Symbol of a Symbol of a Symbol

So my mom and dad said I had to go see the feelings doctor after my Burger King incident. They thought it would be a good idea, and it never hurts to talk things out to a professional, right? We talked about my parents and about some dreams I have sometimes where I am Shrek and about to marry Princess Fionna, but right before we kiss she transforms into my Mom!!! LOLZ

Not sure if it’s considered professional or not, but then the doc suggested we get out the office and do something fun. I thought it was cool, and we took my car to the movies. I had already seen The Dark Knight at midnight on Thursday, but my Doctor had not so we left her office and I watched Batman for the third time. What a movie! During the movie I noticed that my therapist held my hand, which I thought was kind of odd, but I attributed it to the scary Heath Leger performance.

After the movie we went to Cozy Soup and Burger and discussed more personal things. My therapist explained that just like Bruce Wayne, I had issues with my parents which caused me to want to have a different persona. She said that I would keep trying on different personas, until I found one which would make me feel like I had achieved and surpassed my Dad. Along with that, she said something about me needing a sexual partner, which would recreate my infant relationship with my mom! LOL! Then she leaned forward, wiped some ketchup from my mouth and planted a big wet one on me.

She goes, “Let’s get in your car. Let’s go, head to the West Coast. I have money.”

And, guys, it was tempting.

But I knew that Joey is more than just a name. Joey is a symbol. I understood that she was trying to recreate her own childhood, by trying to take on the persona of her own mother! This is what therapists call ‘transference.’ It seems to happen a lot to female therapists who have me as a patient. (Not to brag or anything.)

I stood up at the table and looked down at her and said, “Doc, I may not be the Joey you want, but I’m the Joey you deserve.” And just like that I was audi, homies. That’s just the way I have to roll. I need a new feelings doctor, any takers?

Tags: batman, cougar, cozy soup and burger, dark knight, freud, heath leger, psychoanalysis, superhero, therapist

The Dark Knight: Yeah, It’s Good

It’s possible that I was influenced by the majesty of IMAX. The six story screen certainly brings you right smack dab into the middle of the Gotham. But even without the enveloping surround sound and the large-as-life cityscapes, The Dark Knight is really damned good. That’s what everyone is going to tell you. Because it’s an irrefutable truth. If you liked Tim Burton’s Batman, Batman Begins, or pretty much any aspect of the Batman oeuvre, you will not be disappointed by The Dark Knight

With Batman Begins Christopher Nolan was just getting warmed up. We all knew the man had an ace up his sleeve by the name of Heath Ledger. But he didn’t stop there. He traded in his crappy Katie Holmes card for a Maggie Gyllenhaal, to create a winning hand which already included Christian Bale and the glorious Gary Oldman (playing soon-to-be Commissioner Gordon with all the heart and internal conflict that role requires). Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox is fleshed out, tag-teaming with Michael Caine’s Alfred as Bruce Wayne’s moral touchstone.

The replacement of Katie Holmes was completely necessary. She was the big honking blemish of Batman Begins, walking through scenes like a necromanced cardboard cutout. “Step Aside. I am a District Attorney,” she said flatly and we couldn’t help but recall Keanu Reeves’ delivery of a similar line in Point Break. She had no chemistry with Christian Bale (because only Andrew McCarthy can have chemistry with a mannequin). But Nolan had the wherewithal to cast Gyllenhaal. And suddenly, Rachel Dawes was a real girl. She had emotions and witty things to say. And most of all, chemistry with not one – but two male leads. What a breath of fresh air she is.

And then there’s Heath. Once the trailers hit, I don’t think anybody doubted that he was going to nail the Joker role. The over-hyped talk of Oscar noms gave me pause. How could it not? It would be so cheap to give him a posthumous Oscar when a comic book film would never be considered for such things under ordinary circumstances. But he was a mean Joker in every sense of the word. He was simultaneously scary and hilarious. He embodied the character full stop. He made someone like the Joker a real-world possibility. He certainly gave Jack Nicholson a run for his money (not that such things are difficult, these days).

But lets not forget the other villain of The Dark Knight: Two Face. Gone are the days when multiple Batman villains gather together in each others’ lairs and cackle and scheme. Two Face doesn’t revel in his evil. He hates it. It reminds him of everything he lost. But he is no longer in control of his own destiny. Like Anton Chigurh, he obeys the outcome of a coin toss. This makes him more frightening than a room full of Batman villains. Save the Joker, of course.

Thank you, Christopher Nolan, for breathing life into Batman once again. Fantastic actors are playing comic book characters straight and for realism. I really like this trend. Let’s hope it sticks.

The Dark Knight is in theaters now. You pretty much have to see it. Spring for the IMAX if you can.

The Dark Knight, A Review (not by me)

Here is a review on the dark night from The Rolling Stone by Peter Travers. I still cannot wait to see it!

The Review

Tags, batman, batman review, christian bale, coming soon, internet-tv, july 18, media, Movie Reviews, new batman, new releases, streaming movies, the dark knight, the dark night, tv