Slog - Comments on Someone's Got a Bat in Their Belfry http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry New York magazine's David Edelstein has a review of The Dark Knight up. The review is negative—awestruck, but ultimately negative—but the review is not why I'm linking to the page. I'm linking to the review because the comments are fascinating. Most of the commenters haven't seen the movie yet, but they're violently attacking Edelstein for his negative review...without having seen the movie themselves. It's quite obvious that the reviewer clearly wants attention by writing such an article on one of the most anticipated movies of this summer. I've been hearing of universal acclaim from almost every critic, yet the... Copyright 2008 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:03:00 -0800 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:00:02 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Emily He's the GODDAMN BATMAN.

I used to read scans_daily on LJ. Best inside joke ever.

]]> Emily http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073665 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073665 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:13:58 -0800 Comment by Dave @1 - Used to? Did you just get sick of all the whining insightful commentary?

]]> Dave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073672 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073672 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:23:07 -0800 Comment by scary tyler moore paul, are you wearing those ugly hipster pants? you better not be!

]]> scary tyler moore http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073677 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073677 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:27:04 -0800 Comment by Non You posted this because Batman uses the word Retarded

(http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/the_morning_news_516.comment)

]]> Non http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073678 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073678 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:30:39 -0800 Comment by Jonah S If BATMAN can say "retarded," I can say retarded.

]]> Jonah S http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073679 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073679 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:31:10 -0800 Comment by Paul Constant Scary @3: My pants are ugly, but not hipsterish. I don't really miss Kurt Cobain, either, and I didn't ever like grunge music.

@4: Actually, this is one of the first things that comes up when you type "Batman critic" into Google image search. I was hoping someone drew a picture of Batman beating up on Edelstein, but Frank Miller Batman is almost as good/bad.

@5: Jonah, if Batman jumped off a building, would you?

]]> Paul Constant http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073684 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073684 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:34:59 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV No you can't--you're not the Goddamn Batman.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073686 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073686 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:36:11 -0800 Comment by TheMisanthrope OMG. That's it! ECB is an Enviro-Nazi Fanboy!

]]> TheMisanthrope http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073688 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073688 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:36:29 -0800 Comment by G_filmcom I saw it at the noon press screening yesterday at the I-Max. I think Edelstein is just trying to stir up attention for the mag. It is an intense movie and definitely transcends the superhero genre.

The review is snobbish, and he wants it to be more infantilized (like the other superhero movies?). His complaints were that Nolan doesn't know how to do action (I disagree), it sounds too smart for Batman (which is meaningless because he's comparing it with the Burton Batman as though that started the franchise), the tech concepts seem to confuse him, he list-mods the event in the film and doesn't say so, and really just sounds like one big "YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN."

No really, it's a good film.

]]> G_filmcom http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073697 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073697 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:48:30 -0800 Comment by jackie treehorn Miller and Lee's All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is one of my favorite recent portrayals of Batman in print. I'm glad you agree, Paul.

]]> jackie treehorn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073708 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073708 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:57:39 -0800 Comment by Cookie W. Monster Personal to Christian Bale:

Your'e a retard. I'm the goddamn Cookie W. Monster!

So stop stealing my catchphrase, m'kay?

]]> Cookie W. Monster http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073729 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073729 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:17:42 -0800 Comment by Greg http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z156/ericwrong/batman-law-and-order.jpg

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073757 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073757 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:54:20 -0800 Comment by ABBA SuperFan Who cares about Batman? its Edelstein's trashing of Mama Mia! that deserves attack!

]]> ABBA SuperFan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073758 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073758 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:54:32 -0800 Comment by Ryan! 30-year old who still spends several hundred dollars a year on comic books. I'll outgrow the habit when you pry my goddamn Batman action figure out of my cold, dead hand. It'll be the one wearing the replica Green Lantern ring.

]]> Ryan! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073768 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073768 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:06:07 -0800 Comment by scary tyler moore @6
say yes, jonah, say yes!

thank you, paul honey. i was just messin' withcha.

]]> scary tyler moore http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073772 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073772 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:10:45 -0800 Comment by Superfrankenstein I kind of love The New Yorker, but when it snob-hates a piece of pop culture, I take it as a happy sign that pop culture will endure.

And if I may gloat: I saw the movie and it kicks ass.

]]> Superfrankenstein http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073869 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073869 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:53 -0800 Comment by Emily @1: S_D used to be about the hilarious, inadvertant gayness found in comics. Now it's a bunch of idiot fanboys posting as many pages from as many books as they can, with nothing insightful or funny or interesting. That is why I no longer read.

]]> Emily http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073877 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073877 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:05:14 -0800 Comment by Gaylord Tres gay!

]]> Gaylord http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073974 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1073974 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:08:53 -0800 Comment by A @16: It's not New Yorker magazine, it's New York magazine. Completely different.

]]> A http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1074095 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1074095 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:35:08 -0800 Comment by Superfrankenstein @19 Oops. Duh.

]]> Superfrankenstein http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1074115 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/someones_got_a_bat_in_their_belfry#c1074115 Film Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:00:02 -0800