Batman: Dead End is a fan film

Fan film

A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...

 made by Sandy Collora

Sandy Collora

Sandy Collora is an American film director and design artist, best known for the independent short film Batman: Dead End.Collora was born in Brooklyn, New York...

 that premiered July 19, 2003 at the San Diego Comic-Con, and on the internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 shortly thereafter.

Plot

Batman

Batman

Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...

 (Clark Bartram) corners an escaped Joker

Joker (comics)

The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...

 (Andrew Koenig), only to have the villain suddenly dragged off by an Alien. The Alien is, in turn, killed by a Predator

Predator (alien)

The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....

, which Batman duels to defeat. Other Predators then appear just as more Aliens emerge from the darkness behind Batman. The film ends abruptly with Batman caught in between the two alien species.

Cast

• Clark Bartram as Bruce Wayne/Batman
  Batman
  Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
  
  
• Andrew Koenig as The Joker
  Joker (comics)
  The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
  
  

Production

The film was made for a reported $30,000 and filmed in parts of North Hollywood, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, as a stand-in for Gotham City

Gotham City

Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...

. Collora filmed a similar project, 2004's World's Finest

World's Finest (fan film)

World's Finest is a fan film directed by Sandy Collora. It works as a trailer to a movie that does not exist: the long-awaited cinematic team-up of Superman and Batman...

, with much of the same cast and crew.

Reception

Film director and comic book writer Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith

Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...

 called it "possibly the truest, best Batman movie ever made", and comic book artist Alex Ross

Alex Ross

Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...

 praised it as "Batman the way I've always wanted to see him". Collora has stated in interviews that the film was made as a demonstration reel to attract attention to his directing skills, and as such, succeeded in its goal.

Fan Films Quarterly listed Batman: Dead End as one of the 10 most pivotal moments in fan film history in its Summer 2006 issue.

See also

The Dark Horse

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

 comic books which first touched on similar themes are:

• Batman/Aliens
  Batman/Aliens
  Batman/Aliens is a crossover between the Batman and Aliens comic book franchises. It was published in 1998. A sequel was released in 2003.-Batman/Aliens:...
  
  
• Batman vs. Predator
  Batman vs. Predator
  Batman versus Predator is a comic book crossover featuring a duel between Batman and the creature from the Predator film. It was written by Dave Gibbons, with art by Andy Kubert and published by DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics in 1991....
  
  

External links

• Collora Studios - Filmmaker's website
• Batman: Dead End at TheForce.net
  TheForce.Net
  TheForce.Net is a Star Wars news site. It has material related the movies and associated games, publications, and other merchandise ....
  
  
• Batman: Dead End review at Film Threat
  Film Threat
  Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
  
  
• Batman: Dead End behind the scenes at EW.com