8.02.2006

This is me not making an easy Brokeback joke

I am a Bat-fan. I have been since I was a very small thing, watching the cartoons and the cheesy tv show re-runs, and reading hardcover collections of early comics. Then later there were better cartoons. At some point there were two decent movies (let us all please forget the two following them). My understanding of the character grew with me, from Timm's somewhat gritty yet kid-friendly animated series to his somewhat darker incarnation in the Justice League (of the same creator) to discovering Frank Miller's definitave study of the character in Year One and The Dark Night Returns. And then Chris Nolan came along and made a hell of a movie, which made Tim Burton's offerings look like fluff in comparison

So it goes without saying that Nolan has my gratitude, and my respect.

But still, dude. What the fuck is wrong with you? Heath fucking Ledger as the Joker in the next movie.

Let's have an exercise where we see if anyone can't drop five names better than that for the role. in three two one.

Hugo Weaving, Christopher Eccelston, Mark Hamil, Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro

And that's not even mentioning Robin Williams, who was considered and showed interest in the role, who was omitted because in all truth he's too old.

Of course, Heath Ledger may well prove suitable. But if this is another case where the actor just acts like himself only wearing white shit on his face like it was with Jack Nickelson (the first Batman was a good movie because Jack Nickelson is himself a formidable villain. He was not, however, the Joker) I will take four shits and die. Because god dammit. Hugo Weaving would have fucking nailed it. As would have Eccelston, only of course it would have been a vastly different Joker. Anyone who saw the animated series knows Mark Hamil does a mean Joker. And Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Torro? Well shit, they're fucking Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. We know that they both can do sinister and that they also both have fuck all of range.

I'm not gonna piss on you, Chris, but shit dude, throw me a fucking bone here.

7 comments:

  1. I am also a Bat-nerd. I also think Ledger is totally wrong. I just hope he proves us wrong and gives us a good Joker. My choice for the Joker would've been Paul Bettany. Have you seen the new Bats cartoon? What's with the Marilyn Manson style joker in that? I hope Nolan knows what he's doing.
    I think, though, that everyone knows the Joker, and the Dark Knight film should've gone, like the first one, with a lesser-known villain, like the first one did.

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  2. Anonymous12:17 AM

    I liked the newest Bat-man... thought it was great. I too found myself scratching my head when they announced Heath this morning...

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  3. Anonymous12:20 AM

    I think I've been missing all the entertainment news lately.

    Doesn't matter much to me one way or the other.

    I think you'll be ok.

    Maybe he was cheaper....

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  4. I saw the first two and have been outta that loop since.

    We have bats here in Spain. You can hear them flap about at night, very common! You would like that I suspect!

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  5. i think hugo would have been fabulous, but kind sir, let's give mr. ledger a chance. everyone deserves a chance.

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  6. mick: I watched exactly one episode of the new cartoon and have since paid it no mind as it is the work of a hack.

    I agreed with the use of the Scarecrow in the first movie, as it reinforced a key theme in introducing the character of Batman. I disagree with you about using a lesser known villain. For my money, the Joker and Two Face are the most interesting characters in Batman's rogue's gallery. With The Penguin perhaps coming up third, (not the version of the Penguin showcased on any screen

    Shayna: It just doesn't make any sense to me.

    Cooper: Eccelston would have been just as cheap as him, as his film credits are few in Hollywood.

    Miz B: I like bats. They swoop around and are cool and like to eat mosquitos.

    Jromer: Well I'm going to see the movie, and I'm going to push the name "Heath Ledger" out of my mind before I enter the cinema. Just as I did for Mos Def when I saw Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm just going on the record now. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Ledger does an okay Joker, but Hugo would have been the Joker that I always wanted to see on film.

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  7. Anonymous12:29 AM

    I can't take it anymore. We've become a band of merry minstrels traveling the country bringing delirious joy to last place teams and their fans wherever we go. So your home town team has sucked all year? No problem, wait 'til the Red Sox come to town. We're baseball's version of the Washington Generals...I can't take it anymore.

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