Can 'The Dark Knight' sink all-time box office record?

Each day that passes brings a new box office record for "The Dark Knight." The more interesting records are in the future. It should hit the $300 million mark within its first 11 days. That would also be a record. At the same time, it'll overtake "Iron Man" as the year's most successful movie. It has already made more at the box office than "Batman Begins" did in its entire theatrical run.

Will "The Dark Knight" overtake the all-time record at the box office set by "Titanic." I don't think so. It would have to cross the $600 million mark in the U.S. This is a dark, brooding film that's not particularly kid friendly. I liked the movie, but it's not for small children.

Also of note is the film entered the Imdb.com top 250 at No. 1. I've never seen No. 1budge on this highly subjective poll of moviegoers. The closest movie to get near No. 1 in recent years was "Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King." And it didn't make it.

"The Dark Knight" will be the No. 1 movie of 2008. It will make the top 10 overall in box office history, perhaps the top 5. It might topple "Star Wars" on the list at No. 2 all-time. But I don't think it will sink "Titanic." But we'll just have to wait and see.

The best TV show you've probably never seen

It's hard to find. But a little-known TV show out of England towers over virtually anything you'll find on TV these days. "Foyle's War" focuses on the homefront in England as the the country finds itself under seige during World War II. Despite the focus on the war, a lot of bad things are still happening on English soil.

The seasons of this show are extremely short -- about four, 90-minute episodes each. It actually falls under the mystery genre as there is a death or two in every episode. DCS Foyle is a brilliant detective with a unique knack for solving these mysteries. Trying to figure it out yourself is part of the fun. The series is in its sixth season. PBS is airing the fifth season now.

PBS picks it up as part of "Masterpiece Mystery." The show comes from ITV, not the BBC (frankly, I haven't quite figured out who's who in British television). For some reason the future is somewhat hazy for this well-respected series. I just know it's good television. Although it's difficult to find, you can rent it from some video stores or Netflix it.

The only knock on the show is many episodes tend to introduce too many characters. Sometimes it takes a little while to get things figured out as to who is who. But it's worth the effort.

Batman movie makes history

The Batman sequel, "The Dark Night," made history as the highest-grossing movie opening of all time -- around $65 million on Friday alone. It may break the record for the highest three-day opening as well.

It needs to beat "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," a dreadful film, and "Spider-Man 3," not as dreadful but not as good as the first two Spidey movies.

The cool thing about this is that the first movie was a slow builder. The previous Batman franchise had turned off fans so much that few trusted "Batman Begins." But word of mouth spread about how good it was and the box office numbers built up over time.

With the trust now fully restored, "The Dark Knight" should continue to make history. And I still haven't seen it. I'm going to wait until the crowds are down.

Taylor Hicks sports a devoted fanbase

Fellow blogger Adam Fenwick simply made the mention of Taylor Hicks in his blog one day, and the blog literally exploded in a heated debate with passionate arguments on both sides of the issue. It was interesting to watch as this pro-and-con debate unfolded.

Taylor Hicks, the 2006 winner of "American Idol," obviously has a loyal group of fans. He also has a fair amount of critics. I haven't heard much of the music of Taylor Hicks, but I can't see the point in actively seeking to tear him or anyone else down. I don't watch "American Idol." It's just not for me. But a lot of folks I know or work with follow it closely, never missing an episode. I will admit I did watch some of the episode last year that featured cover versions of Beatles songs.

But I digress. If Mr. Hicks makes his fans happy with his music, more power to them and him. Who can really argue with that? If everyone liked the same music and singers, there would be few choices out there and the music scene would be quite dull. Variety is the key -- something for everyone. How else can you explain Graham Cawthon's inclusion of A Flock of Seagulls in his weekly music column?

Did anyone catch the Batman movie?

Did anyone catch the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight"? Did anyone like the Batman movie? There was a midnight showing, but I'm getting too old for that sort of thing. The movie appears to be darker than the first one. But the reviews are through the roof. It's really one of the best reviewed movies of the year so far. I want to see it in the worst way. I'm just not going to rush out. Feel free to post what you think of the movie here.

The good, the bad and the Uggla

The good, the bad and the Uggla: This was the joke we were tossing around about the All-Star game that lasted forever. I don't usually watch this thing, but it got interesting when it looked like they were going to run out of pitchers. If the game had continued, we would have had third-baseman David Wright pitching as well as outfielder J.D. Drew. These guys are good, but they aren't pitchers.

There were a few other interesting things about the All-Star break. Second-base All-Star Chase Utley shamed my fantasy team by saying a major boo-boo on national TV during the home-run derby. We're talking the grandfather of bad words. Remember "A Christmas Story." In this case, however, he completed the word. Didn't he notice the microphone on his uniform? ESPN blushed. Utley has always come across as a down-to-earth guy that hasn't let his success go to his head. He has apologized, but this will hurt his image with some. A little humility could go a long way -- and a few more home runs.

Then there's the horrible game from Dan Uggla. His errors kept piling up in the game despite the fact that he hasn't had that many in the regular season. He had an ugly game.

Then there's the booing of Jonathan Papelbon, the great Boston closer. He should take it as an honor. He was playing in Yankee Stadium. What did he expect? A gracious welcome. They boo their own players there. Who cares what the New York tabloids say about him? He's a great closer for a team I hate.

The best story is the emergence of Josh Hamilton, a former first pick in the draft who fell into a life of drug addiction and fell completely out of baseball. He has battled back through a strong support system and his strong faith in God. He won over a tough Yankee Stadium crowd at the home-run derby and won the hearts of millions. You can blame him for getting into drugs if you want. That's fair. But why not praise him for leaving that life behind and reclaiming glory on the baseball field. I can't wait for someone to make a movie about this remarkable story.

They'll be no movie about Dan Uggla: This Florida Marlin standout flopped like a fish out of water.

A block party in Shelby

Patton Oaks held its annual block party on Tuesday night. Residents lined up for hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, and a large selection of treats. The block party has become a tradition at Patton Oaks and residents enjoy getting out, talking to each other and taking advantage of the food and fellowship.