I got out of the Miami heat this Sunday afternoon to check out the the latest installment of the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight.

Despite movie tickets costing $10 bucks a pop, this flick is well worth your time.  Christopher Nolan has outdone himself the second time around.  Christian Bale returns as the capped crusader and the late Heath Ledger is the consummate nemeses, the Joker.  Too bad Ledger is no longer with us as his performance is engrossing and reveals, once again, just how talented a performer he was.  Snug hunk Aaron Eckhart is a great Harvey Dent.

Not sold on my endorsement?  He’s a little roundup of the what others are saying.

My favorite, Roger Ebert.

“Because these actors and others are so powerful, and because the movie does not allow its spectacular special effects to upstage the humans, we’re surprised how deeply

the drama affects us. Eckhart does an especially good job as Harvey Dent, whose character is transformed by a horrible fate into a bitter monster. It is customary in a comic book movie to maintain a certain knowing distance from the action, to view everything through a sophisticated screen. “The Dark Knight” slips around those defenses and engages us.”

Claudia Puig of USA Today insists that:

“Accolades must also go to director and co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight is a more thrilling, intelligent, morally complex and masterfully crafted film than any summer blockbuster in recent years. It’s probably the best superhero movie to date. Despite its comic-book origins and fantasy setting, the story poses timely and compelling ethical dilemmas, demonstrating that popcorn thrillers need not be mindless nor disposable.”

E! Reviews’ Alex Markerson sums it up best:

“Between them, Batman and The Joker are doing battle for the soul of a city—and it’s never clear who’s going to be the winner. It’s a titanic battle between not just men but ideas, a grand thing indeed for a dynamite summer film about a masked vigilante, and so good, it’s a pity you’ll only be able to see it for the first time once.”

I see that my blogging colleague, Laura, doesn’t have a review up yet, but I know she will.

Local Miami movie times and locations after the jump.

The Dark Knight
2hr 30min - Rated PG-13 - Action/Adventure - Trailer - IMDb

LeJeune Cinemas VI
782 NW Le Jeune Road, Miami, FL, USA - Map
1:00  2:00  4:00  5:00  7:00  8:00  10:00pm
AMC Cocowalk 16
3015 Grand Ave., #322, Miami, FL, USA - Map
10:10  11:00am  12:00  1:30  2:30  3:35  5:00  6:15  7:00  8:30  9:45pm

AMC Mall of the Americas 14
7795 West Flager - Space #1, Miami, FL, USA - Map
10:00  11:30am  12:30  1:30  2:45  4:00  5:00  6:30  7:15  8:15  9:45  10:30pm
Regal South Beach Stadium 18
1120 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL, USA - Map
11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  1:50  3:10  3:40 4:10 4:40 5:10 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:50 10:20 10:50pm

Muvico Hialeah 14
780 West 49th Street, Hialeah, FL, USA - Map
10:00  11:00am  12:00  1:15  2:15  3:15  4:30  5:30  6:30  7:45  8:45  9:45  11:00pm  12:00am
California Club Theater
850 Ives Dairy Road, North Miami, FL, USA - Map
1:00  2:00  4:00  5:00  7:00  8:00pm

Cobb CineBistro at Dolphin Mall
Dolphin Mall, Miami, FL, USA - Map
12:00  3:30  7:15  10:45pm
Cobb Theatres - Dolphin 19 Cinema
Dolphin Mall, Miami, FL, USA - Map
12:30  3:45  7:00  10:15pm

Cobb Theatres - Miami Lakes 17
6711 Main Street, Miami Lakes, FL, USA - Map
10:45  11:45am  12:30  1:15  2:00  3:00  3:45 4:30 5:20 6:15 7:00 7:45 8:40 9:30 10:15 11:00pm
AMC Sunset Place 24
5701 Sunset Drive, Ste. 300, South Miami, FL, USA - Map
10:00  10:30  11:30am  12:00  12:30  1:00  1:30  2:00  3:00  3:30  4:00  4:30  5:00  5:30  6:30  7:00  7:30  8:00  8:30  9:00  10:00  10:30  11:00pm

Regal Palace 18
11865 SW 26th Street, Miami, FL, USA - Map
11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  3:10  3:40 4:10 4:40 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:50 10:20 10:50pm
Cobb Hialeah Grand 18
17355 NW 59th Avenue, Hialeah, FL, USA - Map
11:30am  12:30  1:45  2:30  3:45 5:00 6:15 7:00 8:15 9:30 10:15pm

Movies at the Falls
9000 SW 136th Street, Miami, FL, USA - Map
9:00  9:30  11:50am  12:20  12:50  3:10  3:40 4:10 6:30 7:00 7:30 9:50 10:20 10:50pm
Sunrise Cinemas - Intracoastal 8
3701 NE 163 Street (Sunny Isles Blvd), North Miami Beach, FL, USA - Map
1:30  2:10  4:30  5:10  7:30  8:10  10:20pm

Regal Kendall Village Stadium 16
8595 SW 124 Avenue, Miami, FL, USA - Map
9:00  9:30  10:00  11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  1:50  3:10  3:40 4:10 4:40 5:10 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:50 10:20 10:50pm
AMC Aventura 24
19501 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura, FL, USA - Map
10:00  10:45  11:30am  12:00  12:30  1:00  1:30  2:15  3:00  3:30  4:00  4:30  5:00  5:45  6:30  7:00  7:30  8:00  8:30  9:15  10:00  10:30  11:00pm

Regal Westfork Plaza 13
15977 West Pines Boulevard on Dykes Road, Pembroke Pines, FL, USA - Map
9:00  9:30  10:00  11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  3:10  3:40 4:10 4:40 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:50 10:20 10:50pm
Flipper’s Hollywood Cinema 10
7001 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL, USA - Map
10:20  11:20am  1:10  2:15  4:05  5:15  7:00  8:15  9:55  11:10pm

Regal Southland Mall Stadium 16
20505 S. Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL, USA - Map
9:00  9:30  10:00  10:30  11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  1:50  3:10  3:40  4:10  4:40  5:10  6:30  7:00  7:30  8:00  8:30  9:50  10:20  10:50pm
Regal Oakwood Stadium 18
2800 Oakwood Blvd, Hollywood, FL, USA - Map
9:00  9:30  10:00  11:50am  12:20  12:50  1:20  1:50  3:10  3:40 4:10 4:40 5:10 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:50 10:20 10:50pm

Muvico Paradise 24 Theater
15601 Sheridan Street, Davie, FL, USA - Map
10:00  10:30  11:00  11:40am  12:10  12:40  1:10  1:40  2:10  2:40  3:20  3:50  4:20  4:50  5:20  5:50  6:20  7:00  7:30  8:00  8:30  9:00  9:30  10:00  10:40  11:00pm
AMC Ridge Plaza 8
9200 State Road 84, Davie, FL, USA - Map
12:30  4:10  7:25  10:40pm

Weston 8 Cinemas
1338 SW 160th Avenue, Sunrise, FL, USA - Map
1:05  4:05  7:20pm
Sunrise Cinemas Stadium 15 @ Las Olas Riverfront
300 SW First Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA - Map
1:30  2:10  2:50  4:30  5:10  5:50  7:30  8:10  9:00  10:20pm

Swap Shop Drive-In
3291 West Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA - Map
8:30  9:00  11:15  11:45pm  2:00  2:30am

From Wikipedia:

Observance

• In 1776, John Adams declared, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."^[3]

• In 1777, thirteen guns were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.
• In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
• In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.
• In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.
• In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held the first celebration of July 4 in the country with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
• In 1791 was the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day".
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[4]
• In 1941, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. The residents of Vicksburg, Mississippi, celebrated Independence Day for the first time since July 4, 1863, when the Siege of Vicksburg ended with a Union victory during the American Civil War.

Customs

Celebration with fireworks over Miami, Florida, USA on American Independence Day. Bank of America Tower is also lit with the red, white and blue color scheme.

Independence Day, the only holiday that celebrates the United States, is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (like the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation’s heritage, laws, history, society, and people.

Families often celebrate Independence Day with a picnic or barbecue, and take advantage of the day off and in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem ("The Star-Spangled Banner"), "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, ‘Tis of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", and, regionally, "Yankee Doodle" in northeastern states and "Dixie" in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. Illicit traffic transfers many fireworks from less restrictive states.

Major displays are held in New York on the East River, in Chicago on Lake Michigan, Boston on the Charles River, in St. Louis on the Mississippi River, and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During the annual Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario host one of the world’s largest fireworks displays, over the Detroit River, to celebrate both American Independence Day and Canada Day.

While the official observance always falls on July 4th, participation levels may vary dependent upon which day of the week the 4th falls. If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region.

More after the jump.

Other events

Main article: July 4

• America’s Freedom Festival at Provo, in Utah, is one of the largest freedom festivals. It includes one of the largest Independence Day parades, and the Stadium of Fire.^{[citation needed]}
• Every year in the U.S.A., the Rainbow Family gather for prayer for World Peace. With attendance ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 or more participants, most refer to it as Interdependance Day as all live in primitive conditions by choice, in State Forests and rely upon one another for the first week of July. Participants on Independence Day pray, meditate, or are silent on the morning of Independence Day, ending in a verbal group expression, Aum or Om. The Rainbow Gathering takes place annually for the first week of July.
• The Midwest’s largest fireworks display, called "Red, White and Boom", happens on the last weekday before Independence Day in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. An estimated crowd of 500,000 to 750,000 attend and thousands more people view the fireworks display in HD on NBC Columbus, which is synchronized to music by 97.9 WNCI.
• The town of Bristol, Rhode Island, is noted for having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States (since 1785).
• James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri, hosts the annual "I Love America" Celebration at the Springfield Underground. In 1997, 13,000 people showed up for the first event. In 2006, 120,000 people attended the celebration. Highlights include the choir’s "Living Flag", the "Concert in the Sky", nearly 100 games and activities, and a four-hour air show.
• A colorful Independence Day event is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, which supposedly started on July 4, 1916 as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic. It was estimated that Americans would consume about 150 million hot dogs on July 4, 2006, or almost one hot dog for every other person in the United States.
• New York City also hosts the famous Macy’s Fireworks Display over the East River televised nationwide.
• In Boston, a fireworks show is held over the Charles River Esplanade with the Boston Pops playing in the background. In recent years it too is televised nationwide.
• Major League Baseball games are also played on Independence Day. Since 1959, NASCAR has held the Coke Zero 400 (formerly the "Firecracker 400") on July 4 or the Saturday of Independence Day weekend.
• On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., a free concert, "A Capitol Fourth", precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
• In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the U.S., and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become President of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States’ 50th anniversary. President James Monroe died exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, though he did not sign the Declaration of Independence.
• The City of Urbandale, Iowa celebrates the biggest nationwide celebration in a location with a population less than 50,000
• Seward, Nebraska is known for its Independence Day celebration. Dating back to 1868 they have honored and celebrated Independence Day, the 2008 celebration will mark its 140th celebration.
• The annual 10 kilometer Peachtree Road Race is held in Atlanta.

The ever versatile and talented Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll was in town promoting his new documentary, Eleven Minutes, at the tenth annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Saturday.

Since winning Project Runway, McCarroll has been busy readying his fashion line, which is the subject of the documentary.  As an added treat to watching him prepare the line in Eleven Minutes, McCarroll put on a live fashion show of the looks featured in the documentary.  I was lucky to have been one of the invited guests and snapped away as the models walked the cat walk atop the Claremont Hotel.

I got the opportunity to briefly chat with McCarroll.  He was a great sport and stayed for more than an hour after the show greeting fans who snapped pictures with the reality tv star.

Click the link below to see all of the looks.

The looks featured at MCCarroll’s South Beach fashion show.

Me with Jay McCarroll & Dr. Eric Freedman

The MGLFF 2008 is Miami’s world renewed film festival showcasing gay and lesbian oriented films from around the world.  In its tenth season, the festival runs April 25th through May 4th.

For this weekend anyway … it seems that South Beach is relatively celebrity free this weekend as everyone who is anyone is in Phoenix for the Super Bowl.  Prince Phillip is partying with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Adrien Grenier under the hot sun to the west, but it’s okay … they will all come back.  Sooner or later, they always do.

The photo above shows Adrien with Gabrielle Union and Jason Biggs at a golf event sponsored by Audi.  To the left is a photo of Catherine Bell, Carmen Electra, and Roselyn Sanchez at Snow Queen Vodka’s Leather and Laces Party in Scottsdale.  Below is a photo of Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian partying at the Trump Vodka VIP Lounge at 944 Magazine’s Super Village.

Enjoy Arizona, everyone, but we know you will be back partying in SoBe soon!

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus, also known as Hannah Montana, was in Miami this week for her last performance on her infamously sold-out “Best of Both Worlds” concert tour.

This photo was taken as she entered the American Airlines Arena for rehearsals on Thursday of this week.

Locals were going crazy for Hannah Montana tickets, doing crazy stunts such as staying in a van for six days for a chance to win front row seats.  Pretty amazing considered her 3-D movie of the concert was set to open on screens in the area the next day.

Early reports say the 3-D film made over $29 million this weekend, making it the biggest opening weekend ever for a film debuting the same weekend as the Super Bowl.  Not bad for a film showing on limited screens, but the high profits were probably helped by the high ticket prices (reportedly $15 each).

Miami’s own Sean Kingston celebrated his birthday at Mansion night club last night, performing his hit single Beautiful Girls for the crowd and partying with producer Scott Storch.

Kim Kardashian waits for her pedicure at the Stoli hotel on South  Beach earlier this week.  Below she enjoys the spa treatment with her sister, Kortney.

Christina Milian was in Miami this week to host the one year anniversary of the Cielo Garden and Supperclub in Coconut Grove.

Christina is an actress and singer who recently appeared in the television movie Snowglobe with Battlestar Galactica’s Luciana Carro.  She was also on a recent episode of the WB’s Smallville and has written or released several hit songs in the past few years.

Her boyfriend, music producer Dre, was also there for the event with his production partner Cool.

South Beach was laughing this weekend, as the South Beach Comedy Festival came to town.  The above photo is of Jeff Dunham and one of his many wooden friends, after he entertained the crowds with his ventriloquist show on Friday night.

As we talked about last week, the festival is produced by Comedy Central and the best of the best of the performances will be rebroadcast later this year. The William Morris Agency is also a sponsor, so they presumably had agents around South Beach looking for talent. For more information check out www.southbeachcomedyfestival.com.

Dave Attell conducts interviews at the Comedy Central party at the Delano:

Jersey opening for Jeff Dunham:

David Young and Friends:

Andres Lopez performs at the Jackie Gleason Theater:

A mermaid provides atmosphere at the Delano party:

Natalia Castellanos at the Delano:

Check out Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ new look, which she showed off in South Beach this weekend! 

Well, not really.  This is really rapper Jacki-O, who attended a birthday party for Miami Heat player Dwayne Wade at the Stoli Hotel on South Beach Saturday night. 

But various photo services have labeled the person in the photo as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the original Jackie O.  Sounds like an excellent entry for Undercover Black Man’s Misidentified Black Person of the Week.

Other stars in attendance included Bill Bellamy, Trina, DJ Clue, Marcus Arneaud, and Lisa Lee.