So, the hotly anticipated teaser for Chris Nolan's upcoming comic book odyssey cum trilogy capper (still more than a year away from gracing the silver screen) was met with controversial reaction when it premiered in theatres over the weekend (before HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PART 2, natch). And while I'm not sure if I'm ready to start vocalizing an opinion about it just yet (between you and me I'm ever so slightly troubled by my initial, lukewarm reaction to it), I do think it's interesting that in the two times I've seen it in theatres I've observed it being met by both reverential applause as well as mocking laughter. In that regard it appears to be the "TREE OF LIFE of franchise tentpole teaser trailers"... if you will.

And while I'm not prepared to leap to the teaser's defense OR dismiss it prematurely, I do think it will prove to be a fascinating yardstick in the long labored road we have ahead of us in the twelve odd months leading up to the premiere of (debateably) the most highly anticipated sequel of all time.

Nolan has proven himself to be consistently, confoundingly, gloriously a master at defying our expectations and making our predictions seem [retroactively] positively foolish.

So whether Nolan had control over the form and content of this teaser or he just left it to the crack marketing squad at Warner Bros. (I'm sort of inclined to presume the former) it proves itself to be, like so much of his work, striking, confident and not at all what I was expecting. I don't think I'm alone in this reaction.

I've embeded the controversial teaser below as well as those corresponding to his last two films. Teasers don't get much better than these two. But, then again, films don't get much better than the masterpieces they were advertising either.

Learn to love this acronym people: TDKR

Simple, prescient, classic.

Remember where you were the first time you heard "braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam"? (sigh) Me too..