Does it stand up as a well acted, directed movie - with the great artistic-direction that I suspect it has? Rather, INDEPENDANT of the weight of the history of the character? I think I saw one Batman movie once, maybe about 15 years ago (I can't even remember which one, other than it started on some mountain top setting, some sort of cloister, iirc). And I guess I probably saw the one with Jack Nicolson way back in the day when it first came out (come to think of it), but rightfully, that seems like an eternity ago (because it was). All of which is to say I've never been any sort of "follower" of the Batman films, nor comics. But I will confess that I saw the *trailer* for Joker (in a couple other screenings), and I thought it simply LOOKED interesting, and it looked like it MIGHT be a well-acted, well-crafted film. Or at least like it could be. 90% of the movies I watch, I see in theaters. I'm not a movies-at-home sort of guy. Is this one worth my time, if I'm not steeped in the whole thing to begin with?
What baloney. Who cares? Maybe it was intentional. There’s the suggestion of abuse, too. Though sexual not spelled out. I love the media attack on this film. Trying to torpedo DeNiro the day it opened. Sorry, biggest Thursday ever, pundits!
My stepmother thought it was a good idea to take my 4-year-old brother to "Alien" 40 years ago. Stupidity isn't a new concept!
My parents took me to a few R-rated movies and basically let me watch what I wanted within reason from a young age as well.
OMG! Your 4 year old brother was taught the birds and the bees chest burster style? I would've ran out of the theater at that age kicking and screaming! But I'm sure at 44 your brother's recovered and is well adjusted.
Well in that case all Catholic hymnals need to be silenced considering what priest got away with for decades. It's a song for cryin' out loud! Not an anthem for sexually abusing children.
I've got a church not four blocks from where I sit, the rectory of which was one of the most notorious locations in America. In a complete affront to all that is good and decent, it's still standing. I myself would have preferred to have burned it to the ground, pounded the stones to gravel and plowed the land with salt.
As someone who has purchased and read , every DC and Marvel comic book published since about 1973. This was the best comic book film ever produced. Also the film was the one film , most like an actual comic book , then any , ever produced... There were at least 7 scenes that direct lifts from Joker comic books..
Who collects the royalties on those? I thought the article and the fact of Gary Glitter earning money from this film was interesting, but I can see that the superhero crowd is very defensive of their realm and doesn't want to hear about any uncomfortable facts. Go Batman.
There were a couple county sherrifs parked in their car on the sidewalk by the entrance of my screening (Thursday evening). Admittedly, it wasn't in the most fantastic part of town, and it's not the first time I've seen them do that. (Can't remember what other movies, though.)
Two buttheads (or maybe one Butthead and one Bevis) were arrested at my wife and my favorite Chicago theater, AMC's River East 21. 2 men arrested without incident at Chicago AMC River East during ‘Joker’ screening for smoking, being loud, police say Two men were arrested for smoking and causing a ruckus during a screening of the “Joker” movie at the AMC River East in Streeterville Sunday night, according to Chicago police. About 7:20 p.m., someone called police to report an incident in the movie theater at 322 E. Illinois Street. People inside told officers that two men were smoking and creating a “loud disturbance,” police said. Officers arrested the two men, both 23, and charges are pending, police said. No one was hurt. As the controversial film opened in theaters nationwide this weekend, Chicago police said officers would be deployed at venues across the city. The beefed up police presence matched responses in other cities as well, including New York, where some moviegoers left a screening early when a man began laughing during the murder scenes. The last line is the most disturbing. I have encountered that only one time, when a sicko laughed during K-19: The Widowmaker at the scenes of men being compelled to go into the reactor room to face death by radiation burns.
If this had happened during a screening for any other movie (and stuff like this does happen, all the time), no one would have batted an eye. Certainly, it wouldn't have made national headlines (or even buried in the local police blotter column).
Really? Because I'd say 90% of the time I watch a film and someone in the movie catches on fire, say an explosion caused them to be engulfed in flames and they are running in circles while dying - when that happens there's always SOMEONE who laughs. I never understand it - but I now accept that some people think immolation is hilarious. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Finally got to see this. What a heavy film, and such an incredible performance by Phoenix. I did have a hard time accepting Di Niro as a beloved talk show host - he'd work in New York Gotham, but never in the Midwest.
There were a few awkward "comic relief" scenes in the Joker movie that had one dude sitting next to me with his girlfriend laughing during the scene with... It didn't relieve my concerns by the fact the dude was bare foot. WTF?! is wrong with some people?! But then I laughed as well and felt oddly uncomfortable throughout the entire scene because it was just so unexpected and vicious that I doubt I'll ever forget it.
Was thinking the same thing, but then it dawned on me the awareness at least puts everyone on notice such behavior is being monitored. We all know those that think it's a good idea to terrorize the public this way will think twice it's not worth it. And the results aren't going to go their way as they might imagine in their small minds.
Just got home after watching this. All I saw and took out from this is a brilliant movie of a mentally ill man pushed to the edge. Not a single “oh, this is a darkest superhero movie. Joaquin Phoenix is soooo believable and deserves all the praise for his performance. Probably the best psychological drama since Silence Of The Lambs.
One thing that was not clear: Spoiler Did he murder the woman he fantasized was his girlfriend? And her daughter? I suspect he did.