Something New

...by popular harassment.

My tales of both The Motherland and The Promised Land are grossly overdue. Unfortunately, said tales must continue to simmer on the proverbial back-burner. In the meantime, enjoy the following thoughts on the greatest summer blockbuster of 2008, from which I'm still recovering.

[SPOILER AVOIDERS, BEWARE!]

-- Most of my crowd thought it was over about two-thirds of the way through. When we were proven wrong, I realized that I could literally watch that plot line forever, if someone would just write and film continually. Freaking amazing.

-- If the overturned truck (among other things) doesn't lock an effects nomination, I will lose a chunk of faith in the movie industry. The entire audience applauded.

-- The Uptown totally lives up to its rep.

-- Having anyone else play the Joker after this would be a crime. In honor of Heath's brilliant portrayal, I kind of hope that character is left just as he was: hanging, metaphorically and plot-wise. The Joker never really disappears, and we all know it. No need to revisit.

-- Bale's Batman vs. Craig's James Bond: who would win in a fight?

-- Even with half a face, Aaron Eckhart still beats Christian Bale in both looks and talent. Just MHO. (If you haven't, catch Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking.)

[SPOILER AVOIDERS, RESUME]

When I see something this brilliantly written, designed, and performed, I marvel at the artists involved. Much as I love live performances, the visual magic of film allows their contributions to be immortal, with more immediate potential to transcend generations. I then wonder about my own legacy in this world, whether I can even hope to leave a mark so indelible.

Then, an old friend unexpectedly gives me hope. My dear friend Kevin, whom I haven't seen in about 5 years, was digitally discussing a particularly hard day in his commercial dive school adventures. He punctuated his story with this statement: "one of your spine-adjusting hugs would be just the thing right now."

As hallmarks go, I could do worse.