Oh my GOD!! Is there anyone else out there who just can't wait for "The Dark Knight" to come out on July 18th??? Do you become paralyzed and find yourself transfixed on your television or local movie screen when the trailer comes on, hairs on the back of your neck standing straight up??? I cannot wait for this film to come out. Reading an article on Wired online did help me a bit, allowing me to thrust my emotions into tight sentences and filming factoids concerning Christopher Nolan's latest production. Check it out here. Here's an exceprt: Nolan's use of Imax is the natural fulfillment of an experiment he launched with Batman Begins in 2005. That film depicted Batman's dogged, bruising rise from angry rich kid to driven crime fighter, and it hinted at the consequences of embracing one's inner demon, even in the service of good. Begins ended with a warning: Batman has escalated the war. His presence ensures the rise of equally quixotic, equally obsessed adversaries. One of these leaves a calling card at murder scenes: a joker. Batman promises the police he'll look into it. In The Dark Knight, he does, and it looks right back at him, with the leering, paint-smeared face of the late Heath Ledger. Eight stories tall. Cruel reality mashed up with the comic-book carnivalesque — unvarnished, without the comforting buffer of f/x. In an Imax theater, your eyes can't wander off Nolan's enveloping canvas and can't easily dismiss what they're seeing as trickery. Maybe that's the most special effect of all.
Let's just start with Christopher Nolan. There isn't a bad movie this guy has made.
1998 Following 1st feature length film in black and white. Nothing shy of brilliant for a first film and for the budget it had. Everything you could want in an independent first film.
2000 Memento If you haven't seen this movie, it's one that's carved a place out for itself in film history. Go rent it and see why!
2002 Insomnia An American remake five years after the Norwegian original that is currently a Criterion collection film was released. Very slow and restless, perfectly matched for the story that unfolds onscreen. Not amazing, but a good character study and a film that grows on you with each viewing.
2005 Batman Begins A darker, broodier, redo of the 1989 Blockbuster that launched the movie franchise. This film completely exceeded my expectations and notions of a new Batman film being "too soon." If I had a dollar for every time I've watched this movie.
2006 The Prestige Not his best film, but not a bad film either. Beautifully shot and well acted for the most part with a cameo by David Bowie, the casting and acting was not up to previous Nolan standards, but the story was fascinating.2008 Batman: The Dark Knight And here we are, full circle. Christian Bale, Michael Cane, Gary Oldman, the late Heath Ledger (being creepy on so many levels), Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and a last minute sub for Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllehnall. Looks to be spectacular!
I also have never had the pleasure of watching a movie in an IMAX theatre before. I think after reading the article above, I will finally pop my IMAX cherry. Expect to find me in a dark, air-conditioned, IMAX theatre the weekend of the 17th watching what I'm sure will blow Blockbusters for the last 10 years out of the water.
01 Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring (exception)
02 Spiderman - (blew)
03 Lord of the Rings - Return of the King (exception)
04 Shrek 2 (Give me a fucking break!)
05 Star Wars episode 3 (I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit)
06 Pirates of the Caribbean (Shoot me already)
07 Spiderman 3 (puke) Transformers (Die Michael Bay) Pirates of the Caribbean again (the shittiest piece of shit)
08 Iron Man (not bad) Indiana Jones (Holy Loser Auteurs club Batman!!)
After the horrible blockbuster summer of 2007, can we finally have some intelligent panache from a filmmaker that cares about shunning digital effects and going for the genuine article when it comes to filmmaking? I think we can. I think Chris Nolan is going to bring it home. Rolling Stone's review here.
So Bring it on Chris. Bring it on. We're ready.
