Harleeeee Quinn.

Depending on who is portraying him, the Joker is arguably one of the scariest villains in the comic world. Part of what makes him scary is the idea that he’s just as crazy as Batman himself, expect Batman channels his craziness into something positive whereas the Joker is a mess of hate and… well… something I can’t comprehend because I’ve sat here for 10 minutes trying to think of a word.

Bottom line: Jack Nicholson’s version was always a let down to me because no matter who I talked to their opinion always seemed to be that Nicholson got it right. Because of that, I kind of always thought nobody would ever touch the Joker again, and since Nicholson apparently was so great, that’s how everybody would see the Joker from that point on. I’m glad the new movies are being bold enough to step out of Nicholson’s shadow, and I’m really looking forward to Heath Ledger’s version who looks a little crazier.

One aspect of the Joker that I also like is his side-kick introduced in the animated series. Harleen Quinzel is a doctor at Arkham Asylym where the Joker is locked up, and (this is how good the Joker is with other people’s minds), she goes crazy working with him. She takes on his gimmick and calls herself Harley Quinn.

I never really thought about it until all this press about Mary Kate Olsen’s relationship with Heath Ledger, but I got to thinking she might make a pretty good Harley Quinn. It would be a stretch and a true test of her ability but, if executed correctly, would define her as an individual and give her some credibility that one of those sisters needs to make it now that they are no longer considered child actors.

“Hey, hey, Mistah J…” 

I don’t know, I’m just the idea guy.

Do you think that particular casting move would be taken seriously? What would the hype be like, do you think? Harley Quinn hasn’t been seen on live-action screen yet, so, who do you think would give a good portrayal?

*****

Slightly off-topic, but: here is a video someone made using the audio for The Dark Knight trailer and footage from the old 60s Batman show.

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“ON TUESDAY, 01/22/08, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 5 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO 421 BROOME STREET AND FOUND A MALE, WHITE, 28, UNCONSCIOUS. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. M.E.’S OFFICE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.”

So, in case you haven’t heard from all over the place… Heath Ledger is dead.

One time, years back, I remember waking up on Saturday morning and having my dad tell me that “Siskel & Ebert” won’t be on because Gene Siskel was dead. That was the first time someone I knew from TV died, and I remember being kind of upset because “Siskel & Ebert” was just something we always watched on Saturday. It was really sudden, and I remember it was the first time I actually thought “but he looked so young and healthy!” when responding to someone’s death.

Apparently this was a suicide, so all bets are off. Being young and healthy has nothing to do with it if you’re still fighting demons in your own head.

RIP, Heath.

So what does this mean for the Batman movie, I wonder? Filming is already complete so it can still be released as scheduled. Delaying it would only be a knee-jerk reaction to an immediate tragedy… kind of like how The Sarah Connor Chronicles was supposed to have the ‘terminator hunts John in school’ scene redone because of the Virginia Tech shooting, then never did because we all apparently got over it in time. I hope this is not delayed, because it really doesn’t need to be, and I think the Joker will be Heath’s career defining role. And like any good “artist,” the value of their work always increases after their death.

I had doubts about him being cast as the Joker at first, but when I read director Chris Nolan’s reasoning, I was convinced. And after seeing the trailer, there is no doubt… this is the Joker. I always hated Jack Nicholson’s version, even though everybody else swears it’s the best. Jack Nicholson always just kind of looked like a guy in a Halloween costume to me. This new Joker looks as messed up as the Joker should.

I remember once hearing that celebrities die in threes. Brad Renfro was one week ago to the day. Next Tuesday it has to be someone else if this “three” theory is correct. Britney Spears is the clear choice, but that’s too obvious. Let’s say… Barry Watson. That would be just as surprising.

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