The Dark Knight Caine: "Heath frightened the life out of me"

[Keyser Soze]

YEEEEEEES! News, at last!

Good to see that Heath Ledger's performance is getting praised to such a degree. I'm really excited to see his take on The Joker.

As for all the Oscar talk....don't get your hopes up. It's a sequel, of a "remake" (that's how many still view it) of a comic book movie. That's three strikes against it. I'm not saying this makes it less of a good movie. But it does make it less of an "Oscar" movie. But hey, it can join the club. Plenty of great movies - some all-time classics, even - have been totally snubbed by the Academy.

However, though a win is highly unlikely, it would be sweet to see Heath Ledger even make the shortlist in the Best Supporting Actor category...

 

[KILLING JOKER]

This is great news, especially coming from some one as superb as Michael Caine, I mean he had a TV show about how to be a better actor, and he is the man, if some one made him forget his lines, thats awesome.

And Tempest I completely disagree with your statements and a lot of people's statements on Mark Hamil's Joker. To me he's first and foremost created for kids for the most part, and just because he giggles a lot does not make some one a psycho. I mean with a cartoon you can't get the human feel for something, that feeling you get when you see some one's eyes or expressions.

That and Hamil's Joker is just too eccentric, to "funny" though he does terrible things in the TAS which I have seen all of them, it's just he's not that scary. Just because he laughs creepy does not mean he's the ultimate Joker. So I just hate when people pull comparisions to Mark's Joker and Heaths. Hamil will never be able to achieve a great character like Heath has the chance to.

Being not a cartoon, Heath can pull people into the movie with real substance, and real human expression, and I have a feeling this will be the best interpertation of a truly demented anti-Christ of a Joker we have ever seen.

Agreed. You simply can't compare a voice over, no matter how animated the actor is while performing, to a full blown, live action performance. I like Mark Hamill and I enjoyed his voice as the Joker but his Joker is far too theatrical and over the top to ever be in a live action film. It was kind of creepy at times but also downright silly too. You can only be so disturbing and scary on a cartoon television show. From what I've seen, so far, TDK will showcase a vicious, violent and realistic Joker different from ANYTHING that's come before.

 

[fcrowelle06]

Agreed. You simply can't compare a voice over, no matter how animated the actor is while performing, to a full blown, live action performance. I like Mark Hamill and I enjoyed his voice as the Joker but his Joker is far too theatrical and over the top to ever be in a live action film. It was kind of creepy at times but also downright silly too. You can only be so disturbing and scary on a cartoon television show. From what I've seen, so far, TDK will showcase a vicious, violent and realistic Joker different from ANYTHING that's come before.

But, the Joker is over..the top....ummm, could you elaborate a little more...so that it makes a little more sense

 

[Delbert_Grady]

It doesn't matter how much screentime he has, he still isn't considered the "main character" so it would be for best supporting actor if he were to be nominated.

Really, Hannibal Lecter was a supporting character in Silence of the Lambs, as was the character played by Nicole Kidman in The Hours.

They still won.

Captain Jack Sparrow is on a par with a cartoon character, and Depp snagged a nom.

Finally, Nicholson himself was nominated for a Golden Globe for the Joker.

It's possible.

 

[Gianakin_]

Really, Hannibal Lecter was a supporting character in Silence of the Lambs, as was the character played by Nicole Kidman in The Hours.

They still won.

Captain Jack Sparrow is on a par with a cartoon character, and Depp snagged a nom.

Finally, Nicholson himself was nominated for a Golden Globe for the Joker.

It's possible.

No, Mr. Socko was actually saying that Heath will not be nominated for Main Actor, but for Supporting. He was answering at a user that suggested that Heath be nominated for main actor.

 

[Bat-Mite]

As for caine, can we trust the judgement of a man who made Jaws:the revenge??

You could say the same thing about pretty much any actor out there. Every actor's been in movies that they're not proud of. Sometimes they have to be in those kinds of movies, whether they like it or not. They've gotta make a living like everyone else, and sometimes that comes before what kind of movies they'd prefer to be in.

You won't bash anyone, but you laugh at the very idea of Ledger getting nominated...?

It's almost like he was saying that the only reason he's not bashing Ledger's Joker is because he doesn't have anything to bash yet.

 

[Gianakin_]

It's almost like he was saying that the only reason he's not bashing Ledger's Joker is because he doesn't have anything to bash yet.

Actually, from what I hear around about him, this is probably what he was saying.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I'm excited to see the movie but I'm not going to get too excited. I remember when the teaser for Spider-Man 3 came out last year, everyone on the board went nuts declaring it the greatest comic book movie ever made. Well we see how that turned out.

It's funny, I was the opposite. The marketing for Spider-Man 3 did nothing for me, I didn't really buy into the hype for it at all. And when the film came out, I actually thought it was okay. A step down from the previous 2 films, but not the Batman & Robin level abortion a lot are making it out to be...

 

[Naite22]

Not sure if this has been posted anywhere, had a bit of a search and couldnt find anything so thought I'd post it here, if it's already been discussed the moderators can feel free to delete or merge.

Today's issue of the Melbourne Sunday Herald-Sun (Sept 23) carries a brief interview with Michael Caine talking about Heath Ledger's performance in THE DARK KNIGHT, suggesting he could be up for an Oscar nomination for his work.

Here's some of what Caine had to say:

"The worry going in was The Joker.

Jack Nicholson was the greatest Joker so, you know, how do you top that? Well, Heath Ledger's done it and he's extraordinary.

He's gone in a completely different direction to Jack. Jack was like a clown figure, benign but wicked, maybe a killer old uncle. He could be funny and make you laugh.

Heath is like a really scary psychopath. I did one scene with him and he was ready to go and had to come up in a lift and raid our place.

I didn't see him for rehearsal and when he came out of the lift he was so incredible I forgot my lines. He frightened the life out of me.

I'd never met him before. He's a lovely guy and his Joker is going to be a hell of a revelation in this picture."

The only photo accompanying the article is the pic of heath holding the knife up to Maggie G's face.

Not to sound like a smart-ass, but I knew that Nolan's vision of the Joker (and who ever would play him) would be a total PSYCHO, not to be laughed at, waaaaay back when Batman flips the card around to show the Joker-card, in the end of Begins! Most people thought that it would be a Joker just like Jack Nicholsons, but I KNEW that it would be something entirely else, and I have to smile about that in this very moment. What Caine says about the Joker in the highlighted text above, is EXACTLY what I've always said, and I'm so pleased to read that what I've been emagining inside my head for the last 2 years is truely what we WILL get!t:

It really was no surprise! If there is one thing Nolan's "Batman Begins" taught Us, it is, that nothing within these movie's are laughing matters! It is a dead-serious portrayal of a "real-life" world of Batman, and every one within it, and that must INCUDE the Joker! People should've known the exact style Nolan was going for with his Batman movie even a small 15 minutes into the flick!... and with that in mind, "THE DARK KNIGHT" is MY number-1 MUST-SEE movie of 2008! and that's saying a whole damn lot, considering that it's the same year as the new Indiana Jones movie comes out!

 

[Tempest19]

Agreed. You simply can't compare a voice over, no matter how animated the actor is while performing, to a full blown, live action performance. I like Mark Hamill and I enjoyed his voice as the Joker but his Joker is far too theatrical and over the top to ever be in a live action film. It was kind of creepy at times but also downright silly too. You can only be so disturbing and scary on a cartoon television show. From what I've seen, so far, TDK will showcase a vicious, violent and realistic Joker different from ANYTHING that's come before.

Good enough to outshine Nicholson.

Don't get me wrong, Nicholson was good with what he was given- he just wasn't the Joker.

Hammil's Joker creeps me out from time to time, Nicholson never did that.... thus, the IDEAL Joker is Hammil's Joker- voice, look, everything.

From the sounds of it we are finally getting the true Joker on screen for the first time. Ledger is Hammil's Joker- will Ledger outshine Hammil is still yet to be seen, but odds are he might because we finally have material accurate to the psychopath that Joker is.

Those who say Joker is just psychotic in the cartoons because he laughs never watched the cartoons. It was his ACTIONS that made him psychotic and scary- one of the scenes that sticks out the most is the flashback in the PG-13 cut of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. That Joker made Nicholson's Joker look like a *****.

And with scenes such as:

Spoiler

A bomb inside of someone's chest to light them up like "christmas lights"

is any indication of what we'll get, we will finally get a Joker that will either equal Hammil or surpass him.

But, FACT of the matter is-imo- Nicholson's Joker is a scared sane chicken compared to Hammil.

------------

And Naite, dude, MOST of us here actually knew that.... Nolan's looking at Loeb's Joker- and if you know Loeb's Joker, you know how that would translate to screen. That was only cemented by "The Killing Joke"

 

[Gianakin_]

Too much fact-speaking for an opinion-oriented matter. With all due respect.

 

[Tempest19]

You must be blind and didn't see the 'imo'

 

[jimmy]

I can't believe they didn't censor "*****". HAHAHA!

 

[Gianakin_]

You must be blind and didn't see the 'imo'

Yup, I must be. I stand corrected.

 

[Naite22]

I love Nicholson's Joker, but he aint scary, he's just down right funny!!! He's the reason the 89 Batman is good! Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is the performance of any actor in any movie that I'm MOST looking forwards to see! Oh yes, it's true!!!

 

[Bat-Mite]

Yep, this Joker will be a much more psychotic, serious take on The Joker. But there will be humor in him too. It'll probably be jokes about the terror and destruction that he's caused.. the kind that you'll feel a bit guilty about laughing at. I can't wait to see him in action.

 

[Naite22]

Yep, this Joker will be a much more psychotic, serious take on The Joker. But there will be humor in him too. It'll probably be jokes about the terror and destruction that he's caused.. the kind that you'll feel a bit guilty about laughing at. I can't wait to see him in action.

I competely agree... His jokes will be funny, but there will be real danger behind those jokes.. and I also agree that you'll propably feel a little guilty laughing at his jokes LOL!

I have a feeling that with the first appearence of the Joker, we'll be ****ting bricks at how scary he's beeing portrayed!

 

[jtfaria]

Academy recognition for Ledger(even if a nomination) would certainly be a huge step up for comic book films.

Nolan did what he could to make this film more palatable for the Academy: The word "Batman" is nowhere to be found in the title.

 

[jtfaria]

I know that actors working together are supposed to say nice things about each other, but that´s what everyone who´s seen Heath perform says, including people who went "extra-officially" to the set area.

More than that... they are going OUT OF THEIR WAY to say these things (not just when asked), and only about ONE performer. (And this is a movie full of top-flight actors.) I have never seen this in the publicity surrounding a movie, which obviously almost always contains a good deal of rah-rah back-patting. There is apparently something truly special in Ledger's performance.

 

[Naite22]

^ And I believe that!

 

[donk70]

This Acadamy Award talk is crackin me up

 

[bkey]

I agree I can't wait to see him on screen. The suspense is killing me. But in a way I hope that the trailer doesn't so much of the Joker, so when the movie comes out, it will be people's first look at the Joker and we will all be blown away

 

[bkey]

This Acadamy Award talk is crackin me up

Really..the movie doesn't even come out for 10 more months, they haven't even finished filming yet.

 

[donk70]

I agree I can't wait to see him on screen. The suspense is killing me. But in a way I hope that the trailer doesn't so much of the Joker, so when the movie comes out, it will be people's first look at the Joker and we will all be blown away

How do you know you will be blown away?

 

[Luchastyle]

i want to see some joker action in the trailer. at least seeing him in full costume, moving a bit. maybe a line or two