1. "The Dark Knight" (2008): Thanks to the successful reboot of the Caped Crusader film series in 2006 with "Batman Begins," director Christopher Nolan's follow-up, "The Dark Knight,"was intriguing nearly from the get-go, as an unlikely dramatic actor, Heath Ledger, was cast opposite star Christian Bale in the iconic role of The Joker.
The positive buzz about Ledger's performance started to grow, though, during the film's savvy viral campaign and unexpectedly became a haunting specter that hovered over the film seven months before it was released because of the actor's untimely death at age 28. In the wake, bits of foreboding interview soundbites by Ledger emerged, where he discussed how the role disturbed him -- and the anticipation for "The Dark Knight" was at a fever pitch by the time the film was released.
Ledger didn't disappoint in his final, full performance, turning the campy, comic book character's exploits into deep, psychological torment.
