My first vision of Patti Smith is a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. She’s a few feet from me on a dark stage in a club, long lost in addled memory. I can see her now in my minds eye …slow motion… then faster than life, then a strobe light vision in a white T-shirt. Bottles are being thrown at the stage and she’s barking and bellowing at the combat-booted crowd. She leers and screams, threatening them into a frenzy of punk madness. I became conscious in that world of geek bands like the Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers and The Ramones, where being sedated or lost or misplaced was the anthem. Patti Smith was saying something different to me that night.

So yes, The Dark Knight premiered last night in New York, with the appropriate level of somberly dressed stardom in attendance. Giorgio Armani may be dressing Bruce Wayne, but starlets Blake Lively, Lauren Conrad, and Maggie Gyllenhaal chose to walk the black carpet in ... well, lots of black. But it's fun black! Not like scary black, or depressing black. But still totally, you know, respectful of Heath Ledger's genius and stuff.

As the frenzy towards the July 14 New York City premiere of The Dark Knight continues to build (oh how I wish I could attend), Heath Ledger’s performance, and its posthumous status, are predictably overshadowing the film itself (although reviews have been rave). Will the premier proceedings pay tribute to the late actor, will his ex-fiancée Michelle Williams attend, and what of Ledger's family's attendance? For the record, Williams was never planning to attend, the premiere will not serve as a tribute, and Ledger's family aren't confirmed as guests. Williams’ rep says that the premiere "was never on her calendar and she’s not in the movie. This isn’t a press event for her. She’s not going, there is no reason.” Jake Gyllenhaal, however, will attend his former onscreen lover’s premiere as a guest of sister Maggie, who has a role in the film as Bruce Wayne’s love interest.

A little while ago, we told you about the powerhouse project getting underway in Hollywood. It went a little something like this: script by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, directed by Sam Mendes, starring John Krasinski, Cheryl Hines, and Maya Rudolph.