We aren't told that the Joker is behind the heist until he reveals himself.

Yeah, that bugged me, too. People did correct him in comments -- and I think some of it is that he certainly saw the movie but a lot of his structural observations are based on going back to the script. Anyway, there are definitely points like that, small and large, that I disagree with, but overall it makes me understand why I liked the stuff I liked, and it reconciles me to stuff I didn't like. Which makes me happy because I wanted to like the movie an awful lot, and came away going, "I liked that, but I didn't LOVE it." And now I can't wait to see it again and I really really hope it's one of the presents I get tomorrow.

Plus it's really interesting to see a writer's take -- a lot of his appreciation is prefaced with "It's a big action-adventure event comic-based summer blockbuster that's also thoughtful about the mythology and character-driven. I've tried to write these, do you know how hard it is to pull this off?"

On Todd Alcott: he's a writer and regularly does long analysis of movies in his lj -- he's been going through Spielberg for ages which irritates me because I fucking hate Spielberg and grumble grouse whine. But then he did the same for the Coens and I ate it like candy, so.... I suppose it could be a matter of subjective taste and not that he's crazy. Maybe? Oh, and I stumbled upon his journal via James Urbaniak of Venture Brothers fame, so, y'know, he gets points for that.

I've seen TDK twice and I liked it more the first time I saw it. I still really liked the movie, but the second time I saw it, I was kind of hit by how truly depressing the movie is! I know it is weird not to get that the first time, but I think I was just thrilled to see the movie at midnight.

I hope Nolan does a 3rd movie, because I can think of a lot of directions for him to go after this.

Probably because every time he was onscreen, the phrase "white knight" would be uttered three or four times, with meaningful pauses so the audience could remember that the movie was called the dark knight and solemnly appreciate the comparison being drawn.

Right, like what they kept calling Angel during seasons 3 and 4. I want to say "champion", but swear it was cornier than that.

Meanwhile, Lana's parents are actually Schroedinger's Cat.

it was champion!

Are you saying you haven't seen A Knight's Tale ? Granted the pretty-boy bonding-ness of it is rather subtle but Bettany goes way beyond shirtless.

You are absolutely correct - although I don't remember having the same OMGGuh! response to buck nekkid Chaucer!Bettany that I had to shirtless Bettany, actually. Not to disparage his bum, which is indeed a fine thing, and actually, I really should go buy a copy of A Knight's Tale... No, though, it was the bending-back-while-looking-intense-and concentrating-on-flaming-juggly-things-competent-action-shot business. Er, combined with that bit, I don't know what it's called, but that defined muscle bit coming up towards the hip, or heading towards the groin, depending on your perspective? Possibly the Iliac? Or something? Anyway, THAT bit. Which was distractingly well defined. Um.

But, yes, you're right - I was all over Chaucer/William like a rash. That bit where nekkid!Bettany was just LOOKING at William, in the expectation that William would help him out a second time, and then suddenly he realised that William was maybe going to leave him to stew, and the bottom fell out of his world, and he just did the best desperate puppy eyes in the history of ever, and William looked right back at him, and there was a long 'If I do this YOU WILL OWE ME' undercurrent, with lashings of 'Oh Captain my Captain', and...yeah. Um. I still have a half-finished fic somewhere that has Chaucer unrequitedly smitten with William, and ending up drunkenly shagging Wat instead. Because that was SO what happened in my head. (And the Chaucer/Wat pigtail pulling was So Much Fun.)

But in Inkheart it's the wee boy who's doing that whole wide-eyed idolising thing at Bettany's character, and Bettany is being all prickly and scarred and untrustworthy and heart of goldish. And shirtless. I did mention the shirtless, right?

...um. Sorry. Apologies to the not-slashily-inclined in the thread - I didn't mean to go on at such length.

please, Will... please will you help me

oh yeah

Guh.

We saw Milk last night, which I really liked. It really gave a sense of time and place and culture. Penn was as good as everyone says. With the whole Prop 8 thing going on, the political element of the story was doubly powerful.

We also saw The Day the Earth Sucked Ass Stood Still. So deeply, stupidly, profoundly bad. We snuck in, and I STILL feel like I overpaid.

We saw Milk last night, which I really liked. It really gave a sense of time and place and culture.

Scrappy, how did it compare to Zodiac which covers a similar era in SF?

Oh, I liked it much more. Van Sant uses news footage in really smart way and the haircuts and clothes, etc. all feel totally real and not "designed".