"The Joker Blogs" - AWESOME Joker web series

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

This is by far my favorite "fan film" I've ever seen. It's a "web series", starring The Joker, set in the Nolan-verse after Joker gets captured in TDK and goes into therapy with Dr. Harleen Quinzel.

It's very well done. The actor does a great Heath Ledger impression. It's not 100% accurate, it's just a little different but in a really interesting sort of way. After a few episodes I had stopped comparing it with Heath and it became it's own thing.

The writing and dialogue is incredibly sharp. It nails Joker's demented humor. Little details in early episodes become really significant in later ones, etc. There's a ton of Bat-lore references. There's a continuing storyline from episode to episode that ends up becoming pretty damn good, the last few episodes are fairly epic in scale. each episode ranges from 5 to 10 minutes each. It's divided into two "Seasons", the first is entirely within Arkham and the second is after Joker "escapes" for a joyride. I think it does a great job of feeling like it could exist in the Nolan-verse. I can't say enough good things.

Here's a direct link to the youtube page with the playlist on the right side. You should see episode 1 "Therapy Begins" just click that.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJokerBlogs#p/c/DBAA1376EB30F66C/1/lJtIPi0Nb60

MOre info: http://thejokerblogs.com/

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah they're great. I think we even had a thread for them going back when they first started. I haven't seen them all but most of the ones that I saw had be in stitches. I agree the actor portraying Joker is great too.

 

[od0_ital]

Just watched the first one, and right off the bat it bugs me that the Joker has his make-up fully applied. Makes me wonder just what kind of place they are runnin' in Gotham...

Sure, it shows that the audience is watchin' the Joker, and Nolan's version of the Joker at that, but still, it doesn't make sense that part of the rehabilitation would include providin' cosmetics to violent criminals. At least not to me...

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Just watched the first one, and right off the bat it bugs me that the Joker has his make-up fully applied. Makes me wonder just what kind of place they are runnin' in Gotham...

Sure, it shows that the audience is watchin' the Joker, and Nolan's version of the Joker at that, but still, it doesn't make sense that part of the rehabilitation would include providin' cosmetics to violent criminals. At least not to me...

This is actually addressed (albeit the explanation is a little contrived) in a future episode.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Just watched the first one, and right off the bat it bugs me that the Joker has his make-up fully applied. Makes me wonder just what kind of place they are runnin' in Gotham...

It's par for the course as far as Arkham Asylum goes.

 

[od0_ital]

Just watched the first one, and right off the bat it bugs me that the Joker has his make-up fully applied. Makes me wonder just what kind of place they are runnin' in Gotham...

It's par for the course as far as Arkham Asylum goes.

In the animated series, maybe, but the Nolanverse has been more realistic than that.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Just finished watching the entire first season and these were just brilliant. Almost like a reverse Nolan-esque retelling of "Mad Love" with tons of cool Batman references tossed in.

All the concerns such as Odo_Ital brought up addressed by the filmmakers on their youtube comments page and in the audio commentaries on the website. There is a season two coming in 2012 coming as well. They just revealed the teaser trailer last week.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I first heard about The Joker Blogs back when it first debuted in 2009, and I remember watching the pilot episode, but then ignoring it after that. It wasn't until recently, upon the persistence of a friend, that made me re-explore the series from the very beginning.

I always enjoy watching a series after it has gone through its cycle because I can sit and watch all of the episodes from the very beginning verses having to wait for each new episode. There was great pleasure in sitting down and watching the show from the first episode until the finale. The fortunate thing is that these episodes have a reasonable length (5-10 minutes long) so it's not like it takes a lot of time, and I think all of the episodes combined make up about the length of a feature-length film, so all in all it's not that much of an investment time-wise. Regardless, it is definitely a wise investment, and I agree with Stone_Cold_Sisko that this is unequivocally the best fan-produced work currently out there.

I'm amazed how they were able to interweave so many elements from not only the movies but the comics as well. It can take shape in the form of a quick throwaway line ("I'd prefer my relationship with the Wayne's be kept hush-hush") or something much larger like reoccurring storylines or characters or moments.

That's not even taking into account the level of continuity the series maintains within itself. Little elements or moments are introduced early on and then touched on again later in the series. It's just such a wonderfully well-made project that is very rewarding for anybody that watches from the very first episode and stays all the way through. I feel lucky that I was able to watch the series and enjoy it all together at once, verses having to endure what was most likely a tedious wait for each new episode. However, the wait for the next series is probably going to be equally unbearable, so I understand what those who followed the series from the beginning must feel.

2012 is going to be an exciting year, not only for The Dark Knight Rises, but for the second series of The Joker Blogs as well. I wonder if the next series will tie into The Dark Knight Rises in any shape or form.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I think I remember watching the first or second episode when they first came out then totally and utterly forgot about it until you JacksonArcher and a mutual friend of ours mentioned it recently. I got addicted. It's just an incredible character study of the Nolan Joker and as you mentioned a homage to various depictions of Batman continuity including The Animated Series, the comics and even Arkham Aslyum. I think the co-creator/writer/actor who plays the Joker...Scott McClure mentions that he is an avid fan of Arkham Aslyum the game.

I suspect for series II we could see elements from "The Dark Knight Rises" and potentially "Arkham City" as well. I like how they opened up all of the Nolan-esque Gotham City and introduced us to characters, etc. They very much establish their own continuity as well though while being respectful to the movie continuity.

 

[JacksonArcher]

You can tell these guys are fans of the character and the mythology. What's more, though, is that these guys are actually talented. I think one of my biggest complaints about fan-related work is that they are all gimmick and that's it. I mean, as much as I love fan films like Batman: Dead End or Grayson, it just feels slightly gimmicky.

The Joker Blogs, on the other hand, actually features characterization and an exploration of ideas. I think it helps that it is a series, and not a single film, but as a result we get some great character and story development that quite frankly I haven't seen in a fan-related work as-of-late.

I think the closest thing I've seen that even touches this ironically also features The Joker: the Batman fanfilm Patient J. However, I think The Joker Blogs essentially takes that and brings it up a few notches. I hope we see more fan-related work like this.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I discovered from the audio commentaries that the Joker's patient number is actually Heath Ledger's birth date which was a really nice homage, the same for the Jonathon Crane cameo they took from Cillian Murphy's birthdate. Nice touches. Yeah as much as I really love "Patient J" I think that "The Joker Blogs" just take it several notches higher. The ending was brilliant despite the fact that I kind of felt that character would make an appearance for whatever reason.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I didn't know that. I haven't listened to the audio commentaries yet. I also thought the actor they got for Dr. Crane was an absolutely spot-on imitation of Cillian Murphy's performance. Everything down to the voice was just perfect.

Regarding the ending, which I don't want to spoil, I was actually a bit surprised. I didn't think that character would make an appearance, but it definitely ratcheted up the tension and the stakes and made the finale that much more engaging and exciting.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I can go on and on about this series. I'm very thankful that you reminded me about it when you did JA.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I can go on and on about this series. I'm very thankful that you reminded me about it when you did JA.

I knew you would like it.

 

[Admiral_Young]

The Joker Blogs are back with "Further Evidence".

http://www.thejokerblogs.com/community/

 

[sidious618]

I've never heard of this before. I'm definitely going to have to check it out.

 

[Manticore]

I've never heard of this before. I'm definitely going to have to check it out.

Ditto.

 

[JacksonArcher]

The new episode was great. I am so glad the show is back.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Should be clarified for those that don't know that the new episodes are a mini-series that take place during series. Series two starts next summer.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I love the new cinematic style thanks to the addition of hiring an actual cinematographer. The "shakycam" effect was great, and served the series well given the narrative, but this new style is also equally if not more effective.