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Wicks, Cooperrider & 'The Dark Knight' Moviegoers

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Hundreds of eager moviegoers showed up to take advantage of the WCLT exclusive midnight showing of ‘The Dark Knight’ at Hollywood Theaters in the Indian Mound Mall Thursday night...enough to fill up two movie theaters.

Ryan Wicks works at the theater and he says he has never seen a premiere quite like this. 

“It has been pretty big. We sold out two shows, so we have two prints of it. We are showing one at midnight and one at 12:15 a.m. It’s going to be pretty big and it will be a successful movie, one of the bigger Blockbusters of the summer.”

Several energetic Batman fans couldn’t wait for the movie to start. 

MOS1: “I have been so amped for this movie since the first one came out. I have been looking at trailers, reviews and everything.”
MOS2: “He just ordered a Batman hat.”
MOS1: “I am so jacked for this movie.”
MOS3: “I’m in love with Christian Bale and that is why I am seeing it. Batman is sweet, but I love Christian Bale.”

They explain why they just had to see it first.

MOS1: “Because I don’t want anyone to tell me about it.”
MOS2: “I don’t want people to mess it up.”
MOS3: “I don’t want it ruined.”
MOS2: “I want to be the one bragging about it before everyone else.”

So, did the movie live up to all of the hype? Jon Cooperrider thought so... 

“It was amazing, there are no other words to use. Heath Ledger, he played a phenomenal Joker. That was pretty much the highlight of the whole movie. It was Heath Ledger’s last movie and it lived up to expectation.”

WCLT gave away two trips to Los Angeles during the premiere.

Bobby Winters and James Todd, both of Newark, were the lucky winners.