So. The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen it yet, please go see it, even if you don't want to or don't think you'll like it, chances are that you will...or at least that you'll be a better person for having watched it, even if you hate it. It IS without a doubt, the best movie so far this year (and probably will remain so, Harry Potter nothwithstanding). It's much darker than I thought it would be, though, honestly, I don't know why I was surprised because that's the one thing all the reviews I read had in common, but anyways...Heath Ledger is the best movie villain of all time. He's willfully, incoherently, and uncaringly malignant. His only end is to establish pure chaos-- an idea that is particularly frightening in our law and norm-bound lives. Ledger so completely portrays this character, that I find it hard now to think of him in any other role. The cinematography is beautiful. Watching it in IMAX, I maybe felt a little seasick at the full-screen shots looking down at the city, but who wouldn't, it's GIGANTIC. And the picture quality is flawless. And in IMAX, our first introduction to the joker is 6 stories tall. It's thrilling and frightening. Christian Bale is tormented by his own goodness and Aaron Eckhart is just tormented. Maggie Gyllenhal is good in her role, but I think we need something between her own sad Rachel and the bubbly idealist Katie Holmes played.

It's dark, yes, and definitely violent, but still pushes the idea that somethings are still worth fighting for, no matter how high the cost, though that idea may be tested in the next installment. A ver.

Finally!

So after days and days of hopeless waiting, the NYTimes finally posted their review of The Dark Knight. If you're wondering why this matters, it doesn't, not really to anyone but me, who read Manohla Dargis' reviews almost religiously. She's great critic, ok? I'm surprised they waited to durn long, but excited. The reason I love her reviews is because they are never fully good or bad, she always acknowledges the good points without glossing over the negative. That's true here as well.

My favorite review, though, came from Time magazine. This one gave me chills. Well so did Ms. Dargis', but not as many. Just read them.

I don't know why I get so worked up for movies. I just do.

the talkies!

Yes...so...I went to see Hellboy II this weekend. The only reason this is of note is because I wasn't actually intending to. A few weeks ago, while watching tv with my roomates, a commercial for it played and I said to them "that looks slightly interesting, I kind of want to see it." I looked around at them, to find them all looking at me with expressions ranging from utter bafflement to something bordering on disgust. Ever since that day, they have mocked me, until I swore a solemn oath to myself to avoid this film at all costs. With my friends, I made plans to go see "Son of Rambow" on Saturday, and waited with gleeful anticipation for the day to arrive. On Saturday morning, I received a text asking if we could see Hellboy instead because "it got three stars and Kyle really wants to see it." Thus I was forced to break the vow I had made so many weeks before.

I guess my point here is that we watched it and it was hilarious! Take that, roomates! I was right!

So the plot may have been a little cliche, but it's a comic book movie, what do you expect? The kind of film that is so emotionally draining on its actors that they need to start taking prescription drugs to escape its shadow? The fight scenes were spectacular, there were lots of really bizarre creatures (quickly becoming del Toro's trademark), and, as already stated, it was a very funny movie.

Yesterday, I watched A&E's version of that old classic The Mayor of Casterbridge. It's a sunshiny, heart-warming tale of the love that grows between one young girl (Elizabeth Jane) and the father who sold her and her mother to a wandering sailor when she was but a wee babe. It follows her adventures in ye olde towne of Casterbridge as she waits tables at an inn to pay her hotel bill, falls in love with a man who later falls in love with and marries Elizabeth Jane's Father's former lover who he's trying to force to marry him by threatening to reveal their former intimacy, and watches her "father" destroy his own life and relationship piece by excruciating piece. WHEW. But really, it's about her father (the mayor), Michael Henchard and his aforementioned slow road to self destruction. It's amazing to watch the way he alienates everyone with his cruelty and immaturity, and even more amazing that, after all he does, you still pity him.

Well acted, though starting to look a bit dated, I recommend it if you're feeling depressed and would like to go a bit lower.

So...ok. Youtube. Bane of all existence, I know. Well just get over it for a second, because I'm pretty sure that I just found the video that will solve all of the world's problems.

133t h4x0rz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So today in the lab we were browsing the amazing array of services that google offers (for example, its own attempt at facebook, its own 3d drawing/model program, its own blogging site...etc...) and, while talking about how much "google rocks", I realized that someday, google will even have its own band called, what else, "G00g13 R0xOrz" or...something like that, you get the idea, and all their concerts would be free because it's google, and it would be totally awesome! That was what I learned about infant psychology today.