Behind the Mask: The Batman Dead End Story

Batman: Dead End is a uniquely amazing fanfilm. Gorgeous production design, solid direction, wonderful cinematography, fantastic practical FX, and so many geek-out moments it's hard to even keep track. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to check it out, its still all over YouTube to this day. Sandy Collora (the director), an industry vet and director's chair hopeful, put together a serious chunk of his own change back in the early 2000s, and assembled a team of highly talented folks within the industry to carry out his vision of an unapologetically comic-book inspired Batman pitted against some of geekdom's greatest icons. This documentary explores what drove him to do it, how it was done, the highs, the lows, and the fallout/aftermath of the whole thing. As a hopeful filmmaker myself, this became my "Star Wars"... a film that inspired me and opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. All I knew was "this was done independently, it's on the internet for everyone to see, and it's freakin amazing". My own fanfilm, "Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness", owes a great debt of gratitude to Sandy and Batman: Dead End. Without his film, mine wouldn't exist, and neither would thousands of others, I suspect. Credit where credit's due, Sandy Collora is the George Lucas of fanfilms, and I mean that with the utmost respect. As the documentary reveals, he might not have catapulted into Hollywood stardom as hoped, but he pioneered the trail and inspired a generation of us. Definitely worth a watch, especially for budding filmmakers.

In this doc, the first half of it is about Sandy's desire and creative drive to make movies, his obsession with creatures and making monster designs, which seemingly caused annoyance with his bosses and coworkers at Stan Winston Studios. He blames getting fired on "business stuff" when it's clear that he was fired due to his impatient attitude and not working, this would be one of the dumbest things to due if he really wanted to get ahead in the industry. Once the segment about completing Batman: Dead End is over, we get an interesting character study and view into Sandy's mind and personality; the man clearly has an ego, that he, his family, and friends love to stroke. Clark Bartram might have been the worst, due in no small part of them being good friends. In the doc, it's claimed that The Joker in Batman: Dead end, played by the late Andrew Koenig inspired Heath Ledger and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Joker, despite me finding the performance subpar and too over the top, even for the Joker. Another nonsense claim is that Sandy Collora designed the Jurassic Park logo, when in reality it was created by Chip Kidd. Sandy Collora is a egotistical, lazy liar that thinks he's way more qualified than the big boys in Hollywood. He is clearly old and bitter that he never got a real chance to do something big, turning his nose at all offers that came his way, and if he really wanted to be in Hollywood he would take any chance and job he could get to direct. In conclusion, Sandy Collora is an egotistical, manchild, crybaby that is impatient and full of himself.

I liked this film a lot. It was a very interesting and revealing documentary about someone who I have respect for a long time. In 2003, Sandy Collora made a short film that had Batman against the Joker, aliens and the Predator. It owned SDCC that summer and was an overnight sensation and propelled the brash director into the Hollywood stratosphere. This is as complete a story as anyone could tell about the phenomenon that was "Batman Dead End" and its creator Sandy Collora. It was much more than I expected, Its very detailed and covers a lot of ground. It shows how powerful an artist Collora really is in every way. He made Batman cool again and showed WB the way. He still is the only director to ever put a real Batman on the screen right out of the comics. The studios with all their money still can't get it right. Neil Adams agrees in the documentary. This movie is very inspiring and anyone who wants to be a movie maker or artist needs to see this. It should be required viewing in film schools. I am looking forward to THE CIRCLE!

My only 2 gripes are the camera work is not good with the people being interviewed constantly going in and out of focus is totally distracting and not necessary. And why was Sean Clark in this film? Norman Reedus was not in Batman Dead End. What did he have to do with any of this and why are his opinions concerned? Maybe he is friends with the film makers. 7/10 is my rating. If they hired someone to focus the camera it would have been 8 or 9.

Who is making this documentary of Collora? This is fantastic and a miracle to receive this film! Collora is making the wonderful films and can be celebrating!! Is a documentary about films and art but really is concentrating on the human spirit and a good man who is an example for others in wanting to follow his paths. This did touch my heart very much and makes good feelings for the man with the best batman internet movie in all times!! Very sad when Collora is talking about his mother and the great man who was teaching him art. Is also very funny at times when Collora is telling stories of his life in the movies business and very entertaining man!! This documentary movie can be about batman and really the most important thing in life which I believe to be the human heart. I am very happy to see this movie. Thank you, Jordyn.

This is the ultimate tale of a sociopathic genius who is just dripping with talent but whose astonishingly gigantic ego and inability to relate to the workings of the system caused him to totally shoot himself down in flames, blaming everyone but himself for his utter and complete failure.

One spends the first two thirds of the film remarking on how smart and talented this guy is and the final third remarking on what an idiot he is. There is something Shakespearean about this movie. A tragedy of King Macbat.