Strollerderby : heath ledger

Letting Kids See Watchmen

Brett Singer — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Lisa Belkin wonders if her 15-year old should see "Watchmen," this weekend's number one movie. His 18-year old brother saw it and pronounced it brilliant. I won't keep you in suspense (I know, you were on the edge of your seat), but Lisa eventually capitulated and let the younger son go. Spoiler: he liked it.

Having seen the film, I can say that it is definitely not for kids. The R rating should deter parents, but really it's the subject matter that they should be looking at. For the record, I enjoyed the film version of "Watchmen"; it's very faithful to the original comics (aka "graphic novel"), has some flaws, but overall is very much worth seeing. This column at The Onion AV Club by Tasha Robinson does a great job of breaking down the differences between the two, points out some missteps, and is good reading if you're interested.

For our purposes, the question is "how do I decide whether or not a movie is appropriate for my child?" Movie ratings help, but only up to a point. A commenter at the Times' website points out that "Dark Knight" was rated PG-13, which in my opinion is absurd. Great film, one of the best I've seen, and Heath Ledger's performance was incredible and deserving of an Oscar. Part of what makes his Joker so amazing is that he is really, truly disturbing, more so than the bone-popping-out-of-an-arm style of violence on display in "Watchmen." To me, and I believe to my kids, psychological violence is more troubling than physical violence. Not that I want them to see the extreme grossness that "Watchmen" has. But a movie's rating doesn't always tell the whole story.

What I do with superhero movies is see them first. I know. I make the ultimate sacrifice, go on opening weekend with a bunch of guys wearing Captain America t-shirts, and decide whether or not the flick is kid-friendly enough. "Iron Man" was, although the opening sequence is questionable. "Hulk" was borderline, but my then 7-year-old didn't want to see that one anyway. (Although he does love my blog post written from Hulk's point of view.) I thought "Spider-Man 3" would be too scary for him (Venom), but he was unfazed; actually, I think he was a little bored (the bizarre musical number).

What makes this part of my parenting job easier is that I actually want to see superhero movies. Belkin, not so much: when asked by a commenter why she didn't just see "Watchmen" first if she was so concerned, she replied: "You are right, I should have seen it if I felt so strongly about helping to give context to the message, but, frankly, I couldnt [sic] stand the thought of sitting through it." At two and a half hours, I can't really blame her. But if she had seen it, she would have found out that along with the cartoonishly graphic violence (not a lot, but what's there includes someone having their hands cut off with a power saw) is a very violent rape scene, a moment is that is much more graphic than the one in the original comic. Do I think most fifteen year olds have seen something like that in a movie already? Probably. Does that mean I want them to see that without me telling them what's wrong with that behavior? Probably not. For me, seeing a film is the best way to determine whether or not you want your child to see it, no matter what age they are. Fifteen may be too old to be concerned about what sort of entertainment your kids consume. But even if you don't censor it, it's probably a good idea to know what they watch.

Source: NY Times

Image: AVClub.com

Cookie Monster Cupcake

Angelina Jolie Could Always Use an Extra Baby

Should Chris Brown Be Getting Out the Kids' Vote?

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:50:00 GMT

Heath Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing The Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' It's well-deserved, and personally I think he would have won even without the sentimental vote.

Heath's family – his father Kim, mother Sally and sister Kate -- accepted on his behalf and all three gave an amazingly calm and classy speech, pointing out that his daughter Matilda is the one who will get the golden statuette: "We really wish you were here, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda." Michelle Williams will keep it for her until Matilda turns 18. If Heath and Michelle had been married, it would have gone to her. Executive Director of the Academy Bruce Davis said, "I don't think we have ever had a situation like this."

It's all very sad, but Heath's mother said, "Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved," so I'm going to go with that. Congratulations, dude.

image: Reuters

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger Wins 2009 Oscar Gold!

Cookie Monster Cupcake

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Here is the ninth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
- Obama goes after Limbaugh, kind of.
- Rod Blagojevich (who I've decided to start calling B-Rod) is just a bundle of fun
- The Dark Knight did not get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Some guy in his mother's basement is weeping.
2.    The Week in Blog
- Linda Ellerbee, mini cameras (not Mini-Me), and Jason Wu.
3.    Comment of the Week
- Sarcasm? Or something else?

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Los del Río, Macarena

Posts mentioned:

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Parents Who Waited Decade to Report Son Missing Now Murder Suspects

A Camera for the Mini Photog

Star Baby: Who is This Caped Crusader?

What Should Malia & Sasha Wear to the Inauguration?

Sasha Gives Barack Obama a 'Thumbs Up'

Video: Obamas' Inaugural Ball First Dance & Michelle Wears Jason Wu

Explicitly Nude: Madonna's Photo Up For Grabs

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Is The Peanut Allergy Scare Overblown?

Past Podcasts

Morning News: Obama to Reverse Bush's Pledge to Stay Dirty

Madeline Holler — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

We're back! Back from a self-imposed maternity leave! Back from the great big elections/inauguration misty-eyed national group hug! Back to digest the news so you've got something to talk about with the others at work/Gymboree/your lame playgroup. We've good air, bad medicine, happiness projects and sad awards ceremonies. Also, why the Wii makes your kid hate you.

In what have been daily reversals of George W. Bush's administration's crappy (and quasi-legal) declarations and judgments, Barack Obama gets us one step closer to breathing easier. No, really! Today, he will direct regulators to let states impose stricter automobile emissions standards than the federal ones -- something Bush wouldn't let them do. That crazy Obama ... letting states have clean air! Now he's just messing with Bush.

But Dallas's new favorite resident may get to do some messing of his own. TPM has a piece on a "burrower" -- a Bush appointee who managed to get a job in the Obama administration. Kathie Olsen, a climate change denier of sorts, moved from her No. 2 post at the National Science Foundation to NSF's Office of Information and Resource management. We hear they're going to actually look at science in the NSF from now on, so maybe Olsen will pick up some actual information and change her mind on human contribution to global warming.

Illinois Governor Rod Blogojevich won't attend his own impeachment trial today. He doesn't actually have to attend, but it's weird that he won't. Also weird that he acknowledges he's certain he'll be convicted. Anyway, we'll see plenty of him on TV this morning as he makes the rounds on today's news shows denying, denying, denying.

Sad but happy: Heath Ledger, who died a year ago from an overdose of painkillers, won the Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Ledger's win is getting everyone extra excited that he'll be awarded an Oscar posthumously as well. Also, be sure to read what Meryl Streep, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Doubt," said about being the world's greatest actress. We really heart Meryl.

Coming to a state near you: shrinking pediatric care! As goes California, so goes the nation? Fine, maybe not. But for more than a decade, the number of hospital beds for pediatric patients has been drastically cut. Which is just sad. And scary. And it leaves medical workers to play musical chairs with children so that the sickest get the best care while the medium- to sorta-sick get whatever's left.

Renters beware: this couple got screwed when it came time to renew the lease on their fancy apartment. The owners didn't let them because the couple, expecting a child in a few months, said mean things about their apartment community online.

A Brigham Young University undergrad and his advisor published results of their study on the personal lives of video gamers. The two found that the more hours each subject reported playing video games, the worse their relationships with family and friends. Based on the gamers you know, didn't you kind of assume those results (the undergrad doing the study wanted to prove those assumptions wrong -- he's reportedly bummed by the results and probably not talking to his mom again or something).

Wanna make yourself (and your kids) happy? Just lie to them! That's not a small bowl of ice-cream, it's a large scoop!

That's it for this morning! Thanks to Brett and especially Shannon for keeping the Morning News fires burning, while others of us convalesced and spent several weeks solid in a news vacuum staring at and sniffing a newborn.

Photo: Reuters

Morning News – Drunken Jokers With Bionic Limbs And Flying Cars

Brett Singer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone!

Comments on yesterday's Morning News got pretty heated. I considered doing nothing but stories about puppies, rainbows and sunshine today, but decided that was no fun. And as it turns out, the "Crossfire"-esque commenting has morphed into an interesting back and forth between persons of differing political persuasions. Thank you to everyone from both sides of the aisle who weighed in; check out the debate here.

Diane Sawyer appeared to be drunk during the Inauguration coverage on ABC. Was she celebrating Obama's victory? Is she a McCain voter trying to forget? No one knows. While it's not completely certain that she was nipping at the sauce, this video makes a darn good case for it.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) did indeed bail on her quest to be a Senator without the hassle of actually winning an election. The New York Times is reporting that "Problems involving taxes and a household employee" were uncovered during the vetting process, so she bowed out. Whenever information like this is "suddenly" discovered, I always wonder how it is that nobody knew about it until it was too late. As in, Ms. Kennedy (Schlossberg) must have known that she had a tax issue, right? Also, it's still unclear if New York Governor David Paterson would have picked Kennedy (Schlossberg) or not. Um, it kind of doesn't matter anymore, folks. Let it go. Paterson will reportedly announce his choice today; convention wisdom says Andrew "HUD? What's a HUD?" Cuomo will get Hillary Clinton's old seat. (Hillary is now officially Secretary of State, by the way – she started work yesterday.) UPDATE: I was wrong, wrong, wrong -- the Times is reporting that Governor Paterson has selected Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Ms. Gillibrand is a congresswoman from upstate NY who is mother to two young children and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, according to the Times. I'm mentioning the mom thing because this is a parenting web site, and the NRA endorsement because that makes her a potentially controversial choice, since most Democrats aren't big NRA folks. (Gillibrand's official bio page is getting jammed with web traffic, but here's Google's cached version.)

Interesting tidbit about the Roberts Oath Flub (Flubgate, anyone?) – a certain Senator Barack Obama voted against the Chief Justice's confirmation in 2005.

In business news, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the "conflicting reports" regarding Steve Jobs health. First he said he wasn't that sick, then he said he was leaving for six months, blah blah blah. Personally, I thought "hormone imbalance" sounded pretty serious when it was first announced. If only the SEC had been equally diligent about Bernie Madoff, poor Kevin Bacon wouldn't be reading the script for "Footloose 2". (I'm only joking about "Footloose 2." I hope. Kevin is looking for work though, so if you hear of anything, give him a ring.)

A very cool medical story from England: 19-year-old British college student Evan Reynolds now has a bionic hand. Reynolds lost his appendage three years ago, and can operate his new prosthetic limb by thought. ''It's so sensitive I can grip a bottle of water or a paper cup without crushing it and even swing a racket," he says. ''All I have to do is imagine picking something up or gripping it and the fingers and thumb move automatically." Like I said: very cool.

Oh, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Some were surprised that Heath Ledger got a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight", but the real surprise to me was Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for "Tropic Thunder." Not only is it a comedy, it was also a controversial one as I recall (that whole "retard" thing). Personally, I think Ledger will win. If he does, it won't be undeserved -- he gave an incredible performance. Brad Brevet says that Kate Winslet's nomination for "The Reader" is "fishy"; I admit that I couldn't read the full post, which actually quotes Academy voting rules. I was surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't get some love for "Gran Torino," but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The mother who named one of her children Adolf Hitler wants her kids back. "The parents insist they're not racists and want only to honor the heritage of the Third Reich," says the Daily News. What can one say to that?

Finally, someone has actually made a flying car! Terrafugia, the company that makes the vehicle (called the "Transition") calls it a "roadable aircraft," which doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. It goes 500 miles on a full tank of regular unleaded gasoline, and features folding wings. Bottom line: IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. It also costs $194,000 and probably requires a good-sized garage with access to a ready supply of fuel. So it's not exactly ready for mass consumption. However, IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. Did I mention that?

Have a great weekend!

Image: Times Online

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Best of FameCrawler: Week of January 16th

Whit Honea — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Mr. Roarke Dead; Gen-Xer In Mourning

Golden Globe 2009 - List of Winners

Britney in Sex and the City Sequel?

Kate Hudson is a Hussy

Update! Jen & Ben Reveal Daughter's Name!!

Are Ashanti and Nelly Expecting a Baby Together?

Take a Number: Lance Armstrong Will Fall in Love With You Next

Heath Ledger Wins Golden Globe

Guess Who's Getting Married In April?

Oprah French Kisses Kate Winslet's Breasts!

You Just Got Bacon'd!

WTF, Brad And Angie? Srsly.

Best of FameCrawler: Week of January 2nd

Whit Honea — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Kate Winslet Looks Good Naked

Tripp Johnston Speaks Out: Take My Family, Please.

Is Jennifer Garner in Labor?

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony: It's Over

Josh & Anna Duggar: Premarital Sex

Charles Barkley - DUI, Gun and Oral Sex: Still Not a Role Model?

Public Sex and New Year's Orgasms with Jordan and Peter

Snow, Fur And Sarah Palin In A Bikini

Ani DiFranco Has a Trick Baby

Mariah Carey Eats Oysters, Therefore is Not Pregnant

When Baby Daddies Attack

Heath Ledger is Haunting Michelle for Closure

More Bad Halloween Costumes for Kids

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Shine has a list of some of the worst kiddie costumes. Mike covered a lot of these in his brilliant post The Return of the Halloween Baby Slut Costumes. (Sample: "Would anyone ever sell a Chippendale outfit for young boys? Would a parent ever buy one?") But there are a few more in the Shine list that are worthy of attention, and I found a couple of others I wanted to share.

Baby Whoopie Cushion Costume

I have to admit, I think this is hilarious. I mean, I wouldn't put this costume on my child. But it's a funny picture. The only way that a parent could get away with something like this is if they were some sort of a lovable doofus – think Joe Isuzu. (You either get that reference or you don't. Here's a video if you're curious.) Maybe if you own a novelty store – I can imagine Christopher Walken's character in 'Hairspray' putting this on an infant Tracy Turnblad. Of course, those are both fictional characters, which probably means that parents should avoid this outfit.

The Joker from The Dark Knight

The Joker was always a scary character. In the Batman comics, he's a guy with no powers that is feared by heroes and villains alike. Why? Because he's just that crazy. Even so, Heath Ledger's performance in 'The Dark Knight' took that madness to a new level. (“Want to see me make a pencil disappear?” If you saw the movie, you know what I'm talking about.) In the comic book, Joker's perma-grin is the result of a fall into a vat of mysterious chemical goo. In Ledger's interpretation, it's a scar. As in, cut with a knife. Ew. This one will probably be popular because the movie was monster hit, but I wonder how many little kids actually saw it (it really wasn't a kids' movie, but that doesn't always matter). Dressing up as Ledger's Joker would be OK for an older kid I suppose, but if a parent buys this costume for a little one they either didn't see the movie or are a weirdo. Or both.

Zombie Skate Punk Child Costume

This one is on sale. BIG surprise. What's weird about this costume is the shirt, which I guess is supposed to show scars and tattoos and other “punk” things. If you really wanted your kid to dress up as a “punk”, you could just get an old flannel shirt, rip it up, put a Black Flag t-shirt under it. Maybe some ripped jeans with safety pins. A heroin needle. You know, easy.

Batman Muscle Chest Costume

This isn't on Shine's list, but I'm going to add it because it annoys me. I wore a Batman costume for years, and I never thought, “Boy, I wish this had big fake muscles.” Do we really need to make kids feel bad about their bodies this early? There's plenty of time for them to be insecure when they get older, start losing their hair, many years from now... You know, when they hit 30.

Source: Yahoo Shine, mrcostumes.com

The Return of the Halloween Baby Slut Costumes

What are your kids wearing this Halloween?

Another non news photo

Greet the Ghouls in Style

Photo Contest: No Trick, All Treat

Etsy Alert: Gobble Gobble Gladrags

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Little Girl From 'Halloween'?

Do You Dress Up for Halloween?

The Smurfs Turn 50

The Obamas wear cheap clothes

Would You Dress Your Kid as Ledger's Joker for Halloween?

Jen Chaney — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:32:00 GMT

Given the immense popularity of "The Dark Knight," it's no surprise that one of the most popular costumes this Halloween will be Heath Ledger's version of the Joker. Demand for the costume is already high, as this piece on Defamer points out. One online costume vendor told the Kansas City Star -- a bit crassly, in my opinion -- that, "It’s going to be big. And the reason it’s going to be big is because Ledger is dead, not because Ledger is terrific.

Which raises a question: If your kid wants to smear red lipstick across his mouth and go trick-or-treating in full-on "Why so serious?" mode, should you let him?

Before I address that issue, let's back up a second. I completely disagree with the notion that the costume is popular primarily because of Ledger's untimely demise. Sure, his shocking overdose earlier this year may have piqued interest in the film and the role. But I think the Joker would have been hugely popular this Halloween even if Ledger were still with us.

The Oscar nominee's portrayal of Batman's twisted nemesis -- coupled with the unusual, striking make-up and costume choices for the character -- immediately turned this Joker into an icon. At Comic-Con in San Diego this year, which kicked off just days after the movie opened, I saw tons of fanboys and girls completely decked out in Joker garb. Granted, the Comic-Conners tend to don costumes regardless, but the degree to which the Joker was embraced in such a short time impressed me. And frankly, I don't believe the people who slathered on all that white foundation did it because they thought it was cool to dress up like a dead actor. They did it because the character, as played by Ledger, struck a chord.

Now having said that, the fact that Ledger died does add another layer to the whole kid-in-costume issue. First, one needs to consider whether it's appropriate to let a child roam around his neighborhood dressed as a character who, in the movie, is essentially a diabolical terrorist. And yes, there is also the undeniable creep-out factor of seeing little Brady put on freaky make-up and a nurse's uniform in order to resemble a dead guy. (The nurse's uniform and the make-up alone are kind of creepy, let's face it.)

My feeling is that if the kid is old enough to have seen the movie, he or she is probably old enough to wear the costume. But opinions may differ greatly on what qualifies as "old enough" for "The Dark Knight." Personally, it skated so close to R-rated territory that I wouldn't necessarily allow a child younger than 10 or 11 to see it. Using that logic, I'd probably say no to letting kids younger than that wear the costume. But if they just think the make-up looks cool and they don't grasp the context of the Joker because they haven't seen the film, it probably won't do them any harm to slap on the outfit. It just might seem vaguely inappropriate. Then again, a lot of Halloween might seem that way if you start thinking about it too much.

Maybe the real answer is: Let your kids have fun and be the Joker, or whoever they want, as long as it doesn't foster any negative behavior or hurt anybody else. Perhaps when it comes to concern about being ultra-P.C. on Halloween, the question we all should ask ourselves is, indeed, "Why so serious?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 22nd

Whit Honea — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Suri & Her Doll - Photos and Girl Talk

Gwen Stefani Gave Birth! It's A Boy!!

Like I Needed Any More Reason To Love Johnny Depp

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Get The Gold, Now They Want to Get Pregnant

Ricky Martin is a Daddy!

Teenage Boob Jobs? A Tale of Two Lohans

Bernie Mac's Funeral Attended By Thousands (Pictures)

Peek-A-Boo, Guess Who?

Matt Damon Welcomes Second Baby!

Hollywood’s Cutest Kids? Life & Style Pick Their Winners

SunnyChanel — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:05:00 GMT

Hollywood’s Cutest Kids? Life & Style Pick Their Winners

Do you live in Hollywood? Well if you do, I’m sorry if your kid wasn’t picked as one of Hollywood’s Cutest Kids. US Weekly wannabe, Life & Style Weekly Magazine, is a fickle mistress. If the spawn didn’t come from superstars (and generally a set of them), well it looks like they aren’t deemed “cute” enough to win this popularity contest. Who needs to wait until high school to be pigeon holed and have their personality branded? let’s do it before they even start preschool. So, who won for each “category”? Click thru to find out:

The Fashionista: Our one and only Suri Cruise of course! (who got her own two page spread and also is the fodder of my Suri Watch in Droolicious) (Parents: Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise)

The Globe Trotters: Shiloh and Zahara Pitt (Parents: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)

The Drama Queen: Coco Arquette (Parents; Courteney Cox and David Arquette)

The Clotheshorse: Apple Martin (Parents: Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin)

The Little Artist: Matilda Ledger (Parents: Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger)

The Accesssorizer: Valentina Pinault (Parents: Salma Hayek and Francois-henri Pinault

The Happy Camper: Violet Affleck (Parents: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck)

The Future Rocker: Kingston Rossdale (Parents: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale)

The Best Bros: Jayden and Sean Federline (Parents: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline)

The Hippie Kid: Ryder Robinson (Parents: Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson)

The Daredevil: Maddox Jolie-Pitt (Parents: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)

The Mama’s Boy: Milo Langdon: (Parents Live Tyler and Royston Langdon)

The Little Leaguer: Deacon Philippe (Parents: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe)

The Scene Stealer: Cruz Beckman (Parents: Victoria and David Beckman)

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Brett Singer — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Let's get one thing out of the way right now – you shouldn't bring your children. They might want to go, but unless they have a very high tolerance for a long movie (2 and half hours) and an abnormally high tolerance for what might be the most frightening performance ever (Heath Ledger's Joker), I'd get a sitter.

Now: this is some incredible movie. At first, I was a little bit apprehensive. Part of that feeling was the hype, which was so intense that it seemed impossible anything could live up to it. (Part of it was also that the movie didn't start until almost 1am because we had to sit through 7 commercials, none of which I remember at all – money well spent, advertisers. But I digress.) There are some slow spots, especially in the beginning, and I think the director, Christopher Nolan, could have cut 10 or 15 minutes of film and made it a tighter movie. But that's nitpicking, because there are several scenes, some just quick moments and some long, exciting action sequences, that will put your jaw on the floor.

The saddest thing about Heath Ledger's death is that his daughter will never know her father. But it's fair to say that if an actor had to go out with one performance, this is that performance. He's so good that I completely forgot I was watching an actor, which, for me, almost never happens. (It's worth pointing out that Gary Oldman as James Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, do the same thing in smaller and less flashy roles.) He's frightening, but not the way a horror movie villain is frightening. It's not shock value, although there is some of that (there's a bit with a pencil that might be the best 5-second description of a character in the history of cinema.) Without giving anything away, The Joker is referred to as a "terrorist" a couple of times, but unlike the terrorists in our world, this one has no cause that he fights for. He's just… mad. Not angry-mad, just flat out crazy. And Ledger captures that in every possible way. You could teach an acting class using this movie – what he does physically, vocally, emotionally; it's all stunning to watch.

The rest of it is, for the most part, equally good. I don't care about the love story, but it's fine I suppose and does serve the story. Aaron Eckhart is a solid actor and he does a good job as Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent. Christian Bale is by far the best Batman yet, although Ledger is so good that he really takes over the movie. Michael Caine is a good Alfred Pennyworth, Maggie Gyllenhaal is fine as token love interest Rachel Dawes; she's more than that, I guess, but it's not her movie. Gary Oldman is amazing; as in "Batman Begins," he somehow manages to completely capture the essence of a fictional comic book character that isn't a superhero, meaning that, as an actor, he has fewer details available to work with. I can't explain it but he IS Jim Gordon.

The nits to pick if you want to go there: some of the dialog is hokey (although the lines written for Ledger are brilliant.) There are a few slow spots. At times the action sequences are a tad frenetic, here and there. But it really doesn't matter. You'll read a lot about the surprising depth of this movie, and this is true to an extent. "The Dark Knight" is incredibly entertaining and does have some thoughtful moments amid the comic-book chaos, but there's no need to over think them. I would say just relax and enjoy it, but it's not a relaxing experience. Ledger's Joker is uncomfortable to watch, but in a good way. I don't want to give anything away, so you'll have to see it for yourself (but, as I said, get your tickets early; even the 12:30am showing was completely sold out.)

Now, despite the fact that there isn't much in the way of blood, this is not a film that you should take your children to see. Obviously, you know your offspring better than I, so if you think they can handle it, that's your call. And of course older kids will be fine. I hesitate to suggest an age-range, but I recommend seeing it yourself first if you're not sure. Worst-case scenario – you get to see it twice. Believe me, that's not a bad thing.

image: Reuters

Batman: get your tickets now

Set Your Alarm for a Romp Through LEGO Batman: The Video Game

Maggie Gyllenhaal on Letterman- He Wishes

Spying on the Neighbors: 7-17-08

Sexy Superhero Parents: The Top 10

Little Matilda Had Heath's Heart

Batman: get your tickets now

Brett Singer — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:42:00 GMT

So, being a guy who sees superhero movies, I wanted to see the new Batman movie. Today.

A friend wanted to come with me, so I couldn't pull my usual "go during the day when it's not busy" thing. So OK, let's see when its playing… What? Sold out? You gotta be kidding me.

Well, I'm not. If you're planning on seeing The Dark Knight this weekend, you'd better get your tickets in advance. This is unbelievably annoying. I tried at 2pm to get tickets to a 10:30pm showing, and it was already sold out. The reviews so far are over the top in their praise. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, a site that aggregates reviews from various sources, the rating is a whopping 94% positive (the only film with a higher rating is Wall-E.). If you go to the "top critics" section (print outlets and sites like salon.com), only a couple of the reviews are negative, which is extremely unusual for a comic book flick.

A lot of the interest in this film is because of Heath Ledger's death, but I've never seen anything like this. A movie that you can't get tickets to unless you go at midnight, which is what I'm doing? Come on. (And yes, I know I'm nuts.)

I'll let you know what I think of the film, and whether or not it's appropriate for children, later tonight. But for now, if you plan on going, order those tickets early, Bat-fans. Otherwise, you ain't getting in.

See you tonight -- different Bat-time, same Bat-channel...

image: Rotten Tomatoes

Set Your Alarm for a Romp Through LEGO Batman: The Video Game

Maggie Gyllenhaal on Letterman- He Wishes

Spying on the Neighbors: 7-17-08

Sexy Superhero Parents: The Top 10

Little Matilda Had Heath's Heart

Best of FameCrawler: Week of March 28

Whit Honea — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:15:00 GMT

Johnny Depp Has a Heart of Gold

More Hookers for Spitzer

Fergie Has A Bun In Her Oven

Jamie Lynn Spears And Casey Aldridge: ENGAGED

Michelle Williams' Family Squabble With Ledgers Over Heath's Will

'American Idol' Carly Smithson Pregnant?

Rapper Cavlar Killed

Victoria Beckham Makes Eva Longoria Look Pregnant

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Minnie Driver Needs a Huge Martini

The Best of FameCrawler: Week of Feb. 22

Whit Honea — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:20:00 GMT

Better Parenting through Chemistry and Heath Ledger's Death

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:02:00 GMT

Today's announcement that Heath Ledger's death was caused by an accidental overdose of prescription medications is at once a relief (at least he didn't kill himself) and a cause for surveys of medicine cabinets. Heath Ledger suffered from anxiety, depression, and insomnia.. any and all of which are routinely treated with prescription medications.

Heath Ledger's family released a statement with this warning:

Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

With more than 40% of Americans taking prescription medications, coupled with an increased awareness of the ways in which stress, anxiety, and depression impact new parents, the likelihood that more children will be orphaned by accidental overdose is increasing.

Remember Anna Nicole Smith?

Do Celeb Moms Get a Worse Rap Than Celeb Dads?

Kelly Mills — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:31:00 GMT

You know how all the news sources cover celebrity parenting like we'll just die if we don't know who held their baby over a pit of wild vipers and paparazzi and which celeb doesn't even know how to install a child safety seat? Well, when I saw this bit on how women celebs get more media focus for their antics than the dudes, I wondered if the same held true for celebrity parenting. After all, two of the examples given--Britney Spears and Heath Ledger--fit the parent bill as well. (And let me just say for the record that when the author of that bit says "It's time to bring some quality journalism attention to both sides of this equation and highlight these struggles before anyone else dies unexpectedly" I groan "Puhleeze". The media is gonna save lives by reporting early on the fact that so-and-so is depressed or a drug addict? Quick, get photos of him taking his anti-anxiety meds, before it's too late!)

I'm usually the first person to hammer about gender inequity, and how women often get flack for the same behaviors guys get a pass on. But in the case of many celebrities, I have to say that outlandishness trumps the male-female thing most often. Michael Jackson and Steve Irwin both received criticism for holding their babies in unsafe ways, and the Hoff was slammed when his kids videotaped him drunk. And who could forget Alec Baldwin's insane phone conversation with his child? I think Britney has gotten more crap than Heath Ledger ever did because she and her crew have always courted the tabloids. Now some sexist notions may still apply, like the fact that everyone questions Brit's custody issues while male stars may never even see their kids, but for the most part, I think star power and the perceived level of the crime against kids play a bigger role than whether the parent in question is mom or dad.

But please, tell me if I'm wrong, before I lose my women's studies badge.

Best of Famecrawler: Jake Gyllenhaal Devasted by Heath Ledger's Death

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:43:00 GMT

Posted by sweatpantsmom

Jake Gyllenhaal, who was close to Heath Ledger, is reportedly too distraught to even speak about the death of his friend. Gyllenhaal co-starred with Ledger in Brokeback Mountain and is godfather to his 2-year-old daughter Matilda Rose.

Gyllenhaal is in New Mexico shooting the film Brothers and has declined any requests to make a statement to the media. Although production has not been shut down on the film, the set has been closed to non-crew members and extra security has been hired to ensure Gyllenhaal's privacy.

Also:

Best of Famecrawler: RIP Heath Ledger

editors — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:01:00 GMT

1979-Heath Ledger was born in the beachfront town of Perth, Australia. His dad Kim, was an engineer who designed race cars. His mother, Sally was a French teacher. His parents divorced when he was just 11-years-old. Heath, who shuffled between his two parents' homes, was also active in community theater. He told Rolling Stone in 2006: "It set me up for this bohemian life I've been leading. I feel like I've been traveling with the same bag since I was 11."

A look back after the jump

1995- Heath, then 16, leaves home for Sydney, where he appeared in the Aussie TV program Sweat. He makes his film debut in Blackrock and is also featured in Roar - a warrior drama, which also costarred Keri Russell. Heath said: "It started off quite dignified and Braveheart-esque. But as they got desperate for ratings, slowly no one's wearing clothes." Heath also began dating costar Lisa Zane, who was 18 years older than he.

1998- Ledger goes to Hollywood and snags the lead in 10 Things I Hate About You, costarring Julia Stiles. The movie brings in more than $50 million, but Heath is unhappy being labeled a heartthrob. He told the Houston Chronicle: "I was a young kid from Australia, and that was the only movie someone was willing to put me in, so what do you do? You've got to start somewhere. I just didn't want to stay there." He subsequently turned down teen films over the next year.

2000- Heath plays Mel Gibson's son in the Revolutionary War drama The Patriot. The movie does well, bringing in $113 million and the young actor is critically acclaimed. Rolling Stone writes: "The Aussie newcomer has the talent and looks to become a major star." Heath is featured on the cover of August's Vanity Fair titled, "We're Havin' A Heath Wave." Heath began Heather Graham and they broke up in June 2001.

2001- Ledger was named one of PEOPLE's 50 Most Beautiful. He stars in A Knight's Tale which does well - bringing in $117 million. Director Brian Helgeland tells Vanity Fair: "Once every 50 years, a guy like [Heath] comes along." Isn't that the truth?!

2001-2003- Heath may have done a lot of great movies, but even he had a series of bombs, including Ned Kelly, costarring Orlando Bloom. The movie earned only $84,625 in the U.S. He tells Rolling Stone: "I wanted to take the blond out of my career, kill the direction it was going in. Whether consciously or unconsciously, I perfectly sabotaged any studio interest in working with me." He began dating his Ned Kelly costar, Naomi Watts. The couple were together off and on for two years. He had a dark period as well - playing Billy Bob Thornton's suicidal son in Monster's Ball.

2004- Heath signs on to star in the much talked about movie, Brokeback Mountain, also referred to as "The Gay Cowboy movie." Ledger told Rolling Stone: "My biggest anxiety wasn't having to kiss Jake. It was the perfect script and Ang Lee was the perfect director. So the anxiety for me was - I didn't want to be the one to f**k it up." Heath fell for his costar, Michelle Williams on day one of shooting. He said: "On the 5th take, Michelle and I [are] tobogganing down the hill..." "And Michelle...twisted her knee - she was pretty much on crutches for the rest of the shoot. And I felt I always had to look after her after that." In May, Heath and Michelle announce that they are expecting a baby. The pregnancy is a surprise to both. Heath told Rolling Stone: "Our bodies definately made those decisions for us." The couple move into a brownstone in Brooklyn and begin "nesting."

2005-Michelle gives birth to Matilda Rose. Heath seems to take to fatherhood immediately. "I'm Mr. Mom. I get [Michelle] granola and cook her an egg, I clean the dishes, and then I'm cooking lunch. Later, I go out to the market and get fresh produce for dinner. And I love it! I love my new job."

It was so sad writing about this, his life over the years. I just keep picturing his daughter and her wondering where he daddy has gone to. Rest in peace, Heath, rest in peace.

Source:People

Movie Star Father Heath Ledger Found Dead

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:34:00 GMT

Brokeback Mountain star and father of 2-year-old Matilda, Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead today in a New York City apartment owned by former child star Mary-Kate Olson. According to a Yahoo entertainment blog, police believe drugs may have played a role.

Famecrawler has more deets on the death, but our thoughts go out to young Matilda and Ledger's former fiancee, Michelle Williams. More to come as information develops.

Best of Famecrawler: Remember Laverne and Shirley?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:11:00 GMT

Posted by Whit

She's gonna do it! Give her any chance, she’ll take it. Give her any rule, she’ll break it. She’s gonna make her dreams come true. Doin’ it her way.

Michelle Williams was seen in ~~Milwaukee~~ the West Village with Matilda. This is the new, free Michelle Williams. You can tell by the spunk in her latest hair color. She just wants to take Matilda in her arm and skip down the street singing, "Schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!"

Of course, you know what this means:

Other fun at the FC:

Michael Douglas and Cate ZJ may hate nukes, but they're still as annoying as hell
Stella needs a pregnancy belt
Xtina is pretty in white

Are Modern Parents the "New Victorians"?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 16:59:00 GMT

Are modern parents forsaking nightlife and dinner parties for Venti Chai Tea Lattes and long walks with bebe in a Bugaboo stroller? Or is pregnant and anorexic (a la Nicole Richie) the new healthy?

Gawker weighs the possibility that the young, beautiful, parenting, sometime celebrity urban parents are worshipful of hearth and home like New Victorians.

Apparently, some (non celeb) types are trying to grow up, cook some healthy food and put aside the party for some serious childrearing. So what do you think? Are young parents today more home-oriented than prior generations?