To describe my last Saturday night in a few words: Burning passion, unwavering dedication, infinite strength, and absolute gratitude.
On October 1, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the world premiere of "Batman: Patient Zero," a brand new short film based on the famous DC Comics series. The entire film project was filmed and produced by students and alumni of [my beloved alma mater,] Hofstra University. Furthermore, the mastermind of the entity of "Batman: Patient Zero" (aka "BPZ" for short) was written, directed and composed by Andrew Akler (BS Music Composition, Class of 2014) of Tale Slate Productions.
(L to R: Johnny McGee, Celia Werner, Andrew Akler, Greg Nugent)
So without spoiling the awesomeness that is BPZ, here's a bit of tease to what the story of the film entails:
The Dark Knight himself, Batman, ventures off into Arkham Asylum on the hunt for his arch enemies. When the epic hero encounters the gang of super villains to fight off (The Joker, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and Scarecrow), all hell breaks loose. But while battling his ultimate rivals for the sake of justice, Batman encounters an unexpected threat... The terrors of the psychologic mind.
Although I'm #TeamMarvel, Batman is definitely one of my favorite DC characters, so I was definitely into the film the minute it began to play. I believe what makes "Batman: Patient Zero" stand out from "The Dark Knight" trilogy is the fact Andrew and the rest of the film crew's ultimate goal for creating the film was to give cinema goers and comic book nerds something they have never seen before: the psychological aspect of the Batman universe. And while I might not be a master of the Batman franchise (I'm still a novice comics/superheroes fan!), the actors' portrayals of the characters were phenomenal!
I really couldn't decide who I loved the most; but for now, I want to give two shoutouts to my favorite Batman characters - Harley Quinn (Sarah Grace Sanders) and Batman (Johnny McGee). Sarah, who I recently interviewed for my Harley Quinn lookbook article, really lived up to the original personality and visual style of the evil damsel! Unfortunately, she, along with a few others, did not attend the premiere party and I really wish I got to meet her! *cries* Seriously guys, Sarah is absolutely talented and although we've only spoke through text and on the phone, she is so sweet!
As for Johnny, I was dying to know about his experience in the film/theater world, and I gathered all of my courage to ask him at the after party how long he's been an actor... Get this, guys: He just began his acting career this year and was originally in the advertising business! Words could not describe how shocked I was to learn this, but wow...just, wow... For a new and upcoming actor, Johnny definitely gave something that's worth to compete against Christian Bale!
My only critique for "Batman: Patient Zero" is I wanted more out of the story to the point that I want to see it become a feature length film! But then again, the short time of the movie gives the audience the freedom to question what could possibly happen next...
Overall, I definitely had a night to remember! To all of the hardworking cast and crew and Hofstra friends/family I saw over the weekend, thank you. You have no idea how I proud I am to know you all and to see what wonderful work you can all do with your endless skills and talents!
"Batman: Patient Zero" will be officially released on social media on October 5th. For more information, follow BPZ on their Facebook page for all of the latest updates!
