the Godaamn Batman

Well, faithful readers - I finally snuck out of the compound and faced my agoraphobia to see the goddamn batman.

Wow. Shockingly violent!

I'm also surprised that folks have kept a lid on the events, villain gallery and body count - considering the movie is now ranked 2nd in all-time North American box office cash. First is still Titanic - none are adjusted for inflation. Still, that's a lot of folks going to and going back to Batman part 5.

Other than the look, the violence, the smart characters, the allegory to the paranoid world we live in, the technology... there are two things that I haven't heard anyone talk about. (And I wouldn't say these are spoilers, however, I don't want anyone to get pissed -- Although, I'm fairly sure I'm the last person in the States to have seen this movie...) Here it goes.

First topic no one has mentioned, is that the Joker is a PERFECT villain. I mean, he plays the game of being chaos - and totally unpredictable -- but for him to set up his schemes, and to pull them off where he always wins -- that's just insanely perfect. He comes off as a total loon, making it all up as he goes along, but he would have had to been planning his schemes months to a year ahead of time to have those dominoes fall in the exact manner that they need to fall.

I love that his origin story changes every time he tells it - again, it comes off as the spooky, "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moon light?" on the surface. However it shows that the character is holding his Joker cards close to his vest.

I'm not even talking about the acting - which was great - but the WRITING of the Joker villain was awesome.

Second, is how the movie starts off as a typical Summer Pop-corn tent pole Super Hero movie - then after about a half an hour it turns. It turns into something much darker, much more cerebral than I was expecting.

The Dark Knight is in theaters now, and has been for about - oh - about a month now.

Just for giggles: Here are the top 10 films of all time ADJUSTED for Inflation.

1. Gone With the Wind
2. Star Wars (a new hope)
3. The Sound of Music
4. E.T.
5. The 10 Commandments
6. Titanic
7. Jaws
8. Dr. Zhivago
9. The Jungle Book (1967)
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Dark Knight is 36 and on the move up the side of the building