Thursday, July 17, 2008

It All Comes Down To This

Every year I end up with a small selection of films I designate as my make or break movies of the year. Once they fall into this category, they must be amazing to fulfill my expectations for the year. I usually end up hedging my bets* enough to endure one bust without losing all faith in the motion picture business. For example, last year Spiderman 3 was a dud but it didn't matter because There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men were total masterpieces.** However, this year I've got everything riding on* The Dark Knight. If it doesn't live up to my admittedly high standards, nothing will salvage this year in cinema for me. For someone as emotionally fragile as myself, this is a risky but ultimately necessary move. Batman is my favourite superhero by a million miles. Batman (1989) is in my all time Top 10. Batman hates himself more than I do. I can't help from getting giddy over this. With all the hype, the hype and, oh yeah, the hype, this movie didn't even have to look good for me to get sucked into the mass hysteria. The fact that it might very well be the best picture of the year only sweetens the deal. So here's hoping The Dark Knight doesn't break my heart.

Did you know Heath Ledger died? I bet Bin Laden even heard about that one.

*Yes, those are poker/gambling analogies. I'm writing this at work so cut me some slack. At least I didn't use the phrase "all my eggs in one basket" or "all-in." All of the sudden those don't seem so bad anymore, huh?

**For the record, I believe it's socially and artistically acceptable to call films of that caliber masterpieces without the slightest concern of seeming hackneyed or predictable. My use of "for the record" is a different matter altogether.

Coming Soon: I too have a Dark Knight related pizza story. Pepperoni ruined my day. And not in the way you're thinking it did.

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