Here's a good article from my local paper, www.standard.net

They also have some video available at http://www.standard.net/live/news/138353/

By Greg Boyles -- Standard-Examiner staff

OGDEN -- With his face painted to emulate the Joker from the highly anticipated "The Dark Knight," Brandon Young was the second person in a line that had been forming since 10:30 a.m. Thursday -- all to see his favorite superhero.

"I'm waiting in line because I love Batman, and I love movies, so this is a great merger of the two," he said.

The 26-year-old Batman fanatic arrived at Cinemark Tinseltown in the Newgate Mall around 2 p.m. to hold down his post toward the front of the line.

His early arrival, however, did not match that of one girl who'd been planning for that moment since the first movie preview ran.

"I love Batman, so I had to come see this movie. I went to see the first one ("Batman Begins"), and then my sister found the preview for the second one and we decided we had to see it when it came out," Aerial Paskett said.

The 16-year-old arrived at the theater before it opened and claimed her spot at the front of the line. By 5 p.m., she was dozing while she waited, wrapped in a blanket and iPod on.

The new Batman movie hit theaters at midnight Thursday all across the nation. Hundreds of fans draped in Batman paraphernalia formed lines.

But this Batman movie has something all the others before it did not.

Playing the infamous Joker is Heath Ledger, an Australian-born actor whose unexpected death Jan. 22 shocked movie-lovers.

Ledger finished filming his scenes before he died, and many reviewers have said he was best actor to ever play the Joker in the Batman movies.

A Time magazine review stated, "This Joker is simply one of the most twisted and mesmerizing creeps in movie history."

And although those standing in line could not yet attest to the wonderment of Heath Ledger as the perfect villain, many said they were upset he would not be back to do another film.

"I was actually heartbroken. I was almost in tears when I heard he died," Young said.

But all those who grieved over the death of the young actor also said they were already planning to see the movie before they'd heard the tragic news.

"I'm excited to see Heath Ledger, but I'm really just into Batman.

"I was planning on coming to see this movie whether he died or not," Young said.

And Young was only one of hundreds who bought tickets for the midnight showing.

"We are going to have the midnight showing on a total of six screens and we average about 280 seats per auditorium, and I'd expect they'll all be filled. This has been a very anticipated movie," said Dion Reed, general manager of Cinemark Tinseltown in Newgate Mall.

And while the line to get into the movie did not contain 1,680 fans all wearing capes and white face paint, Reed said he expected the majority of the crowd to come around 11 p.m., well after people in line would be permitted into the auditoriums to pick out their seats.

"Lots of people are asking about this movie, so we're going to continue putting it on as many screens as we can."