Batman

Viral Video: Gloomy “Dark Knight Rises”

Kara Swisher in Media on May 2 at 12:16 am PT

Try not to weep.

Viral Video: “The Dark Knight Rises”

Kara Swisher in Media on July 20, 2011 at 12:07 am PT

In honor of Comic-Con International, the huge and nerd-tastic comic book convention, opening tonight, here’s the new teaser trailer for the latest Batman movie.

Online Sales Play Role in Helping Harry Potter Break Box-Office Records

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on July 15, 2011 at 5:19 pm PT

Harry Potter’s final installment of the massively popular film franchise is on its way to breaking all kinds of records, assisted by nearly magical online and mobile presales that took place in the 45 days leading up to its debut.

Google Advertises…Google Advertising

Peter Kafka in Media on January 25, 2010 at 3:00 am PT

Does Google really need to tout the benefits of Google search? Still, these spots are pretty clever. So no complaints here.

Google Search Stories–Including Batman!–Or Are They Anti-Bing Commercials in Disguise?

Kara Swisher in News on November 21, 2009 at 9:41 pm PT

It’s well known that Google doesn’t do much in the way of marketing around its search service. So, then, what is one to make of a half-dozen videos–called “Search Stories,” which look suspiciously like commercials, starring the company’s many products–that Google introduced late last week on its blog and posted on a new channel on YouTube? Could it be that the $100 million marketing campaign that Microsoft launched for its Bing search service, which seems to be slowly gaining share, is starting to get on the nerves of those Spocks in Silicon Valley?

Dear Tim: Here's a Tour of the It-Takes-a-Licking-but-Keeps-on-Ticking AOL Brand

Kara Swisher in News on July 28, 2009 at 12:02 am PT

What’s next for AOL? Reviving the “You’ve Got Mail!” motto? Or: “The Future. Now Available.”–set to music from “The Jetsons”? What about: “So easy to use, no wonder it’s #1!” Or maybe, it should just use a nice loooooooong busy signal as its calling card again? Well, it could happen, now that new CEO Tim Armstrong has fallen prey to the siren call of the AOL brand name, after years of seeing the company wander in the anything-but-the-AOL wilderness. Thus, he’s decided to try to welcome the prodigal brand back home, even as he prepares to spin it off in November from Time Warner. Uh-oh.

Harry Potter and the Half-True Trailers

Kara Swisher in News on August 13, 2008 at 1:21 am PT

Last week, BoomTown posted on the amazing number of Joker impression videos related to the hit Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” that were popping up all over the Web. Next up? Well, it seems the honor will be going to Harry Potter knockoffs and tributes, due to the upcoming sixth movie in the series about the boy wizard, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

"The Dark Knight": Joker Impressions Abound Online

Kara Swisher in News on August 8, 2008 at 6:09 am PT

Here’s a curious trend I’ve noticed developing quickly on YouTube, probably because of the acclaim that the late actor Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” has garnered. His memorably malevolent turn in the latest Batman movie is likely to result in a posthumous Oscar for Ledger. But perhaps more interesting is the number of fans who are doing video impressions of his performance, acting out various scenes from the movie, and posting them online in tribute.