in Caden’s ear tells him to “die.”  Everything fades to white.  End of the movie.  But not the end of Caden’s cycle.

One last note: “Caden” is Scottish for battle.  "Cotard" (Caden’s last name) is a syndrome in which one believes him or herself to already be dead.

I would say the plot of the movie is not the point.  Obviously, it’s the themes of mortality, love, and inaction that are important here.  And while the film is deeply and wholly depressing, it is not without its message.  Perhaps Caden wasted his life and things didn’t work out for him.  But that doesn’t have to be us.  If ever a movie has urged its viewers to go out, grab life by the balls, and make your own fate, this is it.

[batmancurated]

alfred's letter to bruce in batman #83

[incorrectbatfam]

Alfred gets sick of Bruce breaking and losing stuff on patrol so he gets a label maker and starts naming items after the kids

Alfred: I got you a new phone, just like you asked. Its name is Jason. Try not to let it die.

Bruce, tearing up: Why would you say that—

[frownyalfred]

Your latest posts made me think of Bruce assuming that the batkids already know about his kill count because of the whole "trained with the LoA" thing. Meanwhile, the kids are like, "NO????? WTF"

"They actually don't let you stay if you don't kill people," Bruce said, chewing. His Unwich appeared to be far more pressing than their questions. At least, keeping it from falling apart was.

"Really?" Jason asked.

"Ra's had a quota."

"A quota?" Dick asked, feeling his stomach do an uncomfortable twist.

"You know--" Bruce took another bite of lettuce and roast beef, gesturing with the butt of his sandwich. "--like the thing in the movie last night. The scalps."

"Ra's made you bring him scalps?" Jason asked, voice rising.

"No," Bruce said. "It was like that. Getting rid of the bodies was part of the job. If they turned up, they didn't count."

"You killed people," Dick repeated, "and got rid of the bodies?"

"Mhm."

"How many people."

"Lots," Bruce said, then paused. "You're making this seem like it was light and whimsical. It wasn't."

"You're the one telling us you killed hundreds of people while mid-Unwich," Tim said, eyebrow raised. "And then you compared it to Inglorious Basterds."

The Cave seemed to drop ten degrees as Bruce slowly set the Unwich down on his desk. His eyes were distant, full of something Dick couldn't quite place. Anger? Guilt? Frustration?

"They weren't good people," Bruce said, voice low. "If I had the chance to do it all again, I wouldn't. But I can't carry it with me. You wouldn't want me to."

With that, he picked up the last shreds of his Unwich, threw them in his mouth, and stalked off toward the stairs.

"Well," Dick said, in the sudden, intervening silence. Jason rolled his eyes. Tim looked thoughtful.

"Time to go fact-check with Alfred?" Tim asked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

[person-behind-books]

[incorrectbatfam]

Bruce looks like the kind of parents who will hear the children say that they like some food and automatically accept it as the children's favorite meal

And the children will just eat it forever now to make Bruce happy

What food/snacks/fruit they accidentally say "oh this taste good actually" and now are they cursed by it?

Waitress: And what would you like as your side?

8-year-old Dick: French fries!

[19 years later]

Bruce: And here's your dinner, side of fries as always.

Dick, who's been eating fries every day since: Yippee.

———————

12-year-old Jason: *looks at a candy bar*

Bruce: You want it?

Jason: I dunno, it's like three dollars.

Bruce: Hey, don't worry about it, chum.

[11 years later]

Jason: *finds the same candy bar in his belt*

Jason: Well, it's the thought that counts.

———————

14-year-old Tim: Since Alfred's not home I ordered pizza for dinner.

Bruce, working: *grunts*

[3 years later]

*doorbell rings*

Tim: Weird, I wasn't expecting anyone.

Tim: *opens the door*

Bruce, in a Bat-pizza uniform: Delivery for Tim Drake.

———————

15-year-old Steph: *makes waffles*

[3 years later]

Steph: Bruce, why'd you buy so much flour?

Bruce: So you can make waffles.

———————

Bruce: You hungry?

Duke: I dunno, I guess I could go for a smoothie or something.

[later]

Duke: What's with the second fridge?

Bruce: To keep your smoothies.

———————

Damian: From now on, I am a vegetarian.

Bruce: Okay, but what about protein?

Damian: There are plenty of options, like tofu.

[later]

Damian, faced with a tofu truck: Perhaps I should have listened to Brown's advice.

———————

Bruce: *driving*

Cass: *points to a pumpkin patch*

Bruce: We'll see.

[later]

Cass: *goes to her room*

Cass: Dad?

Bruce: Yes, princess?

Cass: Pumpkin patch. In my room.

Bruce: I called in a favor from Ivy.