Daily GarlicDaily dose of amusement and humor.

I’m a huge Batman fan. I own Mask of the Phantasm on VHS and find time to screen it annually. It should therefore come as no surprise that news of Heath Ledger’s untimely death immediately made me think caped crusader. What are the likely implications of Heath Ledger’s passing for Nolan’s new (and painfully promising) Batman film series?

I think it goes without saying that The Dark Knight, the summer 08 follow up to Batman Begins, is going to make a ton of money. That fact was set in stone June of 2005 when Bruce Wayne thirsty moviegoers picked up what Chris Nolan threw down. But now that Heath Ledger is dead only months before release?

Does anyone remember when Brandon Lee died while filming The Crow? It’s a great picture, but the box office gross had to have doubled due to the swirling death news. I’m not saying the studio is going to try to capitalize off of this Hollywood tragedy, I’m saying moviegoers want to see a star play a role so powerful that it killed them in real life. Interviews that I normally accredited to the hype machine had Heath saying the role of the Joker haunted him and gave him insomnia. Those seemingly casual words are going to surpass ‘Why so serious’ as a creepy textual documentation of just how dark the new Batman movies are getting.

Speaking of ‘Why so serious,’ a slogan from the very well played Dark Knight viral campaign, I couldn’t help but momentarily entertain the proposition (in admittedly bad taste) that maybe this whole thing was just another brick in the wall of brilliant viral advertising that’s been done for this movie. I know this isn’t the case here, but I wouldn’t put it past studios to fake actors deaths, or maybe just put them into legitimate comas, after they see what could very well be the biggest box office weekend of the decade come this summer.

Fiscal ramifications aside, the Batman fan in me had a terrible bout of separation anxiety today. I was so skeptical when I first heard about Heath Ledger playing the joker. I actually thought it was a joke. Soon the pictures started surfacing and then before I knew it I’m buying a ticket to see I Am Legend on the Imax just to catch a glimpse of a Joker that might, dare I say it, surpass Jack. And now, no matter how amazing his performance is this Summer, it will be the last time we see him play the role.

And you know they left it open ended so he could come back. Part of me just wants him to be terrible so I’ll eagerly await a smiling replacement, but I know that’s not going to happen. He’s going to be spectacular and when the curtain closes and the lights go up…that’s all, folks. It’s a damn shame.

I mean no disrespect to Mr. Ledger’s friends or family- trivializing his death in terms of box office impact, viral marketing and potential sequels. These are just my immediate reactions as a Batman devotee. Rest in peace, Heath. The world is waiting for one hell of a final performance.

About the Author:

BadWithComputer is a hopeless Internet addict with too much time on his hands. His favorite films include Goodfellas, Hackers and Caddyshack. His late night snack of choice is chicken fingers with chocolate milk.

Great movies are more than just creative story telling, they embody the hopes and fears of our generation through a visual medium.  Whether you like science fiction movies, action, horror or romance, there’s a moral in there for everyone.  Imagine what the world would be like without Batman, Indiana Jones or James Bond?  Let’s just call it cinematherapy!