Over the 3 day weekend, Batman : The Dark Knight broke all box office records to make 155.4 million dollars. It climbed ahead of Spider-Man 3’s 151.1 million to become the biggest opening ever. While I know that the main reason this happened is because the film was put in a ridiculous amount of theaters thus allowing people more opportunity to see it, I’m still pretty happy, as The Dark Knight is pretty amazing.

I’ve always had a soft spot for a good super hero summer extravaganza (the X-Men series being my favorite) but The Dark Knight goes beyond this.. It goes beyond convention and archetype to create a film that is part super hero, part noir, part horror. Ideas of corruption, redemption and how one can work to make their city (or any environment) better give the film it’s guts and allow it to transcend the normal morals of good vs, evil - the villains here go beyond greed and attack the fundamental problems that define society today.

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  Based on a real event… It’s a phrase we often hear but never really think about and with a surge in documentary filmmaking, reality television and the always evolving line between fiction and non-fiction it easy to wonder what “based on a real event” even means. If you live in New York City however, you might be able to find out tonight.

The Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective is celebrating the end of their second season by screening a series of 2 minute short films all on that theme. The event starts at 830pm and takes place in Williamsburg at UnionDocs. More info here >>

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If you read our blog regularly you know I love movie trailers - they’re fun and can get you all pumped up about the movies. With this I’ve decided to implement a new series here on TakePart called “New Trailer Alert” - so those of you that are like me can always keep up to date on the first glimpses we get at awesome new films.

Hot off their Academy Award winning film No Country for Old Men, the Coens are ready with another film called Burn After Reading and while the trailer isn’t up on YouTube (meaning I can’t post it), I recommend you immediately go here :

http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/burnafterreading/

and download the trailer as fast as you possibly can! It looks to me like the Coens are working with Big Lebowski-esque material again..

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Richard Widmark, who debuted in Kiss of Death died at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, after a long illness. He was 93 and is survived by his wife, Susan Blanchard, and his daughter, Anne Heath Widmark, who was married to baseball player Sandy Koufax. Widmark would win an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Kiss of Death as Tommy Udo, who enjoyed pushing old ladies down the stairs.

But in real life, Widmark who made over 75 films, was a great guy. Widmark was embarrassed to play the racist character in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s No Way Out and would apologize to Sidney Poitier, with whom he became friends, after shooting scenes. The film was critical of of racism.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is now here to give you the very best of Katie, Nicole, Giulia, Gina and Kerry! If you worry about missing your favorite bloggers’ posts as they push their way down the page each and every week - Never Fear! Check out our most popular posts of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Woody Guthrie: This Grammy Is Your Grammy / This Grammy Is My Grammy

Rambo Fights for Burma’s Freedom + 5 Steps You Can Take To Help Burma In 5 Minutes

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Nicole:

“Yes We Can” Obama Music Video a Unique Celebrity Endorsement

Top 10 US Grant, Scholarship and Fellowship Awarding Foundations

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Giulia:

Ba-Da-Bling Commercials Pulled in New York

“Safe Sex or No Sex” Shirts Get Teens Suspended

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Gina:

10 Internet Videos Featuring Celebrities Advocating For A Cause

Close Up: An Introduction to Iranian Cinema and Cinematic Rainbows

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Kerry:

Sheryl Crow’s Apocalyptic Peak-Oil Song

Solar Powered Soldiers Wear Uniforms with Built-In Batteries

L Word Trippple L awards are back. Last week, I brought you episode one of the LLL awards, in which I hypothesized that the show gave its stars like Cybill Shepherd and Pam Grier, longevity, youthfulness, and beauty, as well as new careers.

Well, here is episode II. And these women are not only as beautiful as they were 20 years ago, but MORE beautiful, which is why they get an additional award: The SS Award named after Susan Sarandon, for becoming more attractive over time.

She may have won an Academy Award for her performance in Children of a Lesser God, but move the Oscar out of the way and make room for the LLL award. As television’s first deaf lesbian character, Jodi Lerner, the the bohemian, iconoclastic, sculptor, helps Bette loosen up and give up some control. Whether she’s seducing or sculpting, this heart breaker signs, seals, AND delivers. Unless she’s rocking crimped hair, which she did in one scene in a restaurant… IN PUBLIC… ON A DOUBLE DATE! Let’s hope Marlee lets go of the 80’s and embraces the 2000’s as much as they’ve embraced her. Because she used to be cute, but she’s now beautiful, the child of a greater goddess.

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