May 20, 2007

Is this Heath Ledger as The Joker?

(Posted In Action Cult Drama Film News Sci-Fi / Fantasy USA and Canada )

heath_joker_small.jpgWe can depend on our friends and associates at other mainstream sites to keep up with each and every tidbit of rumor and revelation that will come up about any event film to come out of Hollow-wood at any given time. But once and a while you just gotta jump in the pool yourself and show your support for something. How about this? Heath Ledger as The Joker.

Just checking out the history of this whole thing over at Dark Horizons. On Thursday, a website went up, a political campaign ad for Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent for Gotham District Attorney. This is assumingly part of the story in the upcoming sequel to Chris Nolan's Batman Begins.

This weekend in SoCal 'Joker' cards were found in a comic book store. On the cards? The words "Ha Ha Ha I Believe in Harvey Dent Too". A few hours later, up went the website ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com. On it, the ad campaign but seemingly defaced in Joker fashion. What was happening was as folks entered their e-mail addresses in the fileld along with a code a small pixel of the Harvey Dent ad would disappear and reveal an image behind it. That of Heath Ledger as The Joker. The code part is case sensitive as I found and 'Trying to cheat a cheater. You make me smile' would appear with a sizable blood splatter.

Batman on Film [of course] had the complete image up in no time. View larger image here.

Thoughts? I like it. It's very dark and ominous. I'm not sure about this campaigning though. The new Batman franchise doesn't come across as one needing to pander to web tricks and ad campaigns like this. I always thought it had a bit of class. But that diverts from the real topic of conversation. What do you think? Headed in the right direction if this is the direction at all?

» Posted by Mack at May 20, 2007 09:21 PM
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Reader Comments

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the Batman franchise doesn't take another dip in the toilet like it did during the post-michael keaton, pre-christian bale period. I am a huge fan of the Nicholson interpretation of the Joker so i'm a little leary about Ledger taking the reigns.

» Posted by david at May 20, 2007 10:02 PM

I think that image is horrible. The Joker is not a character that needs to be reinvented, Jack Nicholson's interpretation was pretty close, I also like the cartoon version, but I'm not feeling the pathos in Heath Ledger's face. Ugh, the Joker is a cartoon, not this.

» Posted by Josh at May 20, 2007 10:08 PM

Pathos?

» Posted by Andrew Cunningham at May 20, 2007 10:36 PM

Uggg. I'm not entirely sure, I don't think Ledger is a great fit for the part (certainly willing to admit that I'm wrong)...but the new Batman Franchise doesn't do much for me. Comic book movies in general are actually waning and have been for some time. I'd rather see Chris Nolan move on to more original projects like The Prestige.

» Posted by Kurt at May 20, 2007 11:03 PM

I'm really digging it. I like how it's not over-the-top. It seems grounded in a type of realism that the Batman Begins had shown. As long as Ledger can pull off the attitude and Joker's mannerisms, then Joker should be as creepy and as much of a villain as he was in the comics.

» Posted by thehzhz at May 21, 2007 12:35 AM

I'd have to see it move to really judge, but that's a pretty creepy thing to have staring out of Firefox at me. Nice double homage to ICHI THE KILLER and DEAD PRESIDENTS, if that's what he was going for. And I hope it was. That looks like something you'd see in a movie that's going to run afoul of the MPAA.

» Posted by Rhythm-X at May 21, 2007 01:48 AM

Nicholson's Joker was simply Nicholson in white makeup. Screw that garbage. This looks amazing, and everything I've read about where they're taking the character is aces. It's going to be awesome to see him as he really is, a manic homicidal sociopath with a Batman fixation. (Return of the Joker gets points for really pushing his dark edge too.)

The Dark Knight is going to be THE blockbuster of 2008.

» Posted by Daniel J. Winclechter at May 21, 2007 02:10 AM

Creepy...I like it.

» Posted by kenada at May 21, 2007 03:32 AM

Wow. Heath Ledger's Joker looks great. That 'Ichi The Killer' shot is giving out the same feel as the Joker in 'The Killing Joke'.

» Posted by NOIR at May 21, 2007 04:05 AM

Ugh, the image just reminds me of Heath Ledger's Brokeback Mountain character playing with makeup while drunk. He's a terrible choice and Nolan should have gone with someone else. It's too bad as the Joker has always been my all time favorite villain, but Ledger is messing things up.

I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!

» Posted by robo at May 21, 2007 04:19 AM

I think its a good way to go, something different they're being kinda risky with the character i always envision the joker as clean cut smartly dressed, but when joker's like this it makes the character seem in the realm of possibility.

» Posted by Raku at May 21, 2007 04:21 AM

"I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!"

Wow!, Now that would be awesome!!

» Posted by Raku at May 21, 2007 04:26 AM

Yes that would be awesome Tadanobu Asano could dress up as a giant teddy bear and still be able to give off more of a chilling joker vibe then Heath Ledger. So talented!

» Posted by chibimaru at May 21, 2007 04:59 AM

Looks alright. I'd like to see and hear the performance though. The Joker really needs an evil and sadistic laugh. Nicholson and Hamill had really good ones. I wonder if Heath Ledger does...

» Posted by quartet4 at May 21, 2007 10:17 AM

I think it's a clever move. We know already from otnemem.com that Nolan understands how useful a tool the website can be - ontnemem certainly being one of the better examples in recent memory of how to make the most of plugging your movie.

That's a badass look as well, has an edge about it.

» Posted by BtoFu at May 21, 2007 11:26 AM

the make-up definitely looks great, i'm all for this take on the joker, except... i'm not so sure heath ledger can pull it off, talented as he is. i'm ready to be proved wrong, but i'm still wary. after the katie holmes debacle of batman begins very confident in the filmmakers' casting decisions. we'll see.

» Posted by Z at May 21, 2007 11:47 AM

"I think Tadanobu Asano could have pulled off the Joker better than Ledger ever could!"
Damn! This would have been PERFECT!!!!!!!

» Posted by ARCVILE at May 21, 2007 09:24 PM

"Nicholson's Joker was simply Nicholson in white makeup. Screw that garbage."

That's kinda like saying Bale's Batman was simply Bale in black rubber. Screw that garbage.

» Posted by DarkmanPoe at May 22, 2007 11:13 AM

creepy looking. i like it so far. seems to fit within the Nolan realism of Begins, if not sink a little more into a more disturbed, askew reality (as seen by the joker).

it looks a little like his mouth splits open past his lips. that would be a bit gimmicky but creepy if done right.

» Posted by professorape at May 22, 2007 03:11 PM

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