Soundwave: The Touch. Things like this are why I bother to keep waking up in the morning. This is more entertaining than Michael Bay’s TransFormers any day. I can’t wait ’til the next time someone pisses me off so I can unleash some “Operation: Shut The Fuck Up” on them. Genius.

It always pissed me off that Burton killed the Joker off at the end of Batman, but I thought Jack did a great job. Just the right mix of humor and being a psychotic cold blooded killer. Everytime I watch Burton’s Batman it feels like Nicholson really got into the part he just wasn’t doing it for a pay check. I was and still am prepared to hate Ledger’s Joker so I guess I’m not really upset that he isn’t gonna reprise the roll any time soon……..sorry if that sounds too mean.

Damn, Jack Nicholson was not happy about Heath Ledger being the Joker. I hadn’t heard this before. To be honest with you, I don’t usually give a damn about what MTV has to say about anything, because MTV not only represents, but often openly glorifies, every single thing that’s soulless and wrong with the entertainment industry whores who have all but buried music and/or young adult television as a viable medium. However, when it’s MTV and Jack Nicholson speaking, its hard not to lend an ear.

Take this interview with a grain of salt. Scratch that, this is MTV; take it with a fucking handful of salt. MTV and Rolling Stone magazine have been known to “edit” their interviews so unscrupulously that often the intent of the interviewee’s answers are complete slanted in directions they never intended. Then again, this does sound like shit Jack Nicholson might actually say. Trust this at your own risk. You have been warned.

MTV: What do you think of another actor, Heath Ledger, playing the Joker in next summer’s “The Dark Knight”?

Nicholson: Let me be the way I’m not in interviews. I’m furious. I’m furious. [He laughs.] They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me.

MTV: It was never brought up?

Nicholson: No. It’s like, in any area, you can’t believe the reasons things do or don’t happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. Maybe it’s not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I’m furious.

MTV: I’m surprised to hear you sounding competitive about a role like that.

Nicholson: Well, the Joker comes from my childhood. That’s how I got involved with it in the first place. It’s a part I always thought I should play.

MTV: Will you see the new film?

Nicholson: I’m not inclined to watch it because of what I said. But if it’s a good movie, I’ll catch up with it somewhere. I don’t think they ever really captured Tim Burton’s spirit [since he stopped being involved]. They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton’s a genius. He had the right take on it. That’s why I did the movie. I did the movie based on a single conversation with him. We both come from the cartoon world originally. We had similar ideas. Tim said [the Joker] should have a humorous dark side to him. [Burton is] one of the great moviemakers. I think the world of him. He’s the most unassuming man. And he doesn’t feel pressure. That’s what I love about him. Once he’s in there, he’s smiling making the movie. That’s it!

I guess I can see where Jack’s coming from. If it weren’t for he, Tim Burton and Micheal Keaton knocking one out of the park in 1989, there would be no new Batman movies. But I think he needs to back off. The man is 70 years old. Does he seriously think he can believably compete in a comic book/action movie role as the main opponent against a highly trained martial artist? Jesus Chris, he’s in terrible shape. He’d kill himself. Much love to Jack, and I am sincerely a big fan, but him being the Joker at his age is just not realistic. I’m afraid it would come off as more laughable than menacing, and that’s not what you want in a good homicidal maniac.

I’ve heard a lot of bellyaching about Heath Ledger being the Joker, and now that he’s dead I’m sure I’ll hear a lot of back-stepping and faux “respect for the dead” nonsense. While I always wish condolences to anyone who is personally grieving over the loss of someone close, the philosophy here at The Sci-Fi Guys has always been “Don’t bullshit the audience.” I’m not going to do the standard “oh, it’s so tragic he’s dead” routine that most people started pumping out the minute the news broke. I did not know the man, nor was I a fan. I just haven’t seen enough of his work to know if he was any good. I saw Patriot and immediately forgot everything about it, because I liked it so much better the first time I saw it when there were more sword fights and it was called Braveheart. A Knight’s Tale was a blast, but that didn’t have a lot to do with Ledger. That was just a well put together, funny movie, and I think it would have worked just as well with pretty much anyone age/size appropriate in the role (sorry again, Jack). I don’t have any opinion of Heath Ledger one way or another. Personally, I like what I’ve seen so far of Dark Knight, and I won’t at all be surprised if he pulled off his role as the Joker very nicely. I’m looking forward to seeing what he did with the role. I expect that I will be entertained.

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger
April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008

Heath Ledger is Dead
Posted Jan 22nd 2008 4:40PM by TMZ Staff

TMZ has learned that 2006 Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has died in NY.

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime, adding that prescription pills were found near his body.

According to NYPD a masseuse arrived at Ledger’s apartment and was let in by a housekeeper. When Ledger didn’t answer his bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened it and found him unconscious. They attempted to wake him; when they couldn’t, they called 911.

We’re told when paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Heath Ledger’s apartment: Click to watchThe 28-year-old actor has a two year old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams — they separated in September, 2007. He plays The Joker in the upcoming Batman film, “The Dark Knight” and is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking role as Ennis in “Brokeback Mountain.”

We’re told Heath had dinner last night with his model girlfriend Gemma Ward.