The Dark Knight Joker Hype!

[Keyser Soze]

Those pics are great! I think this although blurry is a better full scaled photo facing his well...face lol. What exactly did Hunter Rider do to the spoiler boards? I don't want to go over there.

He introduced a new policy, preventing people from posting spoilers in inappropriate threads, without spoiler tags. If they do it once, 1 week probation, if they do it twice, 1 month probation. Third time is a ban.

 

[Figs]

He introduced a new policy, preventing people from posting spoilers in inappropriate threads, without spoiler tags. If they do it once, 1 week probation, if they do it twice, 1 month probation. Third time is a ban.

That's awesome! About time, that was what the whole complaint in your goodbye thread over there was partly about. Morons who post spoilers in the wrong thread.

 

[Acid Snowman]

Hmm, do people want to see the Joker as the bombastic, flamboyant madman from the comics, or with a slightly darker, more muted performance that spares shots of his face for extra creepiness? While I admit that there's no point using him unless he's still himself, one of the main strengths of the character is that there are so things you can do with him while keeping the basic formula the same.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Hmm, do people want to see the Joker as the bombastic, flamboyant madman from the comics, or with a slightly darker, more muted performance that spares shots of his face for extra creepiness? While I admit that there's no point using him unless he's still himself, one of the main strengths of the character is that there are so things you can do with him while keeping the basic formula the same.

Somewhere in the middle, I think.

I'd like to see The Joker be the crazed, laughing lunatic we're familiar with, that's for certain. But at the same time, I think this Joker should be very dark, and a very serious threat. Audiences shouldn't find him funny. They should find him genuinely frightening.

 

[Acid Snowman]

Hmm, do people want to see the Joker as the bombastic, flamboyant madman from the comics, or with a slightly darker, more muted performance that spares shots of his face for extra creepiness? While I admit that there's no point using him unless he's still himself, one of the main strengths of the character is that there are so things you can do with him while keeping the basic formula the same.

Edit: Mystery double post ahoy! Anyone know where to find the delete button?

 

[Victarion]

Jack's Joker looked too friendly for my tastes.

From set picture's Heath's looks quite intimidating. We'll see how he plays the part come 2008.

 

[dark_b]

Here are the latest set pics of The Joker, posted by Bat Brain over on the Chicago Set/Pics thread:

Blurry, I know, but...how AWESOME does this look? The Joker is looking creepy as hell here! He really is the stuff of nightmares.

Can you imagine, you're lying in bed at night, and you hear the floor creaking in the hallway outside. Then, the door slowly, slowly opens, and you see THAT grinning face peering in through the crack?

i think this is the closest they got to heath on the set.to bad that it is blury

 

[CaptainClown]

I'm glad its blurry I like these mysterious bad looking shots would make the high res picture awesome

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Cool thread. My Joker sanctuary from now on. I really want to avoid spoilers as much as possible. The experience is so much better when you're not spoiled. I saw everything from BB before seeing the movie, and it was still great, but I realise that the brief satisfaction of curiosity (reading spoilers) is nothing compared to sitting in the movie theater and being absolutely surprised.

 

[CaptainClown]

well some of the spoilers just make it juicier, without revealing too much.

 

[Keyser Soze]

well some of the spoilers just make it juicier, without revealing too much.

Yeah, such as little teaser pictures like the one above. t:

But I totally sympathise with Carmine Falcone. I don't want to find out about The Joker's fate at the end of the film, or anything like that. I'm glad some people want to make my thread their new home.

 

[DeaDheaD]

Yeah, such as little teaser pictures like the one above. t:

But I totally sympathise with Carmine Falcone. I don't want to find out about The Joker's fate at the end of the film, or anything like that. I'm glad some people want to make my thread their new home.

Smells like a new car!

 

[Citadel30]

Yeah, such as little teaser pictures like the one above. t:

But I totally sympathise with Carmine Falcone. I don't want to find out about The Joker's fate at the end of the film, or anything like that. I'm glad some people want to make my thread their new home.

Exactly- i think that pictures are great to look at, and by just looking at the picture you really don't know whats going on thus you are not spoiling the film's storyline or ending. The only reason i actually started writing in the threads was to ensure that the non-spoiler threads got going, otherwise I was pretty content just reading everyone else argue and verbally spar with each other. t:

 

[DeaDheaD]

Exactly- i think that pictures are great to look at, and by just looking at the picture you really don't know whats going on thus you are not spoiling the film's storyline or ending. The only reason i actually started writing in the threads was to ensure that the non-spoiler threads got going, otherwise I was pretty content just reading everyone else argue and verbally spar with each other. t:

I was like that but then after awhile i started wanting to put my two cents in.

 

[Citadel30]

I was like that but then after awhile i started wanting to put my two cents in.

Yeah- at least this place makes the work day FLY by! haha

 

[DeaDheaD]

Yeah- at least this place makes the work day FLY by! haha

You at work too?

 

[Citadel30]

You at work too?

of course! Do you think i would spend hours on this site at home? haha

 

[Keyser Soze]

Okay, to carry on a popular topic of debate....how important is it to you that The Joker has white skin, rather than white make-up?

For me, this has long been my hard-limit, as far as the visual elements of The Joker's character goes. I was fine with the cut-smile. I was open to them changing his costume (though that's turned out to be a lot more faithful than I expected). But some people are deriving from these set pics that The Joker's flesh-tone hands and neck mean he applies white make-up to his face. And I can't say I'm happy about that.

Of course, this is far from confirmed. These pics were all taken during breaks from filming, with Ledger not in full costume. For all we know, he could put on gloves, then his jacket, then they touch up his neck with additional white. I still think The Joker will have white skin. But at the same time, we should be prepared for the possibility that he wears make-up in the film.

Here's my terms on that. I can live with it, if we don't ever see his face without the make-up. It's a change I'm not happy with, but if The Joker's going to look like this...

...and act like classic Joker (which reports would very much indicate he'll be doing), then Heath Ledger can still pull off a performance that will fittingly represent The Joker we know and love.

 

[itsthebatman]

^ I am confident that Joker has naturally white, bleached skin, and that the flesh colour is his make-up. The deal breaker is whether or not this make-up is on him throughout much of the movie, and whether there will be enough whitey Joker on screen. I'm not too worried about the hands - I suspect they will be in gloves most of the time. I do think it's important that it's NOT make-up, it does change the character, his implied origin, and his motivations, just turns him into a psycho who likes playing dress-up. Which isn;t the Joker.
One thing I'll say - nobody's really arguing about his characterisation anymore, all indications are that it's spot on.

 

[Citadel30]

Okay, to carry on a popular topic of debate....how important is it to you that The Joker has white skin, rather than white make-up?

For me, this has long been my hard-limit, as far as the visual elements of The Joker's character goes. I was fine with the cut-smile. I was open to them changing his costume (though that's turned out to be a lot more faithful than I expected). But some people are deriving from these set pics that The Joker's flesh-tone hands and neck mean he applies white make-up to his face. And I can't say I'm happy about that.

Of course, this is far from confirmed. These pics were all taken during breaks from filming, with Ledger not in full costume. For all we know, he could put on gloves, then his jacket, then they touch up his neck with additional white. I still think The Joker will have white skin. But at the same time, we should be prepared for the possibility that he wears make-up in the film.

Here's my terms on that. I can live with it, if we don't ever see his face without the make-up. It's a change I'm not happy with, but if The Joker's going to look like this...

...and act like classic Joker (which reports would very much indicate he'll be doing), then Heath Ledger can still pull off a performance that will fittingly represent The Joker we know and love.

As long as Nolan has a good excuse for either method- I would be satisfied. He could explain Joker as a psychopath who just wears the white make-up for the the climax, as a form of war paint or something. Or Nolan can get into the weeds of Joker's past and tell how his whole body became bleached. Maybe its a diesese or maybe he had a chemical accident- either way, i don't mind as long as its believable and can hold up against scrutiny

 

[Keyser Soze]

^ I am confident that Joker has naturally white, bleached skin, and that the flesh colour is his make-up. The deal breaker is whether or not this make-up is on him throughout much of the movie, and whether there will be enough whitey Joker on screen. I'm not too worried about the hands - I suspect they will be in gloves most of the time. I do think it's important that it's NOT make-up, it does change the character, his implied origin, and his motivations, just turns him into a psycho who likes playing dress-up. Which isn;t the Joker.
One thing I'll say - nobody's really arguing about his characterisation anymore, all indications are that it's spot on.

Of course, the debate then turns to whether - as you say - giving him white make-up DOES change the character, or if its merely a visual flaw.

 

[Keyser Soze]

As long as Nolan has a good excuse for either method- I would be satisfied. He could explain Joker as a psychopath who just wears the white make-up for the the climax, as a form of war paint or something. Or Nolan can get into the weeds of Joker's past and tell how his whole body became bleached. Maybe its a diesese or maybe he had a chemical accident- either way, i don't mind as long as its believable and can hold up against scrutiny

I'm actually inclined to lean in the opposite direction. That the best way for them to handle The Joker is to make him a complete enigma. He just shows up, with white skin, green hair and a cut-smile. No origin. No explanation. They could even go as far as never even specifying the details of his look - maybe its make-up, maybe its the result of a chemical bath, maybe he's albino, people can think whatever they want to think.

Though a revelation that he has white skin could be very powerful. Perhaps Batman and co. assume he puts on make-up, that he's some guy who has a grudge against Maroni/Dent, a precise motive for doing what he's doing. So Batman puts his detective skills to use, trying to uncover The Joker's identity.

Then he gets captured, and realise the make-up doesn't come off. Its his skin. And the horrible truth hits Batman. His investigation is a dead-end. There is no motive. There is no origin. There is no "true identity". There is only the madness...

 

[itsthebatman]

Of course, the debate then turns to whether - as you say - giving him white make-up DOES change the character, or if its merely a visual flaw.

It's a fine line, I'd argue. But if we have a Joker with bleached skin, green hair, red lips and a horrible smile, with no origin, we are left saying 'Dear God, what happened to this guy to make him such a monster, and drive him totally insane? How did he get like this?'. If we just have an insane psycho who is naturally flesh-coloured and dark -haired, but likes to give himself the appearance of a clown, it makes it seem like that's just his gimmick, something he likes to do to scare people - it's not who he is. it would be a as big a change as if Two-Face just painted the left side of his face purple, or Mr Freeze just liked his suit, but didn't need it to survive. It makes him a criminal, not a freak.

 

[DeaDheaD]

I hope its permawhite, but im willing to accept something else with a reasonable explaination

 

[Citadel30]

I'm actually inclined to lean in the opposite direction. That the best way for them to handle The Joker is to make him a complete enigma. He just shows up, with white skin, green hair and a cut-smile. No origin. No explanation. They could even go as far as never even specifying the details of his look - maybe its make-up, maybe its the result of a chemical bath, maybe he's albino, people can think whatever they want to think.

Though a revelation that he has white skin could be very powerful. Perhaps Batman and co. assume he puts on make-up, that he's some guy who has a grudge against Maroni/Dent, a precise motive for doing what he's doing. So Batman puts his detective skills to use, trying to uncover The Joker's identity.

Then he gets captured, and realise the make-up doesn't come off. Its his skin. And the horrible truth hits Batman. His investigation is a dead-end. There is no motive. There is no origin. There is no "true identity". There is only the madness...

But do you think Nolan will just do that??? I don't think that Nolan will allow a Joker character to just show up and not have some reasoning behind his appearance. Even the Scarcrow briefly mentioned how his mask was developed from his tests with the inmates at Arkhem. Although it was a small detail- it was an explanation.