From left, Angie Thornton, Kim Hoebing and Amy Ketch enter the Warren Theatre in Moore for the premiere Thursday of "The Dark Knight.” BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
NORMAN — Believe the hype, according to fans attending midnight screenings of "The Dark Knight” in Norman and across the metro.
"Going to see Batman” was shoe-polished on a truck in the parking lot of the Hollywood 14, and following the film, viewers were glad they had gone.
Filmgoers were awed by director Christopher Nolan's epic vision.
"The most adult comic book movie I've ever seen,” said Douglas Hurst, 31, of Norman. "It makes you think about what it means to be a hero.”
The late Heath Ledger was noted for his strong performance as the anarchic Joker.
"That was really definitive,” said Stuart Belcher, 18, a Joker makeup-wearing Norman resident. "Truly a masterpiece.”
Daniel Martin, 20, of Norman agreed.
"Heath Ledger did an amazing job. The Joker was played to a T, I thought, everything from the laugh to the heinousness,” he said.
Matthew Sarsycki, 23, of Norman attended previous midnight screenings for "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and "Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith.”
"I thought it was a tour-de-force delivery of epic proportions, brilliantly executed by Heath Ledger as the Joker. ... This is finally the ‘Batman' everyone wanted to see, and I'm glad I was able to see it,” Sarsycki said.
Brian "Buck” Berlin, 24, the owner of New World Comics, 6219 N Meridian Ave., said "The Dark Knight” stacks up well with other comic-book based films.
"Watching just about all of them a million times, I'd say this is by far the best of them.”
