heath ledger | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Darren

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a strange film, even with the concession that Terry Gilliam is a strange film director. Everyone knows the film is the last big screen work from the deceased Heath Ledger and it’s a shadow the film doesn’t feel entirely comfortable stepping out of. It’s almost paradoxical, but in watching it one gets the sense that the film may have bee the better for being less reverent of the actor – it would stand as a better testament to his memory if it could let go of his memory. In short, The Dark Knight will probably stand as the greatest testament to the actor’s ability and and rightly so. That doesn’t mean Parnassus is a waste of time – well, not all of it anyway.

Through the looking glass...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: christopher plummer, doctor parnassus, dr. parnassus, film, heath ledger, Movie, non-review review, review, terry gilliam, the devil, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus, tom waits | 2 Comments »

Growing Old in Hollywood…

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Darren

Is it possible for an actor to age gracefully? The Guardian has been very fruitful in providing food for thought this week and the article that grabbed my attention today is a discussion of Heath Ledger’s potential had his life not been cut so tragically short. I don’t intend to dwell on what could have, should have or would have been, but the article does raise some interesting assertions about the ageing of great actors:

If you want to propose Pacino, De Niro and Nicholson as the outstanding figures of the 70s and 80s, who can be resigned about what has happened to them? They have become pastiches of what they once were.

So, is that what really awaits our truly great actors at the end of their careers?

Grumpy - but cool - old men...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: actors, actresses, ageing, ageing actors, ageism, clash of the titans, edwards asner, films, growing old, heath ledger, hollywood, Movies, oaps, the guardian, up | 29 Comments »

Riddle Me This… Is The Riddler Really An Ideal Choice for Batman 3?

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Darren

Last week I outlined why I didn’t think that Harvey Dent should be brought back for the sequel to The Dark Knight. If Nolan comes back, I trust him to do whatever he feels like doing with the franchise – he’s demonstrated that he knows what he’s doing when it comes to directing Batman. If he wants to recast the role of the Joker – or if he doesn’t – that’s fine with me. So, it’s ultimately futile to speculate about films that haven’t even entered production, but that’s never really stopped me before, has it? It keeps coming down to the Riddler – Johnny Depp or Eddie Murphy or whoever. It seems that everyone is expecting The Riddler to be the villain (or at least play a supporting role) in the next film. But I’m skeptical.

When the Riddler heard he was the new host of Bullseye, he didn't know that people would take the title so literally...

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Filed under: Comics, Movies | Tagged: bad guys, batman, Batman 3, batman 3 villain, batman 3 villains, batman begins, batman villains, Christopher Nolan, comic books, David Goyer, david s. goyer, frank gorshin, heath ledger, johnny depp, joker, Movies, riddler, rogues gallery, The Dark Knight, the dark knight sequel, the joker, the riddler | 4 Comments »

Random Thoughts on the Dark Knight Sequel…

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Darren

We don’t know if Nolan’s coming back. We don’t know (though we doubt) if they’ll recast the Joker. We don’t know that Johnny Depp is the Riddler (though we know he’d like to be). We know nothing about the third film in the Batman trilogy.

Except know that there will be a third film.

You'll believe a man can glide...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: batman, Batman 3, batman rogues, batman villains, bruce wayne, caped crusader, catwoman, Christopher Nolan, dark knight, dark knight returns, dark knight sequel, gotham, gotham city, heath ledger, joker | 4 Comments »

I’m a Grinner, I’m a Lover, I’m a Sinner…

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Darren

… I’m a Joker, I’m a Smoker, I’m a Midnight Toker

What is it about the Joker that makes him such a great villain. He’s appeared in just about every media form where Batman has appeared since Batman #1 way back in 1940. He is one of only two villains to appear in both of the more recent Batman film franchises and he seems to be the only character in the history of the Batman family who has survived every era of the character unblemished. Be it the light comic relief of the Dick Sprang era reflected in the Adam West show (where Ceasar Romero is clearly wearing a mustache under his makeup), the darker sense of humour of the animated Joker voiced by Mark Hamill in The Animated Series through to the anarchist/nihilist terrorist portrayed by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight – none of these incarnations are any less in character than any of the others. What is it about the Joker that makes him one of the great villains of our time?

The world's leading cause of coulrophobia...

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Filed under: Movies, Opinion, Television | Tagged: batman, Christopher Nolan, Comics, grant morrison, heath ledger, jack nicholson, joker, The Dark Knight | 5 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Dark Knight

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Darren

Even four years after is original release, The Dark Knight casts a pretty big shadow. Not only is it the best Batman movie ever produced, and easily one of the best stories to feature the character in any medium, it’s also a wonderful piece of cinema on its own terms. Christopher Nolan is an astounding craftsman, and one who constructed his superhero sequel without ever feeling the need to dumb down. The Dark Knight is a wonderfully effective and stunningly constructed piece of popcorn cinema, but it’s also the most profound and engaging (and, importantly, even-handed) meditations on the War of Terror that Hollywood has produced. It’s bold and accessible, but it’s also intelligent and engaging. More than an astoundingly impressive blockbuster, it’s just a superb piece of cinema.

It all goes up in flames…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: aaron eckhart, batman, batman begins, christian bale, Christopher Nolan, dark knight, film, gary oldman, gotham, harvey dent, heath ledger, joker, Movies, non-review review, review, two face | 4 Comments »

What Happens if Nolan Doesn’t Direct Batman 3?

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Darren

Rumours are already circulating that Christopher Nolan may be calling it a day when it comes to his Batman franchise. Anonymous insiders – don’t you love ’em – are claiming the director has reached breaking point with the studio. Rumour has it that they want to recast The Joker and include him in the sequel, whereas Nolan is against the idea. It’s far too early to really start worrying about it – Nolan was initially reluctant to do a sequel to Batman Begins, for example. But, still, it’s a slow news day, so we’ll ponder it: What happens if Nolan doesn’t return?