This Thursday, Joker opens - and I for one, can't wait until it's over. I have not been an avid supporter of this film, but I am sick to death of the controversy about guns, violence, and spreading rumours that mass shootings are going to happen.
This is a pure retaliation piece to the overwhelming BS seen in my timeline related to this movie.
Ever since the announcement of a Trump-like figure being in the Joker movie, people have found a reason to outrage against this film. Recently, Ill-informed members of "Survivors Empowered" and "Guns Down America" - which crafted a letter to Warner Bros., signed by five family members of victims - have added unnecessary controversy to the mix.
As most know, there was a horrible incited with James Holmes murdering and injuring many people at a midnight showing of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. Victim parent and co-writer of the email, Sandy Phillips, has spoken out about the Joker movie with mostly false information and blatant lies to cause a fuss over this film.
Sandy notes: "When I first saw the trailers of the movie, I was, absolutely horrified. And then when I dug a little deeper and found out that it had such unnecessary violence in the movie, it just chilled me to my bones. It just makes me angry that a major motion picture company isn't taking responsibility and doesn't have the concern of the public at all."
Sandy's first problem is, the first trailer barely showed any violence at all; it's unknown what was horrific. There was no amount of digging anyone could have done to find more "unnecessary violence," as there was limited information about the film at the time. There hasn't been a single Red Band trailer for the Joker film, which finds it more unlikely she found that information.
Due to the sensitive topic at hand, Sandy and the others, clearly are not in the right frame of mind to judge the Joker movie, all while without having seen it. Blaming the actions of a mentally ill man on a Studio is the wrong way to go about it. The individual is responsible, not the studio. If these people are so inclined to do such heinous things, they will find inspiration anywhere - but this is not about inspiration or influence. James Holmes was not inspired by the Joker at all, but if he were, Joaquin sums it up well.
Joaquin Phoenix response was: "I think that, for most of us, you're able to tell the difference between right and wrong. And those that aren't are capable of interpreting anything in the way that they may want to. People misinterpret lyrics from songs. They misinterpret passages from books. So I don't think it's the responsibility of a filmmaker to teach the audience morality or the difference between right or wrong."
The email continued: "We support your right to free speech and free expression. But as anyone who has ever seen a comic book movie can tell you: with great power comes great responsibility. That's why we're calling on you to use your massive platform and influence to join us in our fight to build safer communities with fewer guns."
In which, Warner Bros. replied with: "Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bipartisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker nor the film is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers, or the studio to hold this character up as a hero."
Warner Bros. is already their part and has been since that incident. They are doing more than they need to for these people, likely to stop more controversy surrounding this film, which these people caused.
Sandy states: "I don't need to see a picture of [Holmes]; I just need to see a Joker promo, and I see a picture of the killer." And the email, apparently, also urged Warner Bros. not to show Joker at the Aurora, Colorado Cinemark theater out of respect for the families. I find this strange, as it's on record the events had nothing to do with the film or the Joker. Holmes only went to the midnight screening to avoid hurting children. It's also noted he scouted a few places before deciding on the cinema. The film shown was Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, which has no affiliation with the Joker at all.
They have blatantly lied about the Jokers involvement in James Holmes plot to hurt many people. These people also failed to rise to the occasion regarding films such as John Wick and Rambo. The John Wick trilogy all played at the cinema, and Rambo is currently playing - these films glorify murder and gun violence. Disney films desensitize all sorts of violence, including Black Widow with handguns throughout the Avengers films. Joker depicts violence how it is; blunt, raw, painful, and real. It's not fun to be hurt or hurt others. It shows the effects of it. Why Joker and not a Marvel film, Rambo, or John Wick?
Not once, over the last seven years have they attacked a movie about gun violence or mentioned the Joker. Suicide Squad promotional material heavily featured the Joker and played at the theatre. If it was such a horrifying experience, any character associated with the Joker should evoke the same emotions, yet Batman V Superman still showed.
The hypocrisy of these people is unbelievable. They are inconsistent, and can not utter a single factual statement regarding the attack on their children. Joker should show at the Aurora, Colorado Cinemark theater.
I will leave this video of Todd Phillips here.
