Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Joker

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Joker

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Our latest exclusive fight-focused review

    Tell that to his victims. READ JOKER: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… by Patrick Lugo

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    $234 m

    The joke is on us...

    'Joker' Box Office Bonanza: How the Pic Overcame a "Hard" R-Rating and Security Worries
    6:40 AM PDT 10/7/2019 by Pamela McClintock


    Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.
    'Joker'

    Todd Phillips' nihilistic supervillain film scored the biggest October opening of all time with $234 million in global ticket sales.
    Hollywood studio executives like nothing more than to field Sunday morning box office calls and provide quotes celebrating a movie's successful opening.

    Yet in the case of the Joker, Warner Bros. opted to stay quiet over the Oct. 4-6 weekend and refrain from offering comment on the record-shattering $234 million global launch of the R-rated supervillain pic, which bested last year's Venom to land the biggest October opening of all time, including $93.5 million in North America, not adjusted for inflation.

    The studio's reticence wasn't exactly a surprise. There was heightened security at theaters across the country after the FBI warned of ominous chatter on the Internet, and family members of the victims of the 2012 mass shooting during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises sent a letter to Warner Bros. voicing their concerns about the origin pic's tone and gun violence.

    Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker — which staged its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the audience award — stars Joaquin Phoenix as a mentally ill, bullied misfit-turned-homicidal maniac. Throughout the weekend, cinemas conducted bag checks and asked for IDs. Theaters also posted signs warning Joker isn't the usual Hollywood superhero offering, as well as noting the film's "hard" R-rating.

    "If this proves anything, it's that audiences today should be given credit for wanting their art to be challenging, and not just watered down or easy to digest," says box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore. "It feels like the late '60s and '70s all over again with the type of Raging Bull and Easy Rider filmmaking fearlessness that made those decades so essential and groundbreaking in the annals of film."

    Ultimately, the headlines didn't diminish interest in the controversial movie, which exceeded expectations and has already grossed more than three times its production budget. Village Roadshow and Bron Studios each have a 25 percent stake in Joker, which cost at least roughly $64 million to produce before marketing.

    In North America, Joker played best in big cities, while underperforming in smaller cities and towns — not unusual for an R-rated title.

    Eight of the top 10 theaters were in New York City and Los Angeles, and, expanding the list, 15 out of the top 20 (Joker is set in Gotham, a metropolis resembling New York the early 1980s). The four top-grossing locations were AMC Burbank, AMC Empire in Times Square, Arclight Hollywood and AMC Lincoln Square. Other strongholds included Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal, where the fifth top-grossing theater was.

    "People want to see good movies and won’t be deterred by possible threats," says media and entertainment Wall Street analyst Eric Handler of MKM Partners.

    In N.Y, L.A. and Chicago, Joker over-indexed by 24 percent, according to those with access to grosses. Conversely, it under-indexed in mid-sized cities such as Salt Lake City.

    Only a handful of R-rated films boast such big openings. Topping the list is Ryan Reynolds and 20th Century Fox's superhero pic Deadpool 2, which launched to $300.4 million in 2018, including $125.5 million domestically. In February 2016, the first Deadpool made history when launching to a record-breaking $264.7 globally. The next year, Fox's Logan started off with $247.4 million in worldwide ticket sales.

    "I think Joker's debut is another wake-up call — one that is coming in on Batman’s red phone — telling everyone in the industry that R-rated superhero films are here to stay," says Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. "Hopefully Disney will take that call soon. If they don’t, DC will be happy to staff the call center with its people."

    The X-Men universe of films, including Deadpool, is now housed at Disney under the stewardship of Marvel Studios.

    Universal's female-skewing Fifty Shades of Grey was another R-rated phenomenon with a global start of $242.4 million in 2015. Neither Deadpool, Logan nor the Fifty Shades series, however, faced the sort of scrutiny that Joker did.

    According to exit polls, nearly a third of the audience for Joker was between the ages of 18 and 34, a formidable stat.

    Similar to Deadpool, just 8 percent of ticket buyers were between ages 13 and 17; that compares to 18 percent for Hollywood's last major superhero pic, Spider-Man: Far From Home, which was rated PG-13.

    Males made up 62 percent of the opening weekend audience, similar to other superhero titles.

    Joker's debut reinforces using early October — a corridor once considered a relative dead zone by Hollywood studios — as a launching pad for bigger fare. That thinking began to shift six years ago when Warners' Gravity turned into a box office blockbuster. Other early October hits of recent years include The Martian, Gone Girl, A Star Is Born and Venom, whose sequel will hit the big screen in October 2020.

    "October has been a rising star for years as studios have come to discover its value as a somewhat uncharted month that didn't fit easily into any particular season," says Dergarabedian.

    Joker raked in an estimated $93.5 million domestically — easily besting Venom ($80.3 million) — and $140.5 million from more than 70 markets overseas. It doesn't yet have a release date in China, where it likely will not be admitted entry.

    Oct. 7, 7:30 a.m. Updated with revised weekend number for Joker.

    Feds issue bulletin about threats ahead of 'Joker' opening weekend
    CNN Digital Rebranding 2015 David Shortell Photo: Jeremy Freeman
    By David Shortell, CNN
    Updated 9:56 PM ET, Thu October 3, 2019

    (CNN)The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are warning law enforcement ahead of the opening weekend of the movie "Joker" after a number of threats were posted online calling for mass shootings at showings of the movie.

    In a Joint Intelligence Bulletin shared with police this week and obtained by CNN, federal authorities write that the FBI has no information leading to "specific or credible threats to particular locations or venues," but note that the FBI has received tips of threats posted on social media since at least May.
    There has been a heightened level of concern about the movie's premiere because of the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater on the opening night of another Batman movie.
    Twelve people were killed and 70 wounded in that attack, at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."
    Concern from law enforcement has been growing in recent weeks ahead of the movie's premiere. The Army said over the weekend it had warned soldiers at at least one base, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, about the threats, and the Los Angeles Police Department has said it will have "high visibility" at theaters showing the movie.
    One theater chain even banned costumes at the "Joker" premiere.
    Authorities report in the intelligence bulletin that some of the recent threats surrounding "Joker" referenced the Aurora shooting and say they are concerned potential shooters could use that shooting as inspiration.
    "The FBI, DHS, and (National Counterterrorism Center) remain concerned that the volume of threatening language may lead to lone offender violence," the bulletin says.
    The bulletin also notes that some of the threats related to the movie contain references to the involuntary celibate, or incel, community, as well as a subset of that community that refer to themselves as "clowncels."
    Incels believe they are denied sexual attention as a result of social and political movements and frequently commiserate on online message boards.
    Incels are responsible for killing at least 27 people since 2014 in the United States and Canada, the FBI said in the bulletin.
    "Joker" is being released by Warner Bros., which is a unit of WarnerMedia, as is CNN.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #4

    Joker Used a Song by Convicted Pedophile Gary Glitter in One of Its Biggest Scenes

    Categorize this as one of those artistic choices.

    He's currently serving a 16-year prison sentence for abusing three young girls.
    By Drew Schwartz

    The amount of controversy surrounding Todd Phillips's Joker is getting absurd. It feels like every day brings on a fresh barrage of criticism and bad press: Joker is a rallying cry for violent incels; Joker prompts the FBI to issue warnings about threats of terrorism at its screenings; Joker sparks backlash from the families of those killed at the Aurora shooting in 2012; Joker is, after all that drama, just a terrible movie.

    Now that it's finally out, you'd think the storm surrounding it might finally calm, and we could all get back to talking about literally anything else—but nope! Because we are doomed to discuss this thing for the next 1,000 years, the film has managed to dredge up yet another controversy.

    Phillips and company decided to set a pivotal scene, in which Joaquin Phoenix's villain dances down a set of stairs, to the tune of "Rock 'n' Roll (Part 2)" by Gary Glitter. But Glitter—whose real name is Paul Gadd—is a convicted pedophile, who's currently serving out a 16-year prison sentence for abusing three underage girls.

    Gadd could wind up earning a huge chunk of cash in royalties from the film, CNBC reports. It's unclear how much he actually stands to make—while some outlets have reported figures in the millions, it's likely a lot less than that—but regardless, the optics aren't great. Not only are Phillips and Warner Bros. giving money to a convicted sex offender, but because his windfall reportedly depends (in part) on the success of the movie, buying a ticket to Joker could result in him taking home a bigger paycheck.

    Maybe Warner Bros. didn't realize Gadd was a serial abuser, but all it takes is a two-minute search on the guy to see he's currently locked up for attempted rape, having sex with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault. That's not to mention the time he served in Vietnam for abusing two underage girls, or his other conviction in the late 90s for possession of child pornography.

    Warner Bros. still hasn't commented on its decision to license Gadd's song for Joker, and neither has Phillips. We'll have to wait and see if the revelation winds up hurting ticket sales, but it doesn't look likely. Despite all the controversy surrounding it—or maybe because of it—the film is breaking box office records, making nearly $100 million in its opening weekend alone.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Joker Tai Chi

    This is slightly OT for Tai Chi Chuan Chinese Comicbooks? but totally on topic for Joker.


    Joker: Un-scripted Tai chi dance makes Joaquin Phoenix's performance spine-chillingly perfect



    IMDB: Joker (2019)
    Liam Curtis
    @LCurtis_HITC
    1 day ago

    Joaquin Phoenix delivered a flawless performance as the Joker in the latest portrayal of Gotham's greatest villain. However, it was the surprising addition of tai chi that will cement Joaquin's Joker into the history books of villains.

    It's minutes after Arthur Fleck has killed his first victim and perhaps the moment Joker was formed. In Arthur's complex mind, there was a sudden trigger. A trigger of relief.

    No longer a victim of the cruel society that had bullied him into a hollow and empty shell, mocking his laughing condition (Pseudobulbar affect) and abusing his simple want for happiness, Arthur tasted empowerment for the very first time by gunning down three men on a train.

    He retreated to the nearest bathroom, head to toe in clown costume with horrifying bright white make-up and red-painted lips to match. At a time where fear, rage and adrenaline should have been coursing through his veins, a haunting blanket of serenity consumed the room.

    Among the blood, violence and scissors thrusted into eye-sockets, Joker's flowing tai chi in the flickering light of a run-down bathroom was the most terrifying scene of the movie.



    Joker's tai chi scene epitomizes the ying and yang of his character

    Before Joker was released (October 4th), few people headed into the cinema mentally prepared to feel empathy for Joaquin Phoenix's cold-blooded killer.

    With each merciless beating and through every hazy storyline that turned out to be nothing more than a heart-breaking fascination, you could feel the cogs of Arthur's mental health slowing turning towards revenge.

    And as he revelled peacefully following his first murders, the ying and yang of Arthur and Joker were created.

    Tai chi is a form of mixed martial arts although it focuses on grace and the meditation of movement opposed to striking and violence. It takes great mental strength, patience and discipline.

    The Chinese martial art is also largely formed around the philosophy of ying and yang, which explains that contrasting forces in life often work together, like good and evil, light and dark or laughter and pain.

    The impulse of Joaquin Phoenix brought his character to life

    Some of most character defining scenes in history are non-scripted. Actors and actresses who embrace their character as one often perform acts of spontaneous genius that scriptwriters simply can't think of due to the unattached nature of their role.

    Joaquin deeply studied the pseudobulbar affect - an involuntary fit of laughter and tears - and it gave Joker the character-defining edges that separate him from Heath Ledger and Jared Leto's portrayal.

    But what took the 2019 Joker to new levels wasn't even in the script. Joaquin involutionary moved his body to the sound of a Hildur Gudnadottir track as the camera crew waited to film the bathroom scene.

    Joaquin explained to The National,

    "I was really responding to the music. That bathroom scene was such a transformative moment, not only for the character but for us. We discovered a way of working.”

    Joaquin is known to have studied karate over the years although nobody anticipated his off the cuff tai chi flow. Ultimately, it turned his Joker portayal into a true acting masterpiece.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    $1b

    BOX OFFICE NOVEMBER 15, 2019 12:01PM PT
    Box Office: ‘Joker’ Becomes First R-Rated Movie to Hit $1 Billion
    By REBECCA RUBIN
    News Editor, Online
    @https://twitter.com/rebeccaarubin

    Warner Bros.’ “Joker” is officially the first R-rated movie in history to earn over $1 billion at the global box office.

    Joaquin Phoenix’s twisted take on the Batman villain marks the seventh movie this year (and first that’s not from Disney or Marvel) to join the elusive billion-dollar club. Among Warner Bros.’ movies, it’s only the seventh to reach that milestone after titles including “Aquaman” and fellow Batman films “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2”

    Given its modest $62.5 million budget, “Joker” has become one of the most profitable superhero movies of all time. “Joker” set numerous records since debuting on Oct. 4, including biggest domestic opening weekend for the month of October ($96 million). In the weeks leading up to its release, “Joker” elicited security concerns over its depiction of a mass murderer. It also drew outrage from the families and friends of survivors of the 2012 Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting during “The Dark Knight Rises.” But mounting concerns didn’t impact ticket sales, and “Joker” maintained a huge draw in theaters among moviegoers across the globe.

    Outside of North America, where “Joker” crossed the $300 million mark, the film has seen notable box office success in the United Kingdom ($68 million), Mexico ($43 million), South Korea ($38 million), Brazil ($34 million), and France ($38 million). All the more impressive, “Joker” reached the billion-dollar milestone without a release in China, the world’s second-largest moviegoing market.

    “Joker” is a crucial win for Warner Bros., despite having to split profits with co-financiers Bron Creative and Village Roadshow. Though “It: Chapter Two” became a financial hit, the studio had some major misfires this year with “The Goldfinch,” “The Kitchen,” “Blinded by the Light” and “Motherless Brooklyn.”

    Critics remain divided about “Joker,” which won the top prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival and could find itself in the awards race come February. Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” trilogy) directed “Joker,” a dark look at an aspiring stand-up comedian in Gotham City who descends into madness as his career and life begin to spiral out of control. The cast also includes Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz.
    Wow, DC slays with this.

    I really gotta see this soon.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Mich.
    Posts
    375
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Wow, DC slays with this.

    I really gotta see this soon.
    I saw it, and from a psychological standpoint, it was very good. I don't know why people want to be upset, other than they want to be. They KNOW the premise! This is the story of how someone becomes the "Joker", who is one of the most sadistic serial killers (in the DC universe and Batman mythos) and gets off on inflicting pain for his enjoyment. The movie does a great job of taking you on that journey.
    "God gave you a brain, and it annoys Him greatly when you choose not to use it."

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    My forum review

    I agree with Design Sifu and Kevin73 on this - it's a very interesting film.

    Joker made me rethink comic book movies entirely. A tour de force for Phoenix, an actor that I often find overrated, but he earns his reputation for shadowy characters in...well not spades, in jokers. It's a fresh original vision for comic-based films, not the Mindless-Candy-Universe , but a journey into madness and chaos with echoes of Taxi Driver, accentuated by Deniro's appearance. It turns one of the most iconic comic villains sideways, with nods to the archetypal municipality of Gotham, and sly comments on the hellish society that is our real world now. Many complain that the DCEC is too dark. This is the darkest yet. I found it imperfect yet engrossing. Now at $1B+ globally, in all honesty, I'm a bit surprised it has so much appeal. There's a rebel spirit to it, an anarchic rebel, but so much of the world is on the brink of rebellion now that it resonates. The Joker masks have the potential to be the new V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes masks or the La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) Dali masks. I can totally see them bleeding into real world protests for what they symbolize. I gotta hand most of why it works to Joaquin (there’s even some Oscar buzz) plus the dissonant cello-heavy soundtrack heightens the tension.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Bong Joon Ho FTW

    'Parasite' Voted Best Picture by New York Film Critics Online
    3:08 PM PST 12/7/2019 by Trilby Beresford


    Telluride Film Festival
    'Parasite'

    In addition, Bong Joon Ho was tapped as best director for his work on the film.

    Parasite has been named best picture of the year by New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO). The vote took place Saturday.

    In addition, Bong Joon Ho was tapped as best director for his work on the film, which also garnered best screenplay honors.

    Us' Lupita Nyong'o was named best actress and Joker star Joaquin Phoenix was chosen as best actor, while Laura Dern was hailed as best supporting actress for Marriage Story and Joe Pesci was recognized for his supporting role in The Irishman.

    The NYFCO, founded by reviewer Harvey Karten in 2000, met in Lincoln Center's Furman Gallery inside the Walter Reade Theatre for its 20th annual convocation. Last year, the group selected Roma as best picture.

    A full list of 2019 winners follows.

    Picture: Parasite
    Director: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
    Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
    Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (Us)
    Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
    Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
    Screenplay: Parasite (Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin-Won)
    Cinematography: 1917 (Roger Deakins)
    Documentary: Apollo 11 (Neon)
    Foreign Language: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Neon)
    Ensemble Cast: Knives Out (Casting director: Mary Vernieu)
    Breakthrough Performer: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves, Luce)
    Debut as Director: Lila Aviles (The Chambermaid)
    Use of Music: Rocketman (Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Giles Martin, Matthew Margeson)
    Animated Feature: I Lost My Body (Netflix)

    Top 10 Films:

    1917 (Universal)
    The Farewell (A24)
    Hustlers (STXfilms)
    The Irishman (Netflix)
    Jojo Rabbit (Fox Searchlight)
    Joker (Warner Bros.)
    Marriage Story (Netflix)
    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
    Parasite (Neon)
    The Two Popes (Netflix)


    TRILBY BERESFORD
    Trilby.Beresford@THR.COM
    trilbyberesford
    THREADS
    The Farewell
    Joker
    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Parasite
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Golden Globe Nominees 2020

    I only copied the films we've discussed here.

    Winners & Nominees 2020

    Best Motion Picture - Drama

    NOMINEE
    Joker

    Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

    NOMINEE
    Dolemite Is My Name

    NOMINEE
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

    NOMINEE
    Joaquin Phoenix
    Joker

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

    NOMINEE
    Awkwafina
    Farewell, The

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

    NOMINEE
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    NOMINEE
    Eddie Murphy
    Dolemite Is My Name

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

    NOMINEE
    Brad Pitt
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Best Director - Motion Picture

    NOMINEE
    Bong Joon Ho
    Parasite

    NOMINEE
    Todd Phillips
    Joker

    NOMINEE
    Quentin Tarantino
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

    NOMINEE
    Quentin Tarantino
    Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood

    NOMINEE
    Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won
    Parasite

    Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language

    NOMINEE
    Farewell, The
    USA, Lulu Wang

    NOMINEE
    Parasite
    South Korea, Bong Joon Ho
    THREADS
    The Golden Globes
    Parasite
    Dolemite is My Name
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Joker
    The Farewell
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    And the winner is...

    Winners & Nominees 2020

    Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
    WINNER
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
    WINNER
    Joaquin Phoenix
    Joker

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
    WINNER
    Awkwafina
    Farewell, The

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
    WINNER
    Brad Pitt
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    WINNER
    Quentin Tarantino
    Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood

    Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language
    WINNER
    Parasite
    South Korea, Bong Joon Ho
    THREADS
    The Golden Globes
    Parasite
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Joker
    The Farewell
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    the noms

    Selected for films we've discussed here.

    THE 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS | 2020
    Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center
    Sunday, February 9, 2020
    Honoring movies released in 2019

    ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
    NOMINEES
    LEONARDO DICAPRIO
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
    JOAQUIN PHOENIX
    Joker

    ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
    NOMINEES
    BRAD PITT
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

    CINEMATOGRAPHY
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Lawrence Sher
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Robert Richardson

    COSTUME DESIGN
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Mark Bridges
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Arianne Phillips

    DIRECTING
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Todd Phillips
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Quentin Tarantino
    PARASITE
    Bong Joon Ho

    FILM EDITING
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Jeff Groth
    PARASITE
    Yang Jinmo

    INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
    NOMINEES
    PARASITE
    South Korea

    MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou

    MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Hildur Guðnadóttir
    STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
    John Williams

    BEST PICTURE
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
    PARASITE
    Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

    PRODUCTION DESIGN
    NOMINEES
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
    PARASITE
    Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

    SOUND EDITING
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Alan Robert Murray
    1917
    Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Wylie Stateman
    STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
    Matthew Wood and David Acord

    SOUND MIXING
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

    VISUAL EFFECTS
    NOMINEES
    AVENGERS: ENDGAME
    Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
    STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
    Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

    WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
    NOMINEES
    JOKER
    Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

    WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
    NOMINEES
    ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
    Written by Quentin Tarantino
    PARASITE
    Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho
    REVIEWS
    Joker
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

    THREADS
    Joker
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Parasite
    Skywalker
    Endgame
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Hmm, no thread on the SAG Awards? Well, that's easily remedied.

    Winners selected for those we've discusses as always.

    CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
    RECIPIENT
    PARASITE

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
    RECIPIENT
    JOAQUIN PHOENIX
    Joker

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
    RECIPIENT
    BRAD PITT
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
    RECIPIENT
    PETER DINKLAGE
    Game of Thrones

    STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
    RECIPIENT
    AVENGERS: ENDGAME

    THREADS
    Screen Actors Guild Awards
    Asian Film Festivals and Awards
    GOT
    Parasite
    Joker
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Endgame
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    About those stunts & fight scenes...


    Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

    HOW JOAQUIN PHOENIX'S UNPREDICTABLE FIGHTING IMPROV MADE JOKER ALL THE MORE DANGEROUS
    Contributed by
    Jennifer Vineyard
    Jan 17, 2020

    Welcome to Awards Contenders. This month, SYFY WIRE is talking to the actors, directors, designers, and craftspeople whose work was featured in the best movies and TV offerings of 2019, and who are now the leading awards nominees. Today, we're speaking with the SAG-nominated stunt coordinator George Aguilar of Joker.

    Arthur Fleck was about to kill his former clown colleague Randall. That much was clear. Less obvious was how he'd do it. Stunt coordinator George Aguilar didn't know where actor Joaquin Phoenix — on the way to transitioning Arthur to the murderous Joker — would strike. Would he stab the stunt double in the heart? In the neck? Stunts like these are always meticulously choreographed, but when you're working with an actor like Phoenix, who thrives on doing the unexpected, a certain degree of flexibility is required.

    "It's like a dance," Aguilar says. "You have to adjust to what he does. So we told the stunt double, 'This is what we prepared, but you just don't know, and you have to roll with it, basically.'"

    Phoenix opted for a quick thrust to the neck, then the eye, and some head bashing for good measure. "It didn't look rehearsed at all," Aguilar says. "It just looks violent and vicious, and that's what we wanted because that's the first time you really see Arthur go crazy on somebody."

    Phoenix's tendency to go off-script and come up with new, unexpected action kept Aguilar, the stunt team, and other actors on their toes, especially because the actor often didn't want to rehearse in advance — he'd have them rehearse without him. In prepping the scene where Arthur Fleck kills three guys on the subway, Aguilar sketched out the action with the three actors, and warned them, "Look, this is what we've planned, but it will probably change on the day."

    And it did — with Phoenix suddenly kicking back. "These weren't stunt people, these were actors," Aguilar says. "They were just supposed to beat him up, and all of a sudden, he starts defending himself. He tried to kick the guy who punched him about four times." The actors rolled with it, and one of them even improvised a line: "We've got a kicker, huh?" Arthur's unsuccessful resistance changed the dynamic of the scene.

    One of the trickiest stunts to orchestrate was the one in which Arthur, fleeing the police, gets hit by a taxi cab. Phoenix did all of the running and almost getting hit, but a stunt double took the harder hit, rolling up the hood to the top of the car, and then tumbling back forward onto the street. From there, Phoenix did a piece where he recovered and continued running.

    But to plan for all contingencies, Aguilar told all the drivers to be ready for Phoenix to run past his mark, in any direction — and to be extra careful, because if Phoenix had to avoid a car, he might run in the wrong direction and hit one of the steel beams holding up the subway platform. "That was our main worry," Aguilar says. "A steel beam is not very forgiving."


    Credit: Warner Bros.

    Although it isn't mentioned in the film, that collision is a key part of Arthur's transition into Joker.

    Before going on Live with Murray Franklin, he had planned to kill himself on live television. But as he ran from the police, being hit by a car sent him into shock and gave him a rush of adrenaline. Even though he was injured, he wasn't in pain. He actually felt stronger, at least temporarily. His heart rate increased, he had a surge of energy, and with his mental focus suddenly sharpened, he was able to quickly formulate a new plan.

    "It's an added advantage as he goes on the Murray Franklin show," Aguilar says. "As soon as you get in a situation like the one he was in, the adrenaline keeps you up, and your survival instinct kicks in. You might feel invincible. You'd think, 'This doesn't hurt. You can't hurt me.' You wouldn't feel the pain until much later."

    With all of the movie's stunts, the goal was to make the pain look as real and immediate as possible. "It's not a superhero movie," Aguilar says. "It needed to feel there was cause and effect to everything. Every punch hurt."
    David Carradine said he did a similar thing when I interviewed him. Read David Carradine in Spike TV's KUNG FU KILLER. Honestly though, if the actors aren't highly-trained martial artists, this is a real dick move.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    And the winners are...

    Many congratulations to Parasite! What a history-making win.

    List below cherry-picked for films discussed here.
    OSCAR WINNERS

    BEST PICTURE
    Parasite
    Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

    ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
    Joaquin Phoenix
    Joker

    ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING…
    Brad Pitt
    Once upon a Time... in Hollywood

    DIRECTING
    Parasite
    Bong Joon Ho

    INTERNATIONAL FEATURE…
    Parasite
    South Korea

    MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
    Joker
    Hildur Guðnadóttir

    PRODUCTION DESIGN
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Production Design: Barbara Ling,…

    WRITING (ORIGINAL…
    Parasite
    Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han…
    REVIEWS
    Joker
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

    THREADS
    Joker
    Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
    Parasite
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •