But the other criminals are skeptical and none more than Antoine, who asks, “What if we say no?” It’s a question Joker is very happy to answer.Īnd that’s not even the most chilling part. Jack Napier, now fully transformed into a psychotic clown-themed mobster, gathers all of the crime lords in the city to let them know he’s now the big boss while Grissom is on…an extended leave of absence (aka very dead). But first there’s his hostile takeover of Carl Grissom’s (Jack Palance) criminal organization and a shock gangster Antoine Rotelli (Edwin Craig) won’t soon forget. Later, Nicholson will squirt acid from a flower on his lapel at Vicki Vale’s face, and much later, he’ll pull off the classic fake gun, teeth, and hand gags. There’s just something so twisted and terrifying about one of the Joker’s earliest practical jokes in Batman. – Joe George “I’m Glad You’re Dead” – Batman (1989) “Who do you trust?” he crows into a microphone, “Me? I’m giving away free money!” The shouts of excitement that follow continue even as Joker promises to relieve the Gothamites of “the burden” of their “failed and useless lives.” As long as they can “go with a smile,” the citizens of Gotham will gladly follow the Joker into the abyss. Set to the thumping funk of Prince’s “Trust,” Joker holds his arms aloft as the teeming crowds cheer his coming, unaware of the poison gas in the balloons above them. Heading into the climax of the film, the Joker stands atop a birthday cake float and rains dollar bills down on the rabble below. When Joker throws a parade for Gotham’s bicentennial, the citizens gather to celebrate. Never mind that he contaminated Gotham’s beauty supply chain, never mind that he led a mime massacre on the steps of city hall. Nicholson and Burton key into this fact for 1989’s Batman. No matter how hard Batman fights to inspire and protect the city, citizens are all too willing to embrace the kaleidoscopic craziness promised by the Clown Prince of Crime. – John Saavedra The Parade – Batman (1989)Īs much as we love his clashes with Batman, the Joker isn’t dangerous because he knows how to press Batman’s buttons. It’s the kind of manic energy that defines Nicholson’s Joker, who thinks the party’s only just begun once there are a few dead bodies on the dance floor. Prince’s fun, bouncy “Partyman” accompanies the chaos and destruction that follows, as Joker dances his way through the museum, knocking over statues, while his men vandalize paintings with knives and paint brushes. Once the smoke has cleared, in comes the Joker and his boombox-carrying posse to get the real party started. (“Love that Joker!”) But little does Vicki know that the mass murder she’s witnessed is just setting the mood for Joker’s big entrance. Joker has a big crush on photographer Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) and has a fantastic idea for a first date, forcing her to watch as every other person in a Gotham City museum chokes to death on his signature poison gas. Museum Murder Dance Party – Batman (1989)īy this point in Tim Burton’s first Batman film, Jack Nicholson has already amassed quite the body count, but he’s not done yet. Played by Barry Keoghan in a brief scene at the end of the film, this Joker seems poised to play an even bigger role in Matt Reeves’ Batman sequels. This year’s The Batman introduces yet another version of the Joker, one vastly different to the ones who have come before. Joaquin Phoenix, the second actor to win an Oscar for portraying the villain, turned to the contemporary real-world issues of the late 2010s, such as gun violence, class inequality, and a decaying mental health system. Jared Leto’s eyebrow-less, heavily tattooed clown was as unhinged as the movies he was featured in. The late, great Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance brought us a Joker who preyed on our post-9/11 fears of terrorism. Nicholson’s turn in ’89 felt like the perfect marriage between the campy version played by the legendary Cesar Romero in the ’60s and the much darker sadist featured in the comics of the late ’80s. His unique appearance, unpredictable methods, indecipherable past, and insatiable hunger for evil have kept filmmakers and actors coming back for more over 30 years later, which has resulted in several reinventions of the character, most of which feel definitive for their moment. Ever since Jack Nicholson brought this laughing madman to theaters in 1989, film-goers have been obsessed with the supervillain who plagues Gotham City and haunts the Batman‘s nightmares. Few movie villains (not named Dracula or Darth Vader) have been portrayed as many times on the big screen as the Joker, DC’s infamous agent of chaos, the Clown Prince of Crime himself.
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