More on The Abyss

After reading yet another article on Heath Ledger's brush with The Abyss, I had to check out The Dark Knight to see what all the fuss was about. So, taking a cue from andtheend., I pulled a two-for-the-price-of-one double feature on Saturday. It worked out perfectly. I caught Wall-E at 11 a.m. (my first ever private viewing--I was the only person in the theater! I felt like a big shot!) and The Dark Knight at 1 p.m. There wasn't even a lag between showings. I took a leak between movies to throw off any overly ambitious snoopy ushers and didn't even have to run a gauntlet to get to the opposite side of the theater (the usual way theaters thwart this type of maneuver). Wall-E was OK. I thought its dystopian future of bloated Rush Limbaughs and Roseanne Barrs was a bit much (I'm not sure what the kiddies would make of it; I'll have to check with my niece and nephew). The Dark Knight was enjoyable for the most part, but felt a little long. I could have done without the confusing sonar cellphone nonsense toward the end that turned the screen into a giant video game (I can't tell you how much I hate that shit!). Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was fine, but then again, he did have the best role and best dialogue in the movie. Also, the make-up helped a lot. And the tongue wriggling! I'll give him credit for the tongue wriggling. Maybe this is what drove all the critics to such hyperbolic heights (although I suspect the fact that he was dead probably helped). Just to prove my point, after the movie I returned to my apartment and doused my face with baby powder, blackened my eyes with shoe polish, and smeared my mouth generously with ketchup. Then I stood in front of the mirror and wriggled my tongue vigorously. The sight was so horrifying I had to avert my eyes. I think me and The Abyss will have to agree to go our separate ways for now.