Fans vs Mass Market

Manage to get myself a night off to catch 2 movies - that as fans shall not miss. Back to back some more.

Anyway not going to write movie review, just want to say how I observed the fans and non-fans reacted to both movies.

X-Files

I believe (insert puns here) that this 2nd movie would make the perfect closure for the cult following TV series. As fans, we all know that the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully has always been something present, yet almost taboo like that it was never discussed about. Matter a fact, for hardcore fans, the most memorable moment is when they *almost* kissed at Mulder's apartment hallway, when the kiss was interrupted by a bee sting that almost killed Scully.

Another thing that was never really talked about, but insinuated throughout the series, is that Mulder was William's father.

That's why fans can relate when I said that I had goose bumps when Mulder and Scully's sexuality was so publicly displayed, so casually shown off in the 2nd movie. It was a moment that completed us all X-Files fan. They even openly talked about William.

Which leads me to the point, why I am so not surprised when hearing how the non-fan reacted in the cinema. The girl sitting next to me commented:"Har? Like that finish liao ar." Sounded almost like she was cheated or something. Come on la, the mystery was solved (no spoilers here), the bandits were caught - what else you want la?

Dark Knight

When I was queuing for my movie tix, I overheard "Why I cannot see Batman on the list one? Which one is Batman ar? Still on ar?" which someone was nice enough to tell the girl that Dark Knight is the Batman movie then she said "OOOOoooohh... haiyah, why not just call Batman la."

Beh tar han.

Very obviously she has not read the Dark Knight series.

The other comment that I heard inside the cinema was the confused sound of "Huh?" made at the ending of the movie when Jim Gordon said that he would have to pursue Batman, even after he just saved Gotham from destruction.

Fans would understand this because Batman was never a publicly welcomed figure - not openly anyway. Unlike Superman, who appears in fund raisers, talk to kids, shows up during the day time - generally a public figure. Batman works on the opposite, his most powerful is not the Bat Mobile or the Bat-pod (which was super cool. BTW), but fear. He uses fear to achieve his objectives, hides in shadow, wears dark color.

And he is labeled vigilante at best, not ever a "superhero".

And that is why the authorities will always disapprove of his methods, or his existence for that matter.