The Dark Knight The Man Who Laughs: The Joker Thread 2.0

[SPIDERMAN117]

Me personally I really did enjoy Romero as Joker in the 60's show.

 

[Sal Maroni]

He was a laughing bafoon is all. Hell, I'm going to be a better Joker when filming starts.

 

[SPIDERMAN117]

He was one of the only parts that was good about the show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjiIHfKwi0Q&feature=related

 

[Sal Maroni]

Watching his videos are like torture...actually, it's worse.

 

[SPIDERMAN117]

Haha ^ yah i know what you mean. Super chessy but that was the 60's for you

 

[Sal Maroni]

Sure was, and I don't think I could stomach watching an actual episode of the show. Give me a dark and sadistic Joker over one throwing plastic fish anyday.

 

[Spade]

Wow so much hate for the adam west series, a great moment in Batman history.

True that. Seriously, though, why the barrel roll defense? The series was hammy and got old before it was even over. It was never a good Batman adaptation. In fact, the only reason it's famous is because some people felt it was so bad it was good.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

after just watching that youtube clip that bird with the joker when he's got the cowboy hat one really reminds me of harley quin!!

 

[The Joker]

The series was hammy and got old before it was even over. It was never a good Batman adaptation.

On the contrary, it is probably the most loyal Batman adaption ever put on screen. It is extremely faithful to the camp comic books of the 40's/50's/60's era it was based on.

In fact, the only reason it's famous is because some people felt it was so bad it was good.

Rubbish.

If it was so bad, half of Hollywood wouldn't have been clamoring to get on that show either as villains, or as guest stars popping out of windows of buildings Batman and Robin were climbing.

That 60's show was a huge hit. It was the in thing to do back in the day. How many TV shows from the 60's do you know of that were so successful that they got a spin off movie? That had so many Hollywood big names in it?

Bad my foot. The show is famous because it was popular. Because it was loved. Because it was good.

 

[Coleman Reese]

How can you not like the 60s series? Its campy and silly but its still entertaining and fun.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

well when i've been smoking the green medicine it can be guite hilarious, especially burgess merideths "wah wah wah" laugh thing. lol

 

[ronny]

Did anyone else find it disturbing that, in his haste to hit Batman, Joker was battering his own dogs? That was such an intense moment and Ledger's animalistic snarling really worked.
More unsettling is that despite this display of unbridled fury when he swing for Batman again you can see a gleeful smile on his face. He changes emotions so often you cannot keep track of him.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

yea when he attacks batman he's just like one of the dogs. just pure animalistic rage, he just seems to have no method in his fighting style, similer to dogs. i think theres a underlying theme of dogs throughout the whole film. the joker has no sense of morals or order just like dogs. he punishes people without judgement, like what colonal kurtz says in apocolypse now, killing without judgement can be seen as strength. to just toss aside your morals for a greater purpose is strength. i believe when writing the joker the nolans took on board some of the things colonal kurtz represents.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Even if you don't like 60's TV show, surely you can appreaciate it for it's iconic status. Not to mention saving Batman's comics arse I guess it also was a double edged sword, but the character's durability was able to overcome that.

 

[Freakzter]

Did anyone else find it disturbing that, in his haste to hit Batman, Joker was battering his own dogs? That was such an intense moment and Ledger's animalistic snarling really worked.
More unsettling is that despite this display of unbridled fury when he swing for Batman again you can see a gleeful smile on his face. He changes emotions so often you cannot keep track of him.

wow, i always thought it was just my eye playing tricks on me or something. i didnt know he was spose to actually be hitting the rots. it makes sense tho. like he got jealous of the dogs.

 

[Spade]

On the contrary, it is probably the most loyal Batman adaption ever put on screen. It is extremely faithful to the camp comic books of the 40's/50's/60's era it was based on.

To the exaggeration the series had? That's rubbish in itself. I've read Batman comics from before the series came along. There's no way to drive around the fact that some of the plots made no sense, and that many of the Batman/Supes team-ups were utterly ridiculous. We wouldn't have Bat-Mite in RIP right now if the 50's didn't delve into silliness. With that said, the series was exactly that: an exaggeration. Even at the time, West knew he was making a series that wasn't very faithful to the comics. In fact, the only way Dozier got into the series was because he knew it was going to be like the juvenile attempts at keeping the book from floundering and not like the dark detective mystery it started off as. So that's moot.

Rubbish.

If it was so bad, half of Hollywood wouldn't have been clamoring to get on that show either as villains, or as guest stars popping out of windows of buildings Batman and Robin were climbing.

"So bad it's good" does not necessarily mean that it causes people to run away. Look at Schumacer's films- horrible, yet still getting big names to join up and give atrocious performances. Folks wanted to be in on the fun. I may respect the character, but I'm not above recognizing when people just want something big and stupid to watch. For a time when that was vogue, it makes sense. It still works today, only stupid movies or shows now resort to good SFX to distract from the bad stuff. Sorta like Transformers- not good when put under scrutiny, but making enough jokes along the way to get past that.

That 60's show was a huge hit. It was the in thing to do back in the day. How many TV shows from the 60's do you know of that were so successful that they got a spin off movie? That had so many Hollywood big names in it?

See the above. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is both a cult classic and (one could argue) culturally significant, but neither boast makes it good.

 

[Sal Maroni]

The series is horrible, and is not the true Batman. Adma West was even worse than Clooney as Batman.

 

[Drz]

The series is horrible, and is not the true Batman. Adma West was even worse than Clooney as Batman.

Thats true but still doesn't change the fact people loved it in the 60s, sure even back in 60s there were people who would say what you just said but you can't change the fact it was popular as hell.

 

[Sal Maroni]

They can love it all they want, but I won't ever.

You want to talk popularity, let's talk about B:TAS.

 

[sv2]

Speaking of Romero.... t:

Reading this thread today inspired me to make this.


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[The Joker]

To the exaggeration the series had?

Yes.

I've read Batman comics from before the series came along. There's no way to drive around the fact that some of the plots made no sense, and that many of the Batman/Supes team-ups were utterly ridiculous.

Alot of the plots in the 60's show made no sense, and were completely ridiculous and over the top. But that was the Batman of the those times.

Did you see the episode where he went around with a pink cowl? Or the one where Joker thought he could take over Gotham City by becoming king of the surf, and Batman actually gave him a surfing contest.

Or the one where Marsha Queen of diamonds tries to marry Batman just so she can get into the Batcave to get her hands on some diamond? LOL!

With that said, the series was exactly that: an exaggeration. Even at the time, West knew he was making a series that wasn't very faithful to the comics.

And where did West say this? I have his biography, 'Back to the Batcave', and he never says any such thing. In fact, several of the episodes are inspired by stories from the comics, almost panel for panel. Like The Penguin's umbrella factory caper, and The Joker's utility belt episode, for example.

In fact, the only way Dozier got into the series was because he knew it was going to be like the juvenile attempts at keeping the book from floundering and not like the dark detective mystery it started off as. So that's moot.

You're saying Dozier did it because he knew it was going to be campy?

"So bad it's good" does not necessarily mean that it causes people to run away.

But nobody ever referred to the show like that back in the day. I've seen magazines, newspaper articles etc about it. It was never ever referred to as being so bad it's good.

The show was campy, and over the top, and never ever hid that. If it was a campy show trying to be serious, then it would be bad.

Look at Schumacer's films- horrible, yet still getting big names to join up and give atrocious performances.

That's a bad comparison. Batman Forever was a success. People actually liked it as a serious Bat flick, and alot of people still do to this day. Especially with the whole exploration into Bruce's psyche and how he overcomes his demons with the help of Kidman's character.

It was the villains that provided the cheese. But The Bruce Wayne/Chase Meridian/Dick Grayson stories provided enough serious element to balance it out.

Batman and Robin was the colossal failure. It was cheese on practically every level. Only the Alfred scenes provided any kind of mature tone. Do you think after the failure of that, big Hollywood names would flock to do another turkey like that?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is both a cult classic and (one could argue) culturally significant, but neither boast makes it good.

I've never seen it, so I cannot comment on it. But I will say that neither boast can make something bad either.

 

[Hello Beautiful]

There are def certain moments of the 60s series I enjoy. Like when Bats has a bomb, (an atypical round BOMB with a fuse), on the docks and runs into every cliche imaginable:

"Oh no! Can't endanger the children! Oh no! Can't endanger the nuns! Oh no! Can't endanger the mothers with pushchairs! Oh no! Can't throw the bomb in the water and kill the ducklings!"

Classic.

Of course there's the shark repellant too.

 

[ronny]

Didn't he think to just cut off the fuse?

 

[Eggyman]

He had his bat fuse-cutter in his other belt to make room for the bat shark-repellent.

 

[notoriousnate87]

The series is horrible, and is not the true Batman. Adma West was even worse than Clooney as Batman.

West was absolutely hilarious.