The Joker Thread - Part 1

I can't read that line without hearing Michael Emerson's delivery.
I loved Emerson's performance but I actually thought that delivery/ the re enactment of that particular scene was underwhelming.

Couldn't even let the guy smoke

Joaquin smoked the whole rest of his movie and even he didn't light up during their pseudo-reenactment either
 
Really? That's a shame. I loved the animated rendering of that scene. Though obviously you're never going to beat the original version. I thought Emerson's delivery was perfect.

The only things I didn't like were the fact that they cast the overly nice Conan O'Brien in what was clearly meant to be a parody of snarky '80s Letterman, and that they didn't include that awesome shot of the Joker sat atop one of the robot dolls as it flew over the rows and rows of corpses.

joker-dark-knight-returns-audience-death.jpg


That was always one of my favourite images in the whole book. It's like Magneto's escape scene in X2, only way more perverse and bizarre.
 
Really? That's a shame. I loved the animated rendering of that scene. Though obviously you're never going to beat the original version. I thought Emerson's delivery was perfect.

The only things I didn't like were the fact that they cast the overly nice Conan O'Brien in what was clearly meant to be a parody of snarky '80s Letterman, and that they didn't include that awesome shot of the Joker sat atop one of the robot dolls as it flew over the rows and rows of corpses.

joker-dark-knight-returns-audience-death.jpg


That was always one of my favourite images in the whole book. It's like Magneto's escape scene in X2, only way more perverse and bizarre.
Yeah, that shot is so absurd and ghastly/haunting at once

And I agree, Conan did NOT fit that lol. I know Letterman was retiring the talk show life and all but that doesn't mean he couldn't have provided his voice for a quick bit.
 
I know a lot of people actually hate the robot dolls in TDKR. I love them, personally. Up until that third book, they're the only real break from TDKR's relative groundedness. They're goofy and absurd and unashamedly comic-book, but also creepy as hell and totally befitting of the Joker.
 
I can't read that line without hearing Michael Emerson's delivery.

I haven't seen the animated film, but I know I should. Always liked Emerson. I don't think he could pull of the Joker in live action (maybe, but physically I don't think he really fits the part) but I'd love to see him show up in a the Batman series as another character. I think he'd kill it as Hugo Strange.
 
My thoughts exactly. I could totally see him as a more Frank Miller-esque Joker.

It's kinda funny that despite how often movies have borrowed from The Dark Knight Returns, no one has really tried to do a version of the Joker similar to that one. I guess Ayer slightly copied the look stylistically (the Joker in Suicide Squad wears a white suit similar to TDKR Joker) but that's about the only thing I can think of. If I remember correctly, the Joker never laughs in TDKR until he's literally dying. I always liked that take on the character - he's almost completely humorless until the very end. It's a pretty chilling depiction and it really hammers home what a monster he is and why he shouldn't just be laughed off.
 
I agree with that. In Miller's Batman, the name 'Joker' is more of a misnomer or an ironic nickname than anything else. I've said before that I really rather enjoy that take. I enjoy it when the Joker's bright and colourful appearance is heavily contrasted with a morose and deadly serious personality.
 
I agree with that. In Miller's Batman, the name 'Joker' is more of a misnomer or an ironic nickname than anything else. I've said before that I really rather enjoy that take. I enjoy it when the Joker's bright and colourful appearance is heavily contrasted with a morose and deadly serious personality.

Yeah. Some of my favorite moments of recent depictions of the Joker are when he's no longer amused and turns very, very dark. Like Heath's "I want you to do it... COME ON, HIT ME!" in TDK, or Joaquin's rant to Robert DeNiro at the end of Joker. I like seeing those moments where you realize how damaged this guy is and how there's pain deep inside of him that's driving him to do these horrible things. I find that much more interesting than the cartoonish depiction of the Joker in some of the Arkham games where he just laugh hysterically at everything.
 
Yeah. Some of my favorite moments of recent depictions of the Joker are when he's no longer amused and turns very, very dark. Like Heath's "I want you to do it... COME ON, HIT ME!" in TDK, or Joaquin's rant to Robert DeNiro at the end of Joker. I like seeing those moments where you realize how damaged this guy is and how there's pain deep inside of him that's driving him to do these horrible things. I find that much more interesting than the cartoonish depiction of the Joker in some of the Arkham games where he just laugh hysterically at everything.
I wouldn't say that every single version of him is damaged (heh). TDKR Joker in particular always seems like he was creepy from he moment he was born
 
I wouldn't say that every single version of him is damaged (heh). TDKR Joker in particular always seems like he was creepy from he moment he was born

Perhaps but I remember reading an interview with Heath while the film was in production and he talked about how the Joker is really angry deep down and I took it to mean that something traumatic had happened to him. And I think you can see that in the whole "ya know how I got these scars" stories he tells. Probably neither story is true but something caused him to look like that. And if it was indeed self-inflicted...well, you don't usually do something like that unless you're really messed up inside. Though it is possible that he was always an evil person.
 
Perhaps but I remember reading an interview with Heath while the film was in production and he talked about how the Joker is really angry deep down and I took it to mean that something traumatic had happened to him. And I think you can see that in the whole "ya know how I got these scars" stories he tells. Probably neither story is true but something caused him to look like that. And if it was indeed self-inflicted...well, you don't usually do something like that unless you're really messed up inside. Though it is possible that he was always an evil person.

I think you also see the inner rage when he goes zero to sixty and roars “LOOK AT ME!” at the fake Batman.
 
And it was perfect. But this time I don’t really need to see an ounce of anger lurking inside the Joker. What about a Joker who never gets upset? He has no feelings. He doesn’t get triggered.
 
And it was perfect. But this time I don’t really need to see an ounce of anger lurking inside the Joker. What about a Joker who never gets upset? He has no feelings. He doesn’t get triggered.
I feel like a mood-swinging Joker has a lot of potential though.
 
I actually his name is one of the more exciting suggestions.
 

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