It's three weeks until the first midnight showings, but The Dark Knight has already sold out many of its IMAX and 35MM showings, with theaters already adding 3am times to the mix. Care for a doughnut with your superhero?

*From CWalton - Fandango.com's movie blog written 06/27/2008.

The Joker's make-up also represents a revolutionary advancement in the application of prosthetics, developed and executed by prosthetic supervisor Conor O'Sullivan and prosthetic make-up artist Robert Trenton. "They used a brand new silicone-based process that enables the prosthetics to be laid on the skin in such a way that it's seamless," Robb-King* describes. "It's absolutely amazing because you can put a camera right up to the face--even an IMAX camera--and there are no issues.

O'Sullivan reveals, "It took us about two years to develop the technology, but after a few glitches, we hit on it. We are now able to produce silicone pieces that are applied directly to the skin. And it blends with the skin perfectly; if you didn't know it was there, you would have a hard time seeing anything."

In addition, the new process cut the application time to a fraction of what was needed in the past. O'Sullivan confirms, "The Joker prosthetics would previously have taken a good three to four hours. Instead they took about 25 minutes and looked far superior, which was great."

*Peter Robb-King(makeup department head)

"You can absolutely see the difference," Pfister* attests. "It's sharper; it has more resolution, more contrast and a richer color saturation. It is an overall improved image, whether you're seeing it on an IMAX screen or on a regular screen. I think the action will jump off the screen in any theater."

*Wally Pfister(director of photography)