:raises hand:
My anticipation to see it has reached a fevered pitch, although a bittersweet one because, like others, I find the moviegoing experience to be a law of diminishing returns insofar as having to cope with the masses for whom it has often proven an unthinkable notion to be parted from their cell phones for the duration of a film. To them, a movie serves more as an opportunity to hold their cell phone out in front of their faces to play games, send text messages, and generally stoke the fires of my murderous rage. I always bring spare change to throw at the backs of the heads of these people and have been known to do so. I’m actually hoping to avoid this, though, by seeing it on IMAX on Monday morning so as to avoid the nuisance of both the crowds and the thoughtless assholes that dwell within them. That’s right, I’m actually taking a vacation day just to see the film, possibly more than once. Some go for late showings thinking they’ll avoid the uncouthe masses, but I find that the reverse is true, at least in my experience … most of the people with cell phone separation anxiety (or a distinct inability to sit just still and shut the fuck up) are the ones at the late night showings. Sure, you don’t have to deal with children late at night, but you get to deal with adults who act like children late at night. Admittedly, this is as much a rant about common courtesy today as it is an inner conflict about when the best time to go would be to avoid distractions from thoughtless assholes.
Needless to say, I am (like pepperlandgirl) anticipating this film like nothing else I can remember, and have also been waiting for it since the credits rolled on ‘Begins’. I have been following the movie’s development since long before the first trailer was even a blip on most people’s radars, having frequented the locations that it was filmed at in Chicago several times during production last summer. I knew even then when seeing the scenes being staged along Lower Wacker Drive and around LaSalle Street, with massive power generators set up all along the Chicago river for lighting up the shots at night, that this film was going to be something very special. The scope of the location shooting along the river was just a sight to see, and I was telling everybody even then how amazing this was going to be, and that was a YEAR ago … long before The Joker was ever unveiled in full glory or anyone even heard Ledger’s menacingly twisted voice, which is a hugely important asset in the character he brought to life for us. It’s no mystery that Heath knew how critical the voice was to the character, and it’s incredibly exciting to see the villain finally being given the treatment it deserves after all this time.
I adore all of Nolan’s films.
That is one reason to be there for the midnight showing. The audience willing to see a film at midnight on a weeknight is dedicated. No texting in that crowd.
Ah, our experience is a bit different here…we love sitting up close, so we rarely see heads in front of us.
I believe that is more true in the 'burbs than in the city.
My wife and I see a LOT of films in the theater, and we generally avoid seeing popular films on weekend evenings. The popular films are see on weekdays.
We stumbled across a filming location for Batman Begins on Lower Randolph and got to see a row of four Batmobiles.
I concur … it’s assumed they’d generally be dedicated strictly to watching, but that’s rarely an absolute in my experience. I’ve been to late night showings and in addition to the cell phone problem, have also found a preponderance of viewers who must somehow vocalize their concerns and opinions every ten seconds. These rowdies come out almost exclusively at late night showings.
Yeah, got within spitting distance of the group of Tumblers myself. The production crew were understandably cautious about pedestrians getting too close late at night. I got to see the Joker truck driving around down there, getting ready for shots as well, and saw Heath in full makeup and costume (although from quite a distance, so there wasn’t much to see). In fact, I was working for an electrical contractor that was doing a job at a rather posh hotel along the Chicago River, and as is the case with most buildings along the river, the hotel had a loading dock for trucks along Lower Wacker Drive. As one would imagine, it was easy for me to get a good shot of the crew and vehicles frequently using those lower drive spaces to film the chase sequences. It was also funny to see, while on a Chicago river boat tour from Navy Pier, several Gotham Police Dept. trucks and cars marked “GPD” (which looks quite similar to “CPD”) sticking out from Lower Wacker amongst the set pieces right next to the river during daylight hours when they weren’t in use for filming. It made me ponder whether a photo of those Gotham-marked trucks among Chicago scenery would make for a good game of “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” to a more casual observer. 
I just got out of a pre-screening at the Uptown - stumbled into it on my way home, actually, I’d planned to see it tomorrow. Utterly, utterly extraordinary.
My god, poor Harvey Dent. I never thought this movie could make me feel for Two-Face - but Dent was such a good guy, and what the Joker did was so unspeakably, nightmarishly evil - man.
Totally psyched. Considering doing the Directors Hall pick your own comfy seats deal. Plus it opens (if you don’t count Thursday after midnight cheating) on my birthday, so it will be a nice birthday outing with my friends.
For those who don’t like crowds, I’m the total opposite. Assuming I can get good seats I think it’s great fun to be in a big crowd of other people who are excited and will cheer at the appropriate moments.
I assume you know that in the comic/every other incarnation of the Joker, that’s NOT makeup.
Given that, I assume you approve of the interpretation of the Joker as “just some guy with facepaint”? Because I agree with someone on another thread who found that sort of unsettling.
Obligatory Krusty reference.
Batman Begins was the Batman film I’d been waiting for. So yeah, totally psyched. I very rarely go to the cinema, but for this one I will.
Actually I did NOT know that. Why is his face like that in the other iterations, then?
Acid burns. Usually involving a vat.
Although to be fair, he used makeup in the Animated Series to keep his skin it’s whitest.
In that case, I like the grease paint over scars better. More realistic, more disturbed, more unsettling.
And it fits better with Nolan’s “realistic” take on Batman. I just want to see how he pulls off Two-Face.
This is the most excited I’ve been for a movie since Return of the King (with the possible exception of No Country for Old Men). It always worries me when my expectations are this high because they are rarely met. My friend, however, saw it months ago (he is DEEP in the industry) and told me I won’t be disappointed.
Bought tickets Monday and the earliest I could find IMAX seats were for a noon showing on Saturday so that’s when I’ll be seeing it. Incidentally that was the only showing not sold out the entire weekend.
Gonna try to go see it Saturday afternoon. The only halfway nearby Imax theatre isn’t showing it though.
I just saw Batman Begins for the first time a week ago. It was great.
A Signature Bet?!? Bah!!! Let’s put our money where our mouths are, I say. It needn’t be large (and it needn’t be cash; trade or goods of some type would be fine), but the stakes should be very real (besides, what kind of street cred bragging rights comes with besting a guy with less than 50 posts? :dubious: 
)
If you’re willing to pony up, I’m perfectly comfortable sealing the deal before seeing the movie. He may be great and, for all I know, my personal fave for the year. But I’m equally confident that his odds are slim at best, and am perfectly willing to wait 'til next spring (win or lose) to revel in my long-anticipated victory. 
So what do you say?
Good Sir, I am shocked, SHOCKED by your proposition of a wager with actual monetary value! Surely you would not ask me to violate any number of Federal interstate gambling prohibitions on this public forum? For shame!!
Pssst…Are the feds gone? OK, you’re on. PM me.
Well, in that case, one could argue/ask, is it Batman anymore (ah, the eternal “deviation from the original material” debate)? Or about the worth of trying to apply “realism” to an inherently unrealistic storyline.
But I suppose those are questions better answered after folks actually see the movie.
A whole lot of people think that this is, in fact, much closer to the original source material than a film like Batman ('89 version) was. This clearly derives from the newer graphic novel versions, while Tim Burton’s work was much more about his own interpretation.
Your question still stands, of course; but if you’re going to make any “comic book movie” realistic, at least pick the one where the Super Hero doesn’t have any super powers in the first place.