The TV Addict 

With two screenings of THE DARK NIGHT still behind me, there are still some questions running around my brain that I thought we could all hash out together. Feel free to answer all or any of the questions below. Also feel free to throw out any questions of your own that you desperately want answered by your peers.

Also, of course MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW starting with Question 2.

Updated: Inspired by Satty and some of the other comments here, I’ve added two more questions below.

1) Though it’s a different beast, is Aaron Eckhart’s work in THE DARK KNIGHT being overshadowed by Heath Ledger’s phenomenal performance? Though it’s not as flashy a role, I’d argue his acting was almost as good as Ledger’s. I don’t seem to be alone either. Agree or disagree?

2) Did Batman willingly choose to rescue Harvey Dent instead of Rachel Dawes, or did The Joker lie to Batman and reverse the addresses as to who was where?

3) If you were in Batman’s place, who would you have chosen?

4) Do you think killing off Rachel Dawes was a good choice, or should they have found a way to keep her around?

5) Do you think Harvey Dent is actually dead?

6) Did Gordon faking his own death fool you?

7) Am I asking too many death related questions?

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Everything you have heard about THE DARK KNIGHT is true. It’s not just an amazing superhero movie, it’s an amazing movie. Period. It proves what many avid comic book readers have known for a long time. Comics are not just silly adventures involving uninteresting do-gooders in tights, but have the potential to achieve dramatic depth and insight on the level of all fine art.

That being said, THE DARK KNIGHT is most certainly an exciting superhero adventure (albeit, far from a silly one). Batman’s battle with The Joker features no end of finely shot, deliriously orchestrated, expertly choreographed and highly destructive action sequences ranging from Batman’s brutal fist fights to intense car chases. They’re also intoxicatingly exciting, of course. Throw in great characters immersed in a thrilling, twisty plot that increasingly escalates the tension, and fantastic performances from Christian Bale and especially Aaron Eckhart, and you’re in for one hell of a ride.

It’s the nuances and thematic aspirations though that raise the film to an entirely different level, one that is stimulating and smart. So much so that I saw it a second time not only because it was awesome, but because I felt I needed another shot to appreciate the movie’s complexity and nuances. My brain is still running through them, which should - if anything - mean it passes that age-old “A good film has you still thinking about it a week later” test. It proves that THE DARK KNIGHT isn’t so much a superhero film as it is an intelligent crime drama that happens to feature a guy who dresses like a bat, and another who wears clown makeup.
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With many of you having probably attended midnight screenings of THE DARK KNIGHT or planning on catching the movie today, please feel free to post below and let the rest of us know. I’m not seeing the film till noon on Saturday, so out of fear of spoilers I won’t check till after (and will have a review by Sunday), but don’t let that stop you.

What did you think? Is the film really as amazing as everyone says it is, or were you a little down? Is it the best superhero movie of all time, or is it just plain one of the best movies of all time? Did you see it on an IMAX or regular screen? Were you hardcore and saw it on both? If so, which was better? What were the crowds like?

During the summer everyone is always talking about anticipating this film or other, but a lot of times the reason we’re looking forward to a particular film is not just its concept, but the acting performances it promises. So with my Top 10 Most Anticipated Summer Movies list already up, I thought I’d highlight a few of the actors – in no particular order - whose work I’m most looking forward to seeing this summer season.

Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly, STEP BROTHERS
These two are a perfect comedic duo, and the concept of STEP BROTHERs – purportedly devised by the two actors themselves – is a perfect, simple vehicle to let their humor shine. Above all else, I’m just so happy to see John C. Reilly finally breakout, even if after years of solid character roles it turned out to be comedy that would get him noticed.

Robert Downey Jr., TROPIC THUNDER
It’s really hard to imagine Downey Jr. could top his performance in IRON MAN, but I’m incredibly curious to see how he is going to pull off playing a white Australian actor who in the film is in turn playing an African American. Inherently it seems like a politically incorrect disaster (then again, the Wayans did turn themselves white a while back), but based on all the trailers it looks like he pulls it off perfectly and – most importantly – hilariously.

Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT
Before you get the wrong idea, I’m not morbidly looking forward to Ledger’s performance in THE DARK KNIGHT because it was his last. I’m looking forward to it because it looks phenomenal. Based on the trailers, it just blows my mind how Ledger all but disappears into the role of the Joker, both in manner and appearance. It seems like such a seamless melding with the psychopathic spirit of the villain, that HYPERLINK “http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/14/discuss-could-heath-ledger-land-an-oscar-nod-for-his-dark-knig/” some are already wondering whether it may deserve an Oscar nomination.

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In a shocking turn of events, actor Heath Ledger (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) was found dead on Tuesday in a lower Manhattan Apartment.

According to the New York Police Department, Ledger was found naked and unresponsive, facedown on the floor at the foot of his bed by a housekeeper trying to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse.

“Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed,” said NYPD police spokesman Paul Browne. “This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet.”

Needless to say, our sympathies go out to Ledger’s family and friends. Famous actor or not, twenty-eight is far too young to die.