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Joker Heath Ledger overshadows Batman in “The Dark Knight” publicity material

April 14th, 2008 by Scott Marks

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Turning a corner at the AMC Fashion Valley in search of my boîte à chaussures du jour, I was stopped in my tracks by this grotesquerie. My PR sonar normally hones in on the lower right hand corner of a movie poster in search of a director’s credit. This time, it took a moment or two to unhook my gaze from the bloody lipstick smeared across a plastic transparency reminiscent of Marion Crane’s final ablution.

This is one creepy image made even more so when it became apparent that it was Heath Ledger posing as The Joker for this summer’s latest wrinkle in the bat cape, The Dark Knight. Nearly three months after the 29-year-old actor was found dead in his Manhattan apartment and three months before the July 22 opening of his last film, Warner Bros. has released a slew of promotional posters the majority of which feature disquieting images of the late star.

The film also features Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and, uh, oh yeah, Christian Bale reprising his role as the caped crusader, yet according to the trailer and publicity material, Ledger’s the show!

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There was even talk among greedy studio execs of using outtakes from Ledger’s Academy Award nominated performance for a prequel to be entitled Jokeback.

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Realted stories:
Do you look like Heath Ledger? If so, Hollywood is calling!
Rabbi Mel Gibson advised Heath Ledger to pass on “Brokeback Mountain” role
Starring Heath Ledger: Three Films To Remember Him By
Joker 2 Joker: Jack Nicholson “warned” Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger obituary

Photos:
Candy (2006)

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Do you look like Heath Ledger? If so, Hollywood is calling!

February 29th, 2008 by Scott Marks

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Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Poor Terry Gilliam can never seem to catch a break. Remember all the difficulties he had during the filming of Brazil (1985)? Gilliam tangled with studio producers over how the picture should end; the director wanted it to be downbeat while the producers insisted on the usual Hollywood sap. The studio won out and a 94 minute cut was released to theaters. Gilliam threatened to disown the film which was eventually rereleased at its proper running time of 142 min. Gilliam became so stressed that he temporarily lost the use of his legs for several weeks.

In 1999, he began work on The Man Who Killed Don Quixote with Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis and Jean Rochefort. The shooting halted after only a couple of days when Jean Rochefort suffered a herniated disc (that prevented him from riding a horse) and a flood leveled the set. The only thing left over from the doomed production is a $15 million insurance claim. Both Depp and Gilliam are unable to revive the project because the insurance company owns the rights to the script.

Even if he wins he loses. The director was J.K. Rowling first choice for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), but Warner Brothers studios refused to even consider him opting instead for the “more family friendly ” Chris Columbus.

Gilliam reportedly tinkered for months with The Brother Grimm while Miramax repeatedly shuffled opening dates. According to imdb.com, “In June 2004, a stalemate occurred between Bob Weinstein and Terry Gillam over the final cut of the film. Terry Gilliam decided to place the film on hold for six months.” He went on to do Tideland, which he and Harvey Weinstein also quarreled over, and came back to finish this feature in January 2005.

In January of 2007, Gilliam announced that his next feature would be The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. One year later production ground to a halt when the film’s lead, Heath Ledger, died from an accidental overdose. According to Variety, Ledger’s participation was what got the film financed in the first place.

Ain’t It Cool News reports that instead of finishing the film with a CG Ledger, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp have been recruited to replace the late actor. Cinematical quotes a studio insider reportedly saying: “There is a point in the film when Heath falls through a magic mirror. He could change into another character after that and that is where Johnny would come in.”

Gilliam still needs someone to double all of the actor’s blue screen work and a request for Ledger lookalikes has been sent out to actors’ agents.

It reads: “Please only suggest actors who look like Heath Ledger and are between five foot 11 inches and six foot three inches.”

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Oscar Show rundown, complete and timed to the second!

February 24th, 2008 by Scott Marks

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I don’t know when or how, but some time during tonight’s
broadcast, there will be Hope!

Want to know the perfect time to throw a bag of corn in the microwave or pay a visit to the commode during Hollywood’s yearly reenactment of the Bataan death march? Here’s your blow-by-blow breakdown of tonight’s festivities.

Looks like there will be no Irving Thalberg award (never liked him anyway after what he did to the Marx Bros.) or a Jean Hersholt giveaway for that matter. There is buzz about Nicole Kidman paying tribute to either Sydney Pollack and/or Heath Ledger, but nothing is confirmed. The only honorary award will go to production designer par excellence Robert Boyle.

The show starts at 5:30 (PT). The picture runs three hours and twenty-nine minutes (giver or take a commandment); there will be many intermissions.

I want to thank all of you who read Emulsion Compulsion on a daily basis. I love everybody! Gotta’ go…the red light is blinking. (Blows kisses to audience.)

OPENING MONOLOGUE: 6 minutes

AWARD #1: COSTUME DESIGN
Jennifer Garner: 5:50 PM (PT)

AWARD #2: ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway

AWARD #3: MAKEUP
Katherine Heigl: 5:57

BATHROOM BREAK / NOMINATED SONG PERFORMANCE #1 :6:03:09
“Happy Working Song” 2:07
Amy Adams-vocs, orchestra

AWARD #4: VISUAL EFFECTS
Dwayne Johnson: 6:09

AWARD #5: ART DIRECTION
Cate Blanchett: 6:13

Laughter ensues when Jon Stewart jokes about Blanchett’s double nomination as Queen Elizabeth and Bob Dylan.

AWARD #6: ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jennifer Hudson: 6:18

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE
Keri Russell: 6:27

POPCORN BREAK / NOMINATED SONG PERFORMANCE #2: 6:27
“Raise It Up”
Jamia Simone Nash, Impact Repertory Theatre of Harlem, Total Praise Community Choir, Orchestra

AWARD #7: LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Owen Wilson: 6:30

AWARD #8: ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Barry B. Benson: 6:36

AWARD #9: ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Arkin: 6:39

SCI-TECH AWARDS RECAP
Jessica Alba: 6:49:20

AWARD #10: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
James McAvoy, Josh Brolin: 6:50

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE
Future Oscar winner Miley Cyrus: 6:57:38

PHONE BREAK / NOMINATED SONG PERFORMANCE #3: 7:00
“That’s How You Know”
Kristin Chenoweth-vocals, Dancers, Marlon Saunders-singer, Steel Drummer, Kids, Tuba Players, Chorus

AWARD #11: SOUND EDITING
For you youngsters in the audience, Jonah Hill & Seth Rogen: 7:06

AWARD #12: SOUND MIXING
More with Jonah Hill & Seth Rogen: 7:09

AWARD #13: ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Forest Whitaker: 7:15

SMOKE BREAK / NOMINATED SONG PERFORMANCE #4: 7:27:43
“Falling Slowly”
Glen Hansard-vocals, guitar, Marketa Irglova-vocals, piano

Jack Nicholson to present a montage of Best Picture winners over the last 80 years.

AWARD #14: FILM EDITING
Renée Zellweger: 7:33

HONORARY OSCAR TO ROBERT BOYLE
Nicole Kidman, Randy Thomas, Robert Boyle: 7:38

AWARD #15: FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Penélope Cruz: 7:47

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE (Patrick Dempsey)

OXYGEN BREAK / NOMINATED SONG PERFORMANCE #5: 7:54:46
“So Close”
Jon McLaughlin-vocals, Featured Dancers, Ballroom Dancers , Band Member Extras, Bill Conti

AWARD #16: ORIGINAL SONG
John Travolta, Ballroom Dancer-Valentina: 7:55

AWARD #17: CINEMATOGRAPHY
Cameron Diaz: 8:04

IN MEMORIAM TRIBUTE (3:00)
Hilary Swank: 8:11

AWARD #18: ORIGINAL SCORE
Amy Adams: 8:15

AWARD #19: DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Tom Hanks and Special Guests: 8:19

AWARD #20: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Tom Hanks: 8:22

AWARD #21: ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Harrison Fordz-z-z-z-z-z: 8:30

AWARD #22: ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Helen Mirren: 8:37

AWARD #23: DIRECTING
Martin Scorsese!: 8:47

AWARD #24: BEST MOTION PICTURE
Denzel Washington: 8:49

GOODNIGHTS 8:53:49 (Jon Stewart)

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Joker 2 Joker: Jack Nicholson “warned” Heath Ledger

January 24th, 2008 by Scott Marks

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Notorious party-hound Jack Nicholson doling out advice on how to walk the straight and narrow is like Brando telling James Dean to see a psychiatrist.

According to the Daily Mail, “A revealing – if ambiguous - comment made by Jack Nicholson hints he was aware Ledger was battling personal demons. The acting veteran, who played the Batman’s most famous Joker, said in London: “‘I warned him.’”

It appears as though the official cause of death will be “the Joker.” In November Ledger declared himself exhausted and desperately in need of sleep while filming the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. The actor was eating sleeping pills to catch up on his rest after the grueling shoot. Ledger had never taken on such a dark role and even Nicholson warned him of the pitfalls involved in playing such a complex character.

I thought it was called acting where one picks up an enormous paycheck in exchange for a little make believe. How mentally exhausting can it be? It’s a fricking comic book character, not a Bin Laden biopic. You didn’t see a consummate professional like Cesar Romero behaving this way.

“This is not a tough job. You read a script. If you like the part and the money is O.K., you do it. Then you remember your lines. You show up on time. You do what the director tells you to do. When you finish, you rest and then go on to the next part. That’s it.” - Robert Mitchum

You’d have to be a Hope-less, violently insane psychopath to let the Joker get to you.

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THE BROTHERS GRIMM / Terry Gilliam (2005)

July 8th, 2005 by Scott Marks

Heath Ledger & Matt Damon in Terry Gilliam’s THE BROTHERS GRIMM (2005)

The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Written by: Ehren Kruger

Cast: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Headey, Peter Stomare, Monica Bellucci, Petr Ratimec, Jonathan Pryce, Barbora Lukesová, Anna Rust, Jeremy Robson, Radim Kalvoda, Martin Hofman, Martin Hofmann, Josef Pepa Nos, Harry Gilliam, Miroslav Táborský, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Marika Sarah Procházková, Mackenzie Crook

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Running Tme: 118 min.

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Rating: ★★★½☆

Don’t expect the obligatory studio-damning follow-up documentary. For a change, over the top (and frequently over budget) director Terry Gilliam received final cut.

His first completed film since 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gilliam reportedly tinkered for two years while Miramax repeatedly shuffled opening dates. In wide release at last, The Brothers Grimm is a visually dazzling Byzantine blockbuster of a thrill ride aimed at, joy of joys, adult minds.

Finally, a contemporary fantasy film that shuns the Hollywood notion that action and adventure must solely be geared for teenage boys. Given their similarities and dark underlying preoccupations, Walt Disney is likely to be applauding horizontally in his cryogenic chamber.

Continue reading THE BROTHERS GRIMM / Terry Gilliam (2005)

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