The Dark Knight

So is anyone else already super excited for The Dark Knight, the second Batman movie to star Christian Bale as our favorite winged vigilante, to come out next summer besides me? Actually, so many people are already stoked for this movie and several websites already boast countdowns until opening day. They are actually filming parts of the movie in my fair city of Chicago and people have reported "Joker" and "Batmobile" sightings all summer. It's been very exciting. There was a casting call for extras downtown last month - unfortunately, I was unable to get there though. How cool would that have been though? Just to be at a casting call for a Batman movie?

Out of all of the superheros out there, out of the dozens of movies seemingly being pumped out at an alarmingly rapid speed, Batman has always been, without a doubt, my favorite of all superheroes and the reason behind that is quite simple. Bruce Wayne aka the Dark Knight is just a normal guy. He wasn't dropped in acid or bitten by a spider or exposed to cosmic radiation. He's just some regular guy who decided to take matters into his own hands. After his parents are murdered, he grows up to make giving out justice his responsibility as he stops the scum of Gotham City, by far, the second coolest city ever created in a comic - the first being Sin City. Growing up, there were always the unfair questions - Batman vs. Superman. Batman vs. Spiderman. Such unfair matches. The only out of the ordinary things Batman has on his side are all of his wonderful toys.

My favorite Batman movie is the first. The original. Batman. Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and was directed by my favorite director, Tim Burton. I'm actually watching it right now as I write it. Call it inspiration. Although I adore Christian Bale and find him one of the greatest actors of our time, Michael Keaton to me will always be Batman. He pulled off the mystery of being Batman and the charm of being Bruce Wayne perfectly. And Jack Nicholson as the Joker... what can you even say? He's perfect and is the king of one-liners in the movie. "Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press?"

That's why I am so eager to see The Dark Knight next summer. Not only is it a Batman movie but it's going to have the Joker as the enemy and I love the Joker. Heath Ledger will play the villian this time around but unlike Nicholson's somewhat comical makeup, Ledger sports a rather demented clown look. I doubt Ledger will have the same charisma Nicholson had but I'm excited to see his portrayal all of the same. And plus, Harvey Dent, Gotham City's DA, and future Two-Face, is also going to be in this film and I always love watching him before he becomes both disfigured and rather insane. Check out a picture of Heath Ledger in Joker makeup from The Dark Knight and mark your calenders. Summer of 2008. And I can't wait!