I probably have a bleak view of the real world, so that could be a factor. But in terms of corruption I figure Gotham is similar to Moscow in the 90s.

Now I'm kinda curious if the movies are popular in Russia, actually. Hm.

Saw Magic Mike tonight (won tix to a preview). I'd call it a solid "B". Spoiler for ita ! Matthew McConaughey's iliac crests? Dayum. I mean, who knew? But really, just, dayum.)

Rumors that Viggo Mortensen may be cast in the role of ship's captain in the Dracula-related movie The Voyage of the Demeter.

I'll be seeing DKR in the theaters. The question of Gotham and why people would stay there (low taxes? surely the ginormous insurance premiums would eat any possible gain) was sort of answered in one of the previews, what with the exploding bridges and all, and that "aha" moment may be the most joyful emotional moment the movie provides. But the grim in Batman is very satisfying to me in a way that other grim media (Game of Thrones, Ethan Frome, etc.) just isn't.

There are so many real world cities and real world circumstance that are miserable that, of course people would live in a place like Gotham. There is a laundry list of reasons people stay in "sub-optimal" communities. And there's no reason to assume that those who could might not have availed themselves of this opportunity before the movie even begins.

The city in Se7en, which is never identified specifically (and it drives me crazy because it feels like Philly and Chicago and L.A. rolled into one) is very much that sort of grim. A sort of Every City urban grimness, I guess.

For me, Gotham has always been New York, so it never occurred to me to wonder why people would want to leave. It also didn't feel very unrealistic to me, and I love New York.

People still live in Baltimore, and Detroit. If you don't know what it's like to live somewhere else, it may be hard to imagine...it is for me and ours is a sunny, shiny, hell.

Good god, why do the Ted trailers totally captivate me? I swear I don't want to see it, but Ted is exactly the sort of annoying character I can enjoy, at least in the doses provided so far. I can't take the Zach Galifianakis bumbling offensive type. Shoot them in the knee and leave them in a rest stop.

(I watched some of Hangover II yesterday. This is fresh.)

Hangover II is like moviemaking crime, ita. And not the way I like. (I enjoyed the first one quite a lot.) But to make the same movie plus added rude jokes about Asians,blah.

Asians and trans* people. I know it's stupid to pick a point in the movie and say "This! This is offensive!" It's Hangover. Two.

But...the lady boys subplot wasn't remotely funny for me.