this is the movie that's gonna keep that Hot Topic store at the mall that's not doing well in business
― mh, Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:27 (four years ago) link
I haven't seen the movie yet—and probably won't, at least until it comes to netflix or something—but Gavia Baker-Whitelaw's review pretty much nails what I'm expecting of it
While Phoenix, Phillips, and co-writer Scott Silver didn’t plan to glorify the Joker, the story structure does exactly that. Joker is a power fantasy for the kind of person who has Arthur Fleck’s emotional problems and delusions of grandeur. At the start, he’s miserable, downtrodden, and overlooked by the world. By the end he’s a celebrity villain, sparking a violent uprising of people who copy the hair and makeup that previously made him a target for bullying. He’s also embraced his true identity as a dangerous, misunderstood outsider. Joker takes the themes and imagery of two classic Scorsese movies and tacks them over the simple struggle-and-victory arc of a superhero story.
I guess I don't think the movie's more likely to inspire violence than any other similar kinds of stories, I'm just struck by how rote the whole thing seems, by the degree to which Phillips et al have produced a multi-million dollar adolescent revenge fantasy while apparently being oblivious to that fact.
(The Baker-Whitelaw review also suggests that
Joker really buys into the old idea of queer-coded villainhood. This is a long-running trope in everything from Disney cartoons to Bond movies, and it’s different from actually portraying a character as gay. We know Arthur Fleck is attracted to women, illustrated by him stalking his neighbor. But subtextually, the film draws clear connections between his mental illness, his violent behavior, and his inability to perform traditional masculinity.
which frankly is about the only thing that sort of makes me want to see it)
― Françoise, Laurel, and Hardy (K. Rrosé), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:32 (four years ago) link
“I guess I don't think the movie's more likely to inspire violence than any other similar kinds of stories, I'm just struck by how rote the whole thing seems,”
Exactly. K rose on the mark
― treeship., Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:33 (four years ago) link
Challop: ideally, reviews should be read after having seen the film, not before.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:36 (four years ago) link
Going to shove Todd Phillips if I see him on the sidewalk. Maybe throw him in a trashcan.
― mh, Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:36 (four years ago) link
further proof that this sick flick is already inspiring violence
― Is it true the star Beetle Juice is going to explode in 2012 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:38 (four years ago) link
At least it isn't inspiring waves of wanton feces-flinging like Phillips's first fillum.
― Furter-Bursting Tater Squirter (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:40 (four years ago) link
god we're gonna get a depp joker arent we
Prior to Phoenix's casting, Leonardo DiCaprio had been considered.
I really feel cheated out of my Leo DiCaprio Joker.
― Françoise, Laurel, and Hardy (K. Rrosé), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:46 (four years ago) link
I can forgive Phillips a lot if he makes another one and casts Alex Baldwin as Mr. Freeze.
― Françoise, Laurel, and Hardy (K. Rrosé), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:51 (four years ago) link
Steve Buscemi as Clayface
― Françoise, Laurel, and Hardy (K. Rrosé), Thursday, 3 October 2019 14:53 (four years ago) link
cate blanchett as whoever she wants
― all over bar the shouting (im here for the shouting) (darraghmac), Thursday, 3 October 2019 15:41 (four years ago) link
blanchett as the ventriloquist's homicidal dummy scarface imo
― Is it true the star Beetle Juice is going to explode in 2012 (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 3 October 2019 15:43 (four years ago) link
Steve Buscemi as a variation on Killer Croc where he's just a regular human who kills people while wearing nothing but Crocs.
― Furter-Bursting Tater Squirter (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 October 2019 15:48 (four years ago) link
Or kills people with Crocs? In either case, it's Steve Buscemi and he's naked.
― Furter-Bursting Tater Squirter (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 October 2019 15:49 (four years ago) link
crocypath killers
― all over bar the shouting (im here for the shouting) (darraghmac), Thursday, 3 October 2019 15:50 (four years ago) link
By the end he’s a celebrity villain, sparking a violent uprising of people who copy the hair and makeup that previously made him a target for bullying. He’s also embraced his true identity as a dangerous, misunderstood outsider.
8 Mile did it better
― ... (Eazy), Thursday, 3 October 2019 16:06 (four years ago) link
guys keep it in the impeachment thread
― The Ravishing of ROFL Stein (Hadrian VIII), Thursday, 3 October 2019 16:15 (four years ago) link
The weirdest thing to me is that this is a major studio release. If this had been an indie release with all the Bat-IP extracted, nobody would've batted an eye at its existence.
if this had been an indie movie without the Bat-IP injected, Todd Phillips would not get the 200-million-dollar box office to which he and his scarves are rightfully entitled.
― now let's play big lunch take little lunch (sic), Thursday, 3 October 2019 21:29 (four years ago) link
This is a good review.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Thursday, 3 October 2019 23:56 (four years ago) link
Just saw this tonight.
Easily the most important movie ever made about how crazy the Joker is. You will not leave this movie thinking he’s just a normal guy. It’s a much-needed message in this day and age.
― Conceptualize Wyverns (latebloomer), Friday, 4 October 2019 04:39 (four years ago) link
Good career move for Maron to be the normal one in the room.
― ... (Eazy), Friday, 4 October 2019 04:42 (four years ago) link
Who did Maron play in this?
Unrelated (spoilers): there is a scene where Joker crawls into a refrigerator. That was very clever foreshadowing about Mister Freeze.
Also at the end when Thomas Wayne gets shot, that was an Easter egg about Batman, if you know his origin story from the comic strip
― Conceptualize Wyverns (latebloomer), Friday, 4 October 2019 05:17 (four years ago) link
per WTF this week, most of Maron’s scene was cut bcz it was just him & DeNiro, so it got in the way of really delving into the psychological framework of Joker.
― now let's play big lunch take little lunch (sic), Friday, 4 October 2019 05:28 (four years ago) link
Would have loved to see both of those comedy legends riffing for hours, but the Joker’s journey from sad crazy party clown to sad crazy murder clown is too crucial to the story to interrupt.
― Conceptualize Wyverns (latebloomer), Friday, 4 October 2019 05:43 (four years ago) link
5 stars to that 10daily review lol
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Friday, 4 October 2019 05:51 (four years ago) link
Turns out Cuck is the apparent corrective:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/04/cuck-review-rob-lambert-joker
― pomenitul, Friday, 4 October 2019 08:38 (four years ago) link
Just saw this. Oy!
If anything proves Phoenix can carry any old ponderous and unoriginal bullshit on his very skinny, very talented shoulders. Some nice shots. Too much droney sad synth cello in the score. Samuel Morse should sue.
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:15 (four years ago) link
That “cuck” movie sounds even dumber than the joker
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:21 (four years ago) link
Just you wait 'til you see the Joker/Cuck crossover film(s)!
― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:26 (four years ago) link
Its title will be Soy Boy.
― pomenitul, Friday, 4 October 2019 16:27 (four years ago) link
Riddle Me this Beta-Man... can you stare down the conservative comedy that is... The Cucker!?!?!?
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:28 (four years ago) link
won't even need a cod piece.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2019 16:29 (four years ago) link
Why would someone make that cuck movie? And why is it considered good just because it depicts a racist mass murderer in a bad light? What kind of a bar is that for cinematic achievement?
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:30 (four years ago) link
Sounds like 2 hours of bathing in misery. Why not justbread 8chan for that amount of time? PS the Guardian, hire me as a film critic and i can provide more takes like this
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:33 (four years ago) link
Google, or don't, the new movie from the human centipede dude, about women who get off on poverty and misery.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2019 16:35 (four years ago) link
Do you not think it's a subject at least worthy of exploration, whether the film's any good or not? Or as a corrective/reaction to campy incel porn like Joker?
― Goose Witherspeen (Noodle Vague), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:35 (four years ago) link
I don’t think there is anything left to say about the alt right trolls and the more extreme version of them, these shooters. They have a worldview that is entirely built on self pity and resentment. If you care only about yourself, sooner or later your mind will devour itself—this can happen to anyone. They’re fools.
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:42 (four years ago) link
I feel angry that such an “ideology” can find a foothold in my country, and that people are being murdered because of it.
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:44 (four years ago) link
xpost One might almost opt to call them...jokers.
― Furter-Bursting Tater Squirter (Old Lunch), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:44 (four years ago) link
And exhausted of it. These people all remind me of Trump because all they care about is their own injured sense of entitlement.
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:46 (four years ago) link
Lol yeah, they’re jokers for sure.
The Cuck movie doesn't sound like it has anything to do with Joker, though that's a decent hook for the review. It does sound like a modern equivalent to a late 70s Paul Schrader project, though. I'm kind of interested to see it.
On the contrary, there's a lot left to explore. You should see the movie Standoff at Sparrow Creek.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Friday, 4 October 2019 16:49 (four years ago) link
Ok just read the synopsis of that one. It sounds pretty good.
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:51 (four years ago) link
I have no interest in seeing Cuck but I do take issue with the notion that its lack of moral ambiguity makes it a better film than The Joker, which I have no interest in seeing either.
― pomenitul, Friday, 4 October 2019 16:54 (four years ago) link
Yeah i thought that was dumb and it was what annoyed me about the review. Making a bad guy look bad shouldn’t be grounds for praise.
― treeship., Friday, 4 October 2019 16:55 (four years ago) link
not a fan of brody but if you want scathing, he's got scathinghttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/joker-is-a-viewing-experience-of-rare-numbing-emptiness
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 4 October 2019 18:47 (four years ago) link
Not arguing that Cuck or Joker are good or even valuable to the discourse around MRA/incels/alt-right types, I haven’t seen them and I doubt I will gather the patience. But there should be space in cinema for storytelling around these types of characters or general phenomena, and sometimes it may mean bad films.
― Van Horn Street, Friday, 4 October 2019 19:00 (four years ago) link
https://kotaku.com/the-joker-sucks-1838777579
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2019 19:33 (four years ago) link
xpost Not a fan of Brody, generally, and indeed I found that review as tough to parse as he is obviously incensed.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 4 October 2019 19:47 (four years ago) link
I found it very easy to parse.
― now let's play big lunch take little lunch (sic), Friday, 4 October 2019 20:40 (four years ago) link