film as rorschach & worship

Two movies open this weekend: The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! Well, Space Chimps opens as well, for the families with budgets that accomodate movies. For most of the film-going public, I suspect there will be a clear division. The line waiting for the Batman flick will be easily distinguished from the line for the musical. I am eager to see both movies (perhaps confounding gender-based predictions), but alas, I will be driving to SUUSI. I am excited about going to SUUSI (and the three different Grateful Dead-related talks I'll be giving), and I am strongly tempted to exceed the speed limit the whole twelve-hour drive, so I can watch at least one of the films in some convenient theater along the way. I've read the Dark Knight novel, and I know the story of Mamma Mia!, so it isn't about spoilers...it's about missing the energy of the opening-night crowd, the feeling of anticipation, the shared larger-than-one's-self experience. If you go, please think of me as the film begins, and have a bite of sacramental popcorn as you do.