Why So Serious?

The Dark Knight, the latest installment in the Batman series, doesn't open until next Friday, but already many theaters across the country are reporting sold out midnight screenings for the 18th. So much so that these theaters are adding screenings at 3am, and even 6am to fulfill the demand. Holy Batman, that's like really early to go watch a movie. Movie ticket site Fandango.com is reporting over 1,500 wee-hours showings, even at theaters that usually do not open their doors that late/early (depending on how you look at time). Midnight showings are not a new thing, but they're typically reserved for HUGE blockbuster events, such as an installment of Star Wars or something.

The Dark Knight is a sorta sequel to Batman Begins, which opened at a solid $49 million in June 2005. That's considered a decent opening, but nothing spectacular, and nowhere near the building buzz of the new film. So then what is causing this frenzy? Two words: Heath Ledger. The young actor's death in January, combined with talks of a supposedly brilliant, posthumous Oscar-worthy performance, have driven much of the fan interest. Would there be the same amount of intense demand if he was still alive? Honestly, probably not. But it is what it is, and I know a fair amount of you are willing to stay up that late to be one of the first people to watch the film. You're probably not going to be disappointed though, The Dark Knight so far has a 100% rating on Rottentomatoes.com.