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THE DARK KNIGHT: Walt’s Quick Review - Spoiler Free

Having part of the day off today, I figured I’d take in the midnight showing of THE DARK KNIGHT and after getting out at the lovely hour of 3AM this morning, figured sleep was the better part of valor and my initial thoughts about the movie got lost in slumberland. The result of all this being that this quick review isn’t quite the “first impression” that my other Quick Reviews were.

You know how the website RottenTomatoes will come up with a stellar review for a movie and you’ll discover that you didn’t agree with the consensus of movie critics as to whether the movie was good or bad? That’s the way I am with this movie.

THE DARK KNIGHT was a fantastic movie that I did not enjoy. Well, certainly as much as I should have.

For obvious reasons I won’t go into details as to why I wasn’t thrilled with this movie, but I do think you should give it a watch.

Film school students will write term papers about this movie. Psychologists will pen their thoughts on this movie, comparing the events in this to those in real life. In short, this will end up being an important movie, and it’s one that will easily stand the test of time. It will be remembered as one of the more memorable super-hero movies ever made, right up there with the first Superman movie.

The movie isn’t cheesy. Dragging in parts, but only if you think movies should be no longer than 90 minutes. This movie is long, and deservedly so. If you do go see this, there’s not any real good slow spot to leave to go to the bathroom, so be warned. Not because there’s non-stop action — no, it’s because you won’t want to miss what’s going on up on the screen. (EDIT: I take that back, the scene with the Police Van being chased underground is five minutes too long, and you can time a break then.)

Do not take your children to see this movie. It’s not a super-hero movie for them. It’s not the visuals that will frighten them. It’s the theme of death and honor that they just won’t understand.

Do not see this movie if you didn’t really pay attention to the previous Batman movie. The plot and motivations are completely based on BATMAN BEGINS. This movie simply expands most of the concepts and takes them to their next phase of development. Psychologically, the movies are joined.

I went with a jazzed up crowd that were ready to hoot and holler at the screen, and it turns out very few did.

The movie is serious, and the characters in the movie know this, and make a point of telling you this. At the end of the movie, a group in one corner figured they had to start applauding, but the applause did not catch on.

A lot of folks will talk about various performances, and this movie will certainly be up for an Oscar nomination or three.

It’s probably the best movie I ever saw that I wish I could un-see.

Waiting for The Bat

Here’s my first blog post written from my blackberry. I’m writing this while waiting for the Batman movie to start. Instead of the theater for this midnight show being filled with comic book geeks, it’s instead filled with the “cool” crowd, and I the old fart sitting and listening to … Youth.

Superman never could pull this off.

LOL Oil Hunting

The price of oil today was reported as 70 pounds of Kraft Cheddar Cheese for every barrel of oil, so even my dog is out there looking for a well location.

That knocked down sign in the background represents a well that was very close to finding some oil, but had well problems and had to be abandoned.

Snickers sniffed around and finally gave me a well location we could both agree upon.

New Drinks from Starbucks!

OK kids, it seems that the new super-secret drinks from the gateway to Hell Starbucks that we spoke about a week or so back, have finally made it to a consumer audience that didn’t know what they were missing:

Today Starbucks is introducing yet another beverage to their liquid arsenal. Though frozen and blended, the new Vivanno isn’t another tired variation on the -ccino theme. Nope, this is Starbucks’ answer to Jamba Juice: A protein-packed smoothie.

(via Slashfood)

So, here’s the scoop on what these new drinks are going to be like:

One whole - real! - banana (seriously! it will be peeled and pulsed before your very eyes!)

Whey protein (16 grams) and fiber powder (5 grams)

Choice of milk (default is 2%)

Ice

Secret Starbucks-Proprietary Orange-Mango Naked Juice

Portion controlled (default is Grande, and always has less than 270 calories)

Mmmm, I may even have to try these out myself.

The Perfessor

Play Ball!

These days, a kid’s life during summer is all about camp, play dates, Tennis lessons, and about 100 other things that parents feel we have to organize around keeping our kids busy for two months. Back when I was a kid (yes, in the last century, wise guy), Summer was all about hang out in the neighborhood, walking in the woods, playing with my friends and perhaps playing a game of pick-up baseball.

In a country that regularly flaunts politicians that spout “family values” you would think that some of those Father Knows Best/Leave it to Beaver values would still play in the suburbs well, perhaps out in the heartland, but not here on the Gold Coast of CT. Over in Greenwich, CT, kids are an unavoidable asset that are to be neither seen or heard, but just there as bragging points (“My kid is going to MIT”, “My kid is a Dr.”). So when a bunch of teens in Greenwich decided to do something constructive, positive, and playful, well, you can read it for yourself:

Tim Bellantoni hit one over the Green Monster yesterday - well, sort of.

Here, the locals don’t pronounce it “mon-stah” the way they do in Boston and the pitcher was wearing Vineyard Vines flip-flops instead of spikes.

And shagging a fly ball could lead to a nasty case of poison ivy.

To Tim and a group of resourceful teenagers, their field of dreams is a vacant town-owned lot on Riverside Lane that they converted into a miniature Wiffle ball stadium, complete with outfield fences, bleachers, foul poles and a backstop.

They built a 12-foot-high replica of Green Monster in center field, not in left field as at Fenway Park. Their thinking is that the leaves from an imposing tree would obstruct home runs from clearing the fence. The teens even added some American flags and signs atop the wall, including advertisements for Taco Bell’s Frutista Freeze slush drink.

(Via Stamford Advocate)

No small deal this so called “Field of Dreams”, as the story was picked up by the local TV station, and has since gone national with stories appearing from Boston to Cleveland. Oh heck, even the New York Times itself has gotten into the act.

Personally, I’m not entirely sure what the world is coming to, but I do know that those noisy kids should just sit inside in front of their big screen Wiis, smoking dope, and playing their rock and roll (but only into their headphones), and stop bothering me with all of this “bonding” crap.

The Perfessor

* * * UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE * * *

This just in, News 12 has just reported that the kids have lost their bid to keep the field open. The First Selectman has determined that there is a liability issue involved with the kids playing on Town property, and has shut them down.

Needless to say these kids have just learned early on that you can’t fight city hall, and “The Man” always wins.

More movies, more comics

The Summer of funnybook movies continues with the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, this past weekend. While I know that many critics panned the first Hellboy. Personally I liked it (granted, I had to see it a couple of times to fully get its rhythm, but it certainly wasn’t as bad as some make out).

Anywho, as stated, back for a second bite at the cinematic apple is Mike Mignola’s demonic WW II hero with an attitude and a mean right cross, Hellboy. To be sure, while this reviewer has long been a fan of the Dark Horse comicbook series, and did enjoy the red monkey’s initial film, I wasn’t so sure that we were ever going to see him onscreen again, especially after his initial outing. I mean, it was fun and all, and (as stated) I enjoyed it, this reviewer seemed to be in the minority.

Anyway, as with the first film (and comic) Hellboy (Perlman) and his crew of misfits — including Abe Sapien (Jones)>, Liz Sherman (Blair) — His boss, Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) and the rest of the BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) are the chaps who keep the world safe from the beasties who go bump in the night. Yeah, yeah it sounds — and looks — a little bit like Men in Black, but that’s not only OK, but it is to be a little bit expected, as the two comics and films are essentially drawing on similar source material.

Having said all of this, the film is a fun ride, and is a testament to the scathingly brilliant vision of Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) is simply wonderful to behold, and truly needs to be seen to be believed.

The Perfessor

I’ve heard of “Bats in the belfry” but still…

At first I thought that this story could be a sneaky prelude to the new Batman flick, but then again, after reading it, I don’t honestly think so.

Abbie Hawkins, a British hotel worker who thought she had silenced her phone, which she apparently carries around in her bra. We’ve seen other women do this, so we’re not shocked by the practice.

But imagine Hawkins’ shock when the twitching item in her undergarment turned out not to be her cell phone, but instead a live bat. Yes, a bat. With wings. (And fangs?) Perhaps it was receiving a text message from a Transylvanian baron?

(via Switched)

So, while I’ve heard of peek-a-boo bras, I can’t help but to think that if this woman could walk around all day with a bat in her bra, what else could she be hiding in there (or, ~ahem~ elsewhere in her clothing) without realizing it.

The Perfessor