The Dark Knight

I went to see The Dark Knight on Thursday evening.  Got held up at work, rushed home, cleaned the carpet on the stairs, ate dinner, returned the carpet cleaner to the store, and still made it to the theatre before the trailers began.   The film was good, not great.  I prefered Iron Man actually. But Dark Knight was an exciting, well made film, and Heath Ledger's performance was certainly creepy, if not Oscar worthy.  Tell me honestly...would he be receiving so much acclaim if he was still around?  When someone takes on the role for The Dark Knight Returns will they be forced to do the same lip-licking schtick?  Ya gotta wonder.  And why kill off Harvey Dent?  Sure, he went crazy way too fast...but he had the beginnings of a good villain, and the FX were amazing.  Who can match the combined creepiness of Joker and Two-Face?  Penguin and Riddler?  I think not.  Unless the next film is a comedy.  Danny DeVito managed to capture the evil inherent in the Penguin...but who would do it now?  

Music?  Fred Eaglesmith's new Tinderbox gives fundamentalist Christians a hard time but it's a beautifully written and played record, for fans of earthy, Americana (except...it's Canadiana!) The new Buddy Guy is probably Buddy's best album.  Good songs, great performances, and even with all the guests, Buddy still owns the show.  Janis Ian?  Haven't thought much about her for a long time...well...since I read a touching article she wrote in Performing Songwriter magazine about her mother's struggle with MS.  But she has just released a new autobiography and accompanying 2 CD set of The Best of.  And...after a long career...she's has plenty to offer.  The book is called Society's Child, the CDs The Autobiography Collection.  Don't miss 'em.  

Bought a book on Laurie Anderson on eBay.  The shipping cost more than the book.  I guess those padded envelopes are REALLY expensive south of the border.  And I'm reading With by a Southern writer named Donald Harington, it begins with the abuse of a dog, and quickly moves into creepier territory from there.  But wonderfully written.