Entertainment Magazine
Batman: Knight Off is a web series by the up and coming duo of movie-makers Arse Crayon whose mantra is "films of no artistic merit".
You can view the first and second episode of the series below, both of which have a certain subtle humor that tickles the bones at the right spots.
Episode 1, wherein Batman goes shopping on his "Knight Off" has a certain comic charm to it even though the 9 minute short makes you feel sorry for Batman from the moment he arrives in his carrier van and gets his cape caught in the door.
The makers state that "The locations Batman visits were not in anyway prewarned and as such all interaction between the public and the Dark Knight are genuine", which in all honesty is what brings about a certain authenticity to the entire film.
Episode 2 is more of an "exposé" of sorts where we discover during a drive how it is that Batman actually goes about doing his work as a cape crusader keeping the streets clean. While the comedy is once again perfect, the tone of the second installment is slightly on the darker side, which further adds a layer that I look forward to seeing being explored by the makers in future episodes.
My only criticism about both the episodes would be that the scenes shot outside in the car-park and inside the car are sometimes a tad too dark. Considering that they are using a "Canon MV20 camera which is about 15 years old" (I checked with Chip Thompson who is the journalist in the webisodes) I think it is a small aspect of the film that can be overlooked. Moreover, the comedy keeps the audience occupied enough not to pay attention too much to such small matters.
I've been following Chip Thompson on Twitter for about a year now and am a huge fan of his movie reviews that he posts on YouTube. His comic timing, which is very British, and should be since he is British, is always spot on. Playing the unseen "reporter" in the web series, Chip is the common sense to Batman's absurdity. The real star of the film is Gavin Finn playing the title character. He plays his role with such conviction and a straight face that the entire setup doesn't seem like a parody even for a moment.
Arse Crayon has almost a dozen different videos on You Tube which are a bit of a hit and miss. But, comedy is such a diverse genre that everyone will have their own views on these videos. Nevertheless, it is always fun watching cinema admirers taking on a camera and doing original stuff and presenting it for the audience's enjoyment for free.
All the best to Arse Crayon on their future endeavors and here's to a successful web series that is Batman: Knight Off.
BATMAN: KNIGHT OFF Episode 1 BATMAN: KNIGHT OFF Episode 2
