Waiting for Dark Knight

Well, it's after midnight, so there are handfuls of people out there who've already started to watch Batman: The Dark Knight. I haven't seen a lot of movies lately, but I haven't had great luck in guessing out my superhero movies this summer. After what I think is months of not going to the movies (I could be wrong, but it's possibly that I've only been to one in 2008), I went last weekend to see Iron Man (which would be that previously mentioned one). I figured that it came out way back in May and was unlikely to hold onto its theater space as the summer progressed. I figured that I could see The Incredible Hulk this weekend if I wanted to. Not quite. Iron Man has been doing pretty good business, so it's still around. The Hulk, on the other hand, which came out six weeks later than Iron Man, is--according to Moviefone--playing at precisely one theater within the Chicago city limits. I may still try to catch it at that one, but we'll have to see if it seems worth the trouble.

Meanwhile, Batman's coming to town with a vengeance. It's playing all over everywhere at most times of the day and night. And while most theaters, after tonight's midnight showings, don't have the movie opening before about 10:00 in the morning, IMAX has set up an orgy of Bat-indulgence. The IMAX at Navy Pier is going for a show every three hours all weekend long. Yes, that includes 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 in the morning. Did I mention that they're sold out? In fact, many of the showings all over town for this weekend are already sold out. I've been thinking that IMAX may be the way to go to see Dark Knight, but I'm also starting to get a funny feeling that August may be the way to go, as well.