Proof that I don't have beef with Christopher Nolan

 

Starting to write this while cooking dinner 🤯. Made Japanese curry a few days ago using curry blocks I bought from... Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, Ohio. Today I have a lot of potatoes leftover, so I'm making *something* else. I suppose cooking is a sign that I'm finally settling into this apartment. I even have a TV, and it's not even on the floor anymore. Today I had a guest. Big moves are being made here. New furniture has been acquired. 

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I think the Coolidge Corner Theater is a mighty cool place. It's an independent theater in Brookline that screens both new releases and a lot of older movies (I also attended an author event there earlier this year). Lately I've been kinda enamored by the prospect of watching more movies there, maybe because it seems like a nice community activity and a good excuse to get out of the house. They've been occasionally screening classic Bollywood movies, which is what I was originally looking to watch, but I was excited to see The Dark Knight on their list for July. 

 

Of The Dark Knight Trilogy, somehow The Dark Knight is the only movie I never watched growing up. I rewatched Batman Begins back in November fully intending to continue the series soon after, but I just never got around to it. Making the time to watch a 2-3 hour movie at home was such a daunting task that I paid $19 to watch at a scheduled time and place instead. 

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The Dark Knight (2008) - directed by Christopher Nolan

 

Please don’t ask me any questions about the movie. All of these stars are for Heath Ledger as The Joker. Every scene with The Joker was better than every scene without him, and the opening scene is a new favorite of mine. I love a good demolitions expert. 

I needed some goddamn subtitles, though. Imagine how much I might like this movie if I actually understood what people were saying 🙂‍↕️ I bet Alfred had some banger lines that I wasn’t able to hear.

The Dark Knight is the origin of so many iconic quotes, and I didn’t knowww. SOME MEN JUST WANT TO WATCH THE WORLD BURN. 

Anticlimactic Harvey Dent. I wish there was no casting change for Rachel. All the car chase scenes and the kabooms blur together at this point.

Watched at Coolidge Corner Theater in 35 mm. The projector died three times in a row which really added to the authenticity of the experience. Very fun to watch with a big audience, and we all clapped at the end. 

🃏

 

Watched: July 1, 2026

Rating: ★★★★½ / 5  

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I actually did have a lot of trouble hearing the dialogue during this movie, and I think it's partially a Christopher Nolan thing, but could also be because I watched it on film and/or the problem lies with Coolidge Corner Theater itself. 

 

I've always preferred superhero origin stories to any other superhero media, and in that sense, the actual Batman stuff did not speak to me as much as Batman Begins. Superhero romance has also not been great for me recently between Sam Raimi Spider-Man and Nolan Batman (the romances in these movies are so blehh—might be the only reason to watch Brand New Day), but my excitement to see these iconic villains and famous quotes and some individual scenes made up for that. 

Maybe one day I'll finish the trilogy by rewatching The Dark Knight Rises and you'll see another post with the finishing-a-series tag. It's on my list, but I wouldn't hold your breath. 

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Side note: I've got a theory that Chris Nolan is a big fan of my favorite 1999 teen rom-com, as Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and David Krumholtz have all made appearances in his movies since. Patiently waiting for Julia Stiles to star in the next one🧍.