The Dark (Queen of the) kNight

C. again. This post utterly unrelated to Prep School Blues. But I, like probably everyone who could get a ticket, just saw the pretty much phenomenal Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight in theaters this past weekend. Great flick honestly, kept me totally riveted.

And yet, despite my deep admiration for Mr. Nolan's work (and the late great Heath Ledger), I feel let down in one aspect of the new Batman films. WHERE DID ALL THE STRONG WOMEN GO? I mean this Rachel chick? Who is she? Assistant District blah blah. The Batman mythos has a great legacy of tough, fabulous broads: Barbara Gordon, Vicky Vale, Pamela Isley. But the best of all, my true heroine and soulmate: Selina Kyle aka CATWOMAN.

From the shapely Julie Newmar to the sultry Eartha Kitt to the deliciously insane Michelle Pfeiffer, this feline fatale is my personal favorite figure in the rogues gallery of Gotham City. Selina Kyle, a woman driven over the edge to adopt a life of costumed crime in a skintight black leather catsuit, totally embodies all that is fabulous. And her torrid love-hate rapport with Batman always gave the storyline that little sexy kick.

As talented a director Mr. Nolan is, with the product to show for it, his female characters aren't exaclty fabulous. The chaste, all american, all-boring Katie Holmes and matyring successor Maggie Gyllenhaal portrayed a character that, for all intents and purposes, hung around with ominous moral judgements, getting into damsel in distress senarios. As Selina Kyle would say, "You make it so easy, don't you? Always waiting for some Batman to save you." Well, I hope it's no spoiler to just say that things didn't really work out that way.

Who knows, perhaps the third installment will see some much needed kitty power updated for the 21st century. Or will we be treated to some more macho boys club struggles? Even if, you can always pick up one of these and have a purrrfect time unleashing your inner Catwoman.