Two Minutes For Credit Check

Welcome back. Just to get it out of the way, the midnight showing of The Dark Knight was awesome. I feel like I don't really have to talk about it a lot because it seems as if every movie-goer in America has already seen this film. The thing that everyone perpetually talks about is Heath Ledger's performance. I certainly didn't think the hype was unwarranted. He was amazing. The movie had more of a sinister feel, but I liked the gritty reality of the flick. I'm planning on seeing it again this weekend at IMAX and I'm as excited to see it the second time around.

So an interesting thing happened at this local premiere. For whatever reason there was minimal screen entertainment as people were filing into their seats. Apparently the Cinemark Theatre didn't deem it necessary to let us know for the fifteenth time that Jodie Foster was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Taxi Driver via the Movie Trivia feature. So I guess people felt the need to entertain themselves. After the wave mercifully failed, I would say at least 27% of the audience started singing the FreeCreditReport.com song. I'm serious. People were really getting into harmonically describing their need to check their respective personal credit statuses. I don't think I'm necessarily making fun of these people, I just don't get the phenomenon. I don't really watch a ton of TV so I guess I haven't allowed the evil of mass marketing geared towards preying on those who might be afraid that they will remain a pirate waiter for the rest of their life reach me yet. Three points for a run-on sentence. I just wish I would have taken the points 4 years ago when the bet was still open that a song about checking your credit report would be available on iTunes.

Things I've been pondering as Zimbabwe sorts out its standard inflation issue. Ya know, like why it costs 10 billion dollars for bus fare.

-Is it funny to anyone else that Punky Brewster is a crusader for the breast reduction movement?

-I can totally understand why people think it's justified that they don't pay taxes. Here is another example.

-Tony LaRussa might be finding a stiffer drink than wine after these last two games against the Brewers.

-I don't even really like the Beastie Boys version of Girls, but Hello Tokyo's remake made me smile.

-I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard "I'm not racist, but..." recently. I would have more dollars than I do now.

-For nostalgia sake, how come no company has come up with a Grandma's House air refresher? I mean, they all smell the same. I don't think it would be too hard.

That's all I got. Later.

Turn the Light Off

Per CNN, Barack Obama doesn't sweat. They just thought you should know.

I'm ready to return from my baseball vacation. I got another solid three months in me of analyzing pitch sequences for three hours every night.

How come there are no movies about modern-day actors? You're telling me there hasn't been one compelling story about a living actor that could be depicted in a movie? Singers, athletes, politicians... they all get movies made about them before they even die. Actors don't. This is clearly discrimination by the movie industry against its own kind. Is it because they would all insist to play themselves and directors aren't so sure that Jack Nicholson would be convincing enough to play a young Jack Nicholson?

Speaking of Mr. Nicholson, The Dark Knight premieres this weekend. To say I'm a big Batman fan would be an understatement. I grew up on the old Adam West shows and I will be in attendance of the midnight show tonight. Obviously, this particular rendition will be exciting yet chilling due to the passing of Heath Ledger only in January. The following is what I wrote about Heath's death back in January:

"My favorite color is black. I realize that technically speaking black isn't even a color, rather the absence of color. However, I just like it. I don't think anyone would ever confuse me as goth, but I can see the attraction. Feeling the need to stand out, being rebellious and rooting for the "bad guy", having people perceive you as mysterious and dangerous. I get all that. I just hope my teenagers don't go throught that phase. I'm totally going to be the over-protective type of dad that has to give my daughters a full fledged inspection before they can leave the house.

So, growing up my favorite superhero was Batman. Batman was inherently a good guy, but there was a reason he was called the Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne had a troubled childhood after the murder of his parents, and had a hard time finding himself and what he wanted to accomplish. He was internally conflicted. He eventually decided to fight evil in Gotham to restitute what his father had started, but more so out of rage. He had maintained a level of anger after his parents' murders that fueled him day by day. Bruce Wayne was an extremely wealthy man. He understood, though, that money does not create happiness. Everyone has to decide for themselves where their root of personal satisfaction lies, and his was in fighting evil.

Fast forward from the comic realm to reality. I was saddened along with everyone else to hear of the passing of Heath Ledger. It's interesting that someone that I have had absolutely no contact with whatsoever can have an impact on me. Truthfully, most celebrity deaths aren't in the least bit numbing and I just accept them as the cyclical process of the way Hollywood works. Say good bye to a few, say hello to a few more. For whatever reason, Heath's death bothered me. Perhaps it's for selfish reasons because he is ironically enough in the new Batman movie coming out this summer. It's no secret that I'm a huge dork and invested in the entire Batman franchise. I think, though, that at my age it is finally resonating to me that no matter where you are in life it's very possible to be completely and totally unhappy. Authorities have already dismissed the possibility of suicide, which is encouraging. However, I don't think it would be unfair to say that Heath Ledger's life was a bit troubled. For all the money, all the fame, all the adoration from females he struggled to keep afloat in the sometimes unreachable stratum of satisfaction. He was undoubtedly uber-talented and had a bright future ahead of him. I was pumped to see him play the Joker in The Dark Knight this summer. Now, the whole production will take on a whole new context. A villain is gone, this time way too early. "