2008 Woodie Awards
Batman faces demented foe in 'Dark Knight'
Amber Thompson
Issue date: 7/21/08 Section: Intermission
Gotham City has turned into a rebellious 15-year-old who just cannot seem to stay out of trouble and attracts random whackjobs. Batman's seemingly never-ending stream of criminals was augmented this weekend with the release of his battle against "the Joker" and a good guy turned bad that we all know and love as "Two-Face."
"The Dark Knight" opened nationwide at 12:01 a.m. Friday to vast audiences. Throughout the weekend audiences lined up in theatres to see their favorite caped crusader battle the evil Joker.
The midnight showings alone raked in a record $18.5 million. The opening day showings earned $66.4 in ticket sales, beating out "Spider-Man 3's" previous record of $59.8 million on opening day.
The movie also premiered at 94 IMAX theatres nationwide, including the CineMagic Metropolitan in St. Michael and the Great Clips IMAX at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Despite the $12 ticket prices and the drive to get to an IMAX theatre, the experience is phenomenal - there's nothing like seeing a gigantic car crash or fight scene on a 72.6 by 52.8 foot screen.
From the beginning scenes of the movie the audience was enveloped in Gotham City, flitting between tension and hilarity. During the first scene of the movie, the Joker and his cohorts rob a bank, killing each other off as they finished their duties (to more lucratively divide the spoils, of course).
Anxiety mounts as the Joker leaves what looks like a grenade in the mouth of a bank employee and takes the fuse of it inside the getaway school bus with him, driving off and pulling the cord on the grenade. Instead of being showered with blood and guts within the first 15 minutes of the movie, grey smoke billows out of the employee's mouth - Why so serious?
The movie centers on Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) indecision surrounding whether or not to remain Batman and protect the city, or give up his alter ego to get his childhood crush, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who had recently been proposed to by the Gotham District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).
"The Dark Knight" opened nationwide at 12:01 a.m. Friday to vast audiences. Throughout the weekend audiences lined up in theatres to see their favorite caped crusader battle the evil Joker.
The midnight showings alone raked in a record $18.5 million. The opening day showings earned $66.4 in ticket sales, beating out "Spider-Man 3's" previous record of $59.8 million on opening day.
The movie also premiered at 94 IMAX theatres nationwide, including the CineMagic Metropolitan in St. Michael and the Great Clips IMAX at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Despite the $12 ticket prices and the drive to get to an IMAX theatre, the experience is phenomenal - there's nothing like seeing a gigantic car crash or fight scene on a 72.6 by 52.8 foot screen.
From the beginning scenes of the movie the audience was enveloped in Gotham City, flitting between tension and hilarity. During the first scene of the movie, the Joker and his cohorts rob a bank, killing each other off as they finished their duties (to more lucratively divide the spoils, of course).
Anxiety mounts as the Joker leaves what looks like a grenade in the mouth of a bank employee and takes the fuse of it inside the getaway school bus with him, driving off and pulling the cord on the grenade. Instead of being showered with blood and guts within the first 15 minutes of the movie, grey smoke billows out of the employee's mouth - Why so serious?
The movie centers on Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) indecision surrounding whether or not to remain Batman and protect the city, or give up his alter ego to get his childhood crush, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who had recently been proposed to by the Gotham District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).