I really need to take a moment to emphasize the heat factor in New York City for the past week. If I am standing for more than 30 minutes, my legs start to swell. I woke up on Saturday with a heat rash on my right arm stretching from my wrist to my elbow. Chris and I both had middle-of-the-night hemorrhoid visits to the bathroom. The streets of New York smell like a dumpster, the rats are moving slower than their normal scurrying pace.
The teeny tiny ants, who are the bane of my existence, are all over my kitchen and clearly confused about the humidity: “It’s going to rain, let’s get inside. Wait, wait, it’s not raining – everybody back out. Hold on, everybody back in. Let’s just camp in here until there is rain.” Fine with me, they gather naively around my patches of boric acid. I’m a terrible person who can’t think straight in this heat. Supposedly, it’s going to thunderstorm tonight. I have little faith that it will change a thing. It’s the "Dog Days of Summer"…which reminds me that this week Stephen King (via The Stand) taught me that the Dog Day time period ranges ranges from July 18-Aug 28 when dogs are more rabid than during any other time of year. I don’t know why that resonated so deeply, perhaps we behave like rabid dogs in New York during this time.
I digress.
After treating my rash, we made our way to Chelsea to park ourselves in frigid theater with a bucket of popcorn and a 2000 calorie Coke (always with two straws – note to self: is there a blog entry there? 9 years/2 straws…do my parents share a straw? Fascinating…need to poll). The movie rocked. This blog entry is not a film review, so let me skip to 2 ½ hours later. Chris and I stand up from our seats and make our way out of the auditorium and upstairs to the bathrooms. While on the escalator, we share some of our thoughts:
Chris:“So, was it all you had hoped?”
Erin: (nodding) “Awesome. Best movie I have seen in awhile.”
Chris: “After the last Batman, you said you felt like flying around taking care of business in Gotham. Do you feel like that now?”
Erin: (shrugging) “Little bit.”
Chris: “Yep, I thought it was ok.” (looking at Erin's crinkled up face, a confused and disappointed response) “Kidding. It was really good.”
Erin: “It was such a great cast. I mean, everyone is just talking about Heath Ledger, but that is really a fantastic cast. I think Christian Bale is a fabulous Batman and I find it really interesting that…”
***pause as Chris and Erin go their separate ways to the bathrooms***
5 minutes later
***descending the escalator and walking out onto 23rd street***
Chris: “OK. So, what were you saying?”
Erin: “Well, its just kind of ironic…I don’t know, I mean life imitating art or whatever, but I was watching some footage from the premiere – when the actors were walking the red carpet and giving interviews. And, all the reporters would ask Christian Bale things like, ‘So, what about Heath’ and he would say something to the effect of, ‘yeah, he was an incredible actor’. And it just reminds me of their Batman and Joker characters in the movie. You know, Batman doesn’t get much of the glory and the Joker gets all the attention.’
Chris: “Hmm. Yeah, I see what you’re saying.”
Erin: (takes a deep breath, recognizing his response as a Chrisism indicating that he’s not so into the topic of discussion) “I would have loved to see him in more movies…he has played such different roles.”
Chris: “He was the dude in Gayback Mountain, right? What else has he been in?”
Erin: “His first big one was The Patriot with Mel Gibson. And he was in a lot of other period movies – as a knight, etc.”
Chris: “Yeah, I haven’t seen any of them. But I guess that’s a testament to his work: that he is in movies that I won’t ever see and then he is the Joker. He was pretty awesome.”
Erin: “I wonder what his daughter is aware of – I mean, she’s too young to see the movie now, but I am sure she must see some of the posters and stuff. That must be kind of haunting.”
Chris: “Well, I mean how old is she? 3? She’s old enough to separate life from movies, right?”
Erin: “I guess..but, I still think it’s got to be traumatic for her on some level.”
Chris: “I guess.” (he doesn’t really, but wants to veer the conversation a bit) “So, what city do you think Gotham is supposed to be?”
Erin: (looking at him like he’s placing his finger into an electrical outlet) “Ummm.” Long pause “New York. Are you serious?”
Chris: “Well, I don’t know. Why do you think it’s New York.”
Erin: “Well, you see all the references: the same orange Staten Island Ferry is digitally enhanced to read Gotham City Ferry. And, it’s just something everyone knows.”
Chris: “What do you mean?”
Erin: “Lots of New York guide books refer to it as Gotham.”
Chris: “Hunh. Spiderman, Batman, Superman – they are all in New York.’
Erin: “Yep.” (intrigued by her boyfriend’s ceaselessly fluctuating IQ) “So, what do you think will happen to the Joker?”
Chris: “What do you mean? He didn’t die. He’ll be back.”
Erin: “Yes, I know. Who will play him?”
Chris: “What do you mean? That actor will.”
Erin: “You mean they filmed two sequels during filming?”
Chris: “No.”
Erin: “Then I’m confused.”
Chris: “Why?”
***30 second pause as Erin realizes that Chris’s social IQ may live in the basement permanently***
Erin: “Chris, you do realize that actor is dead.”
Chris: “No shit. OH! Is that the dude who O.D.-ed?”
Erin: “…”
Chris: (looking at Erin and beginning to laugh) “What?!”
Erin: “What do you think I have been talking about for the past 20 minutes – the red carpet, his talent, his daughter? Why do you think all the shows were sold out in New York for the past week? Why do you think the news is covering all this Heath Ledger Academy Award buzz?”
Chris: (cracking himself up) “Well, I think it was sold out because it was Batman not because what’s-his-face was in it.”
Erin: “Ok.”
Chris: (cracking himself up more) “It’s funny that I’m in the movie business and I am just figuring this out.”
Erin: “Not really. But, it’s a blog entry for shoa.”
