Sunday, January 13, 2008

The Dark Knight (Returns)

Whoa! The interest in the new Batman movie: The Dark Knight grows and grows. Heath Ledger's version of The Joker is super scary, and bears no resemblance at all to the semi-parody of previous on-screen incarnations.

Back in the 80's, everyone gushed about Jack Nicholson's portrayal. Although, overall, I liked thr movie, I was actually disappointed with Mr. Nicholson. I never really felt any menace seeping off of him. At the time, it was rumored one of the other actors up for the part was Willem DeFoe. If you ever want a glimpse of what his Joker might have been like, check out the movie, Streets of Fire. The movie is worth your time for the awesome street fight challenge match with sledgehammers. Yeah -- sledgehammers.

Anyway, getting back to the Dark Knight. Heath Ledger's Joker seems much closer to the mental image I've carried around of what could've been with a DeFoe Joker back in the 80's. Sick, Nuts, Anarchic, and Ruthless.

Check out all the currently available with these links. This has nothing to do with the new movie, but was famous from a couple of ComicCons ago. I apologize that whoever posted it to YouTube spoiled the surprise with the title. It's still worth watching; it's far above the average FanFilm.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxEETExsZZA

You missed this Batman clip.

Anonymous said...

Sad news today. The Joker is gone.

Anonymous said...

The Joker is not dead. He is disguised as a woman running for President!

rednekkninja said...

Obama ah guess you hant hurd the news when you made yur comment now didja?

Anonymous said...

No, I dinn't. It is such a shame to loose such a talented artist (not marshal arts). We had so much to learn from Heath Ledger. In "Brokeback Mountain" he taught us that to go out on the range with a sheep farmer is a BHAA, BHAAD idea.

jrf said...

It's a testament to how twisted and sick the world has become -- and how cynical I'm getting -- that for a brief moment, I actually believed this had to be the most far-out viral marketing campaign ever devised!

You know this movie will become legendary. If Ledger is as good as they all claim, then it will be the part that drove the actor to the breaking point of sanity...

... or was it dating Mary kate Olsen that did it?

Anonymous said...

jrf,

My death was truly an accident. Life was good. As a matter of fact, I almost had Mary Kate & Ashley talked into a 3-Way. I guess I blew that one.

rednekkninja said...

Dammit, don't say you blew it. Brok-d-back was menshnd and I'm not sleepin' agin tanite