Watching The Movies: ‘Joker’ Is More Depressing Than Wild

I grew up watching Cesar Romero’s portrayal of Joker on reruns of the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West. If you’ve seen a Batman movie in the past 40 years, however, you know that the franchise has gotten progressively darker and grittier. Even by the time that Jack Nicholson portrayed Joker in the 1989 Batman movie, the character had morphed from a campy “Clown Prince of Crime” to a psychopathic killer. Fast-forward another 30 years through Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the character and you can imagine where Joaquin Phoenix takes him.

[WARNING: Stop here to avoid spoilers.]

Joker is an origin movie that purports to explain how the killer clown came to be. The movie is more of a psychological thriller than a typical comic book movie. Frankly, it was not what I expected at all. If you want to take your kids, you can take some comfort in the fact that there is less graphic violence and profanity than in many R-rated films, which is not to say that there is none. There is also no graphic sex and only brief nudity, which is not sexy at all. That does not mean that the film is suitable for children, however.

The story centers around, Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, a sad sack who works as a clown. Fleck lives with his mother in a tenement in a 1960s/70s version of Gotham City. The movie revolves around Fleck’s descent into madness and violence.

While there have been some attempts to tie Joker to one political side or the other, the feeling that I had as I watched it was that its main relevance to the news cycle was in its depiction of how mental illness can lead to mass murder, a theme that we have become all too familiar with in recent years. Fleck exhibits many warning signs and is actually on police radar, but, for much of the movie, law enforcement stays a step behind. Fleck attempts to hold on to his sanity but others view him as a freak and their harassment pushes him deeper into his fantasy world.

There are political ideas in the film, however. A recurring theme is the anti-rich movement that Fleck sparks, which might be compared to Antifa riots but could also be representative of any number of violent episodes. Another scene with political connotations is when a social worker tells Fleck that funding for his appointments and medications has been cut.

“They don’t care about you,” she tells him. This could be taken as either a conservative anti-bureaucratic statement or a liberal statement about conservatives cutting social programs.

Interestingly, the film undercuts the push for gun laws. Rather than buying a gun, the murder weapon literally drops into Fleck’s lap. No gun law would have prevented his later actions.

While the film does not feature Batman, there are numerous Easter eggs that involve the Wayne family. I won’t spoil those, but I will point out one obscure reference that I only realized as I was writing this. Fleck performs his stand-up routine at a comedy club called “Pogo’s.” This seems to be a reference to serial killer John Wayne Gacy who performed as Pogo the Clown at children’s birthday parties.

There is one notable omission to the origin story and that involves the idea from comic books and previous Batman movies that the Joker wears no makeup. Previous Joker origins have included details of how he fell into a vat of chemicals, bleaching his skin to the clownish white. This aspect of the Joker origin is absent from the new movie.

I can’t really say that Joker is a good movie, but it was interesting. Frankly, it’s also a depressing movie. Fleck is a pathetic man whose destiny might have been changed if he had experienced a little more human kindness, both as a child and adult. One acquaintance is spared on the grounds that “you were the only one who was ever nice to me.”

Fleck would have also benefitted from involuntary commitment laws. The sad truth of modern society is that mental illness often goes unrecognized and untreated. Although mental illness does not always lead to murder, there are plenty of recent examples in which the results of untreated mental illness have been tragic. Although I’m a small-government conservative, government (especially at the state and local levels) does have a role to play in identifying and treating people who present a mortal danger to the public. I’m all for individual rights, but it is not in society’s best interests to allow potentially homicidal mental patients to remain untreated, unconfined, and armed

In the end, Joker is something of a cautionary tale. Modern life can lead people to be isolated even in the midst of a metropolis (yes, I know the Metropolis is Superman’s town, not Batman’s) and when people are isolated and alone, depression, despair, and mental illness can take root. A lesson from the movie is that we should not push people further into isolation by bullying the weird kid or mocking the lonely guy who lives down the street. A friendly gesture can go a long way.

But sometimes friendly gestures are not enough. If someone displays warning signs (learn more about what to look for here), report them to the appropriate authorities so that they can get the help that they need. The life you save may be your own.

Originally published on The Resurgent

Hotel Mumbai Review

Sometimes the most riveting stories are the ones from real life. True tales of courage and survival can sometimes rival anything that Hollywood screenwriters can cook up. That’s the case with Hotel Mumbai, the new thriller based on the real-life terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai in November 2008.

Hotel Mumbai was lost in the shuffle between the pro-life drama, Unplanned, the horror movie, Us, and a bevy of superhero flicks. Until I started looking for a movie to see, I hadn’t even heard of Hotel Mumbai.

The movie is the gripping tale of how 10 Islamic terrorists from Pakistan attacked 12 sites in the Indian city of Mumbai. The terrorists eventually penetrated the luxury hotel and terrorized the staff and guests until Indian security forces were able to respond. The terrorist assault lasted three days, during which time the occupants of the hotel were forced to fend for themselves.

The movie follows several guests, staff members, policemen, and the terrorists through the attack. For the most part, the gunmen are depicted as remorseless killing machines who are repeatedly instructed by their leader in Pakistan that they should kill without mercy. And kill they did. The combined death toll from the attacks was 166 people with more than 300 wounded.

Although the terrorists were heartless and were depicted as such, there are scenes towards the end of the movie in which one of the murderers breaks the façade to reveal that some traces of humanity have been left. The effect is to humanize the murderers enough for the viewer to fully sense the tragedy that these men too left behind lives that could have been lived more fully and had loved ones to mourn their loss. In the end, the real villain was the unseen imam who turned what a policeman called “just boys” into brainwashed killing machines.

To balance the cold, calculated brutality of the terrorists, Hotel Mumbai depicts the hotel workers and guests who fought to survive. There are moments of courage, nobility, and love as well as fear, cowardice, and stupidity. These are the understandable reactions of ordinary people who are suddenly faced with extraordinary evil.

The movie, which is rated R, is fast-paced and gritty. There is almost nonstop violence and it is depicted in a realistically bloody manner. This is not a movie for children or the faint of heart. The movie is also filmed in several languages so there are subtitles. The majority of the dialogue is English, however, so the reading is not unduly burdensome.

It did keep my heart pounding, however. The action onscreen was riveting and the characters, aside from the terrorists, were very sympathetic. What made the movie even more intense was the knowledge that this really happened to real people. Hotel Mumbai is somewhat reminiscent of No Escape, the 2015 Owen Wilson movie in which an American family is caught in the midst of a third-world coup, but the historical aspects of Mumbai make it worth watching, even if you’ve seen the earlier terrorists-in-a-hotel film.

As I watched, Hotel Mumbai also reminded me of how fortunate we are in the United States. We have occasional active-shooter killing sprees but we don’t have organized terror attacks by well-trained gunmen acting in teams. In the event that there is an attack of some sort, we also have police tactical units in most major cities. In Mumbai, the nearest SWAT team had to be deployed from Delhi, about eight hours away. Despite the problems that we have on our border, our neighboring countries aren’t filled with people of a hostile religion who want to kill us just for the sake of killing.

Nevertheless, the threat is real, even here. As a frequent traveler, the thought of being trapped in a hotel room with gun-toting terrorists roaming the halls and no way out is chilling. So is the thought that any airport, train station, or shopping mall could become a shooting gallery to a determined terrorist. If spree-killers can inflict large numbers of deaths in this country, so could a jihadist. The spree might not continue for three days but it would be very bloody and very difficult to defend against.

Hotel Mumbai is the best new movie that you never heard of. It doesn’t have big name actors, superheroes, mind-numbing special effects, or exotic fight scenes, but it does have heart and intensity. This true story of survival and sacrifice against unflinching evil is one that needs to be told.

Originally published on The Resurgent

Podcast Review: The Other Kennedy Assassination

When you hear the phrase, “the Kennedy assassination,” your mind automatically jumps to Dealey Plaza in Dallas, home of the Texas School Book Depository and workplace of a mousy little communist named Lee Harvey Oswald. Given the outsized place that the death of John F. Kennedy holds in American history, it is not surprising that the assassination of his brother Robert Kennedy is all but forgotten.

For those of you who, like me, are not well acquainted with the murder of RFK, a new podcast provides a fascinating look at the crime, the criminal and the possibility of a conspiracy. The podcast is called the “RFK Tapes” and features an investigation by Zac Stuart Pontier and Bill Klaber into the assassination of JFK’s younger brother.

On June 5, 1968, Robert Kennedy, who had served as JFK’s attorney general, was the junior senator from New York and he seemed to be on top of the world. That day he clinched the Democratic nomination for president with twin primary victories in California and South Dakota. Afterward, he went to a celebration at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. A few hours later, he was dead.

The assassin was Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian Arab who was born in Jerusalem to a Christian family. Sirhan was a Jordanian citizen who had come to the US with his family as a child, 12 years before he killed Kennedy. He spent his early years in the West Bank where he was traumatized by violence, including the death of his older brother, from the Arab-Israeli wars. His early years left Sirhan with a deep dislike for Israel that became a motive for the assassination.

There is little doubt that Sirhan was involved in the assassination. Witnesses saw him fire his .22 pistol at Kennedy in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. He was apprehended at the scene by onlookers, who disarmed him after he had emptied his gun. A journal was found at his house where Sirhan had written that “RFK must die” because of his support for Israel. Sirhan even confessed to the police after his arrest and asked to plead guilty to the murder.

Similar to the assassination of JFK, the question became whether Sirhan was the sole perpetrator or whether there was a conspiracy. The main evidence for a conspiracy is the possibility that more than eight bullets were fired during the melee in the hotel kitchen when Sirhan’s gun only had an eight-round capacity. There is also the mysterious “girl in the polka dot dress” who several witnesses claim to have seen. Finally, there are questions about ballistics such as whether Sirhan was close enough to account for powder burns on Kennedy’s body and whether the angle of bullet entry matches Sirhan’s position in the kitchen.

Some episodes of the podcast present seemingly bizarre theories, such as the idea that Sirhan was the victim of hypnosis and mind control. Proponents of this theory argue that it explains why Sirhan today claims that he cannot remember the killing. Sirhan boosted this theory in 2011 when he claimed that the “girl in the polka dot dress” triggered a posthypnotic suggestion that made him draw his pistol and begin firing. The podcast investigates the evidence both for an against a conspiracy and presents an objectively to the listener.

In the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony about Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it is interesting to see how eyewitness testimony changes over the years. When a story changes over the course of 30 or 50 years, is it because memories are not perfect and our minds play tricks or is there a more sinister reason? Especially after several decades, eyewitness testimony cannot be considered reliable without supporting evidence.

Although I remain a skeptic, I have to admit that the evidence for a conspiracy in the RFK assassination is more compelling than it is in the case of JFK. On the question of how many bullets were fired, we will never know the truth for sure because the LAPD destroyed key evidence that may – or may not – have proved that there were two guns. More than eight bullets would be de facto proof of a conspiracy.

Also curious is the way that the LAPD discarded the reports of the “girl in the polka dot dress.” Featured in the podcast are audio recordings of LAPD Sgt. Hank Hernandez browbeating witnesses into recanting their claims of seeing the girl. One is left with the feeling that Hernandez was less interested in finding the truth than in eliminating loose ends.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a true believer, the “RFK Tapes” is a gripping look back at a pivotal time in American history. If Kennedy had lived to become the Democratic nominee, Richard Nixon might never have become president and the latter three decades of the 20^th century might look entirely different. As with the death of JFK, it is humbling to think that the course of history could turn on the actions of a single aggrieved gunman. As Rand Paul recently warned, it could easily happen in the current political environment as well.

[If you’re unfamiliar with podcasts, you are missing out. Over the past few years, I have become an avid listener of podcasts, first through my iPod and then with my smartphone. To understand what a podcast is, think of it as an audiobook or a radio serial available on your phone. Podcasts are available through a variety of apps such as Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher and are available on a variety of topics.]

[Photo: Robert F. Kennedy lies mortally wounded on the floor immediately after the shooting. Kneeling beside him is 17-year-old busboy Juan Romero, who was shaking Kennedy's hand when Sirhan Sirhan fired the shots

Originally published on the Resurgent

Book review: Secondhand Sight by Rocky Leonard

What would you do if a piece of clothing from a thrift shop opened up a channel of communications to the spirit world? That is the question put to Dan Harper, a mild mannered computer programmer from Atlanta. When he buys a used necktie to replace his own stained one, Dan begins seeing visions of grisly murder scenes. Suddenly he knows things about a sadistic killer that he could not possibly know.


Is Dan being used by the ghosts of the victims to exact their vengeance or is he the psychotic killer himself? As Dan tries to determine the answer, he attracts the attention of the police and begins a cat-and-mouse game in which he has to find a way to stay out jail long enough to determine what is really going on before the death toll grows.

Rocky Leonard, a native of Savannah and current Atlantan has done it again. “Secondhand Sights,” his second novel, much surpasses his debut effort, “Coastal Empire.” The book is fast paced and well written with a story line that leaves the reader wanting more.

Dan’s supernatural experiences force him to confront an evil that seems all too real. The brutal crimes could almost be plucked from actual newspaper accounts of senseless killings, but the twist comes when the unseen spirits tied to those crimes begin confronting Dan. The reader is forced to wonder whether spirits still lurk in the houses of the dead and whether they might, at times, steer the living in a direction that helps them find justice and revenge.

Leonard’s background as an Examiner.com writer in which he often investigated supernatural claims and accounts of near death experiences is evident in this well-spun tale. In a world where the spiritual is often not considered because it cannot be seen and touched, communication by a dead murder victim would make most of us doubt our sanity. Leonard puts the reader in Dan’s shoes as his ordered, normal view of the world is shattered and he fights to determine what is real and what isn’t.

You may have read murder mysteries and detective thrillers before, but you haven’t read one like this one.

“Secondhand Sight” is available as an ebook and paperback. It can be purchased on Amazon.com and GoodReads.com.

 Full disclosure:  I served as a proofreader for Leonard.

Rocky Leonard’s “Coastal Empire”

Rocky Leonard’s first novel, “Coastal Empire,” is a fast ride through Georgia’s coastal Chatham County and Savannah. The book features Robert Mercer, a Marine veteran (“there’s no such thing as an ex-Marine”) who runs a private detective agency in the Savannah suburb of Thunderbolt with the help of Ox, his very capable German Shepherd partner.

When Mercer comes to the aid of a damsel in distress, it puts him on the trail of a sinister plot involving precious jewels, high-priced real estate, and murder. Before long, the bodies start to pile up as drug dealers, jewel thieves, and a professional hit man stalk Mercer and his associates, including Kelly, a sexy jewelry store employee who may not be as innocent as she seems.

Leonard takes his readers on a journey through the local haunts of Savannah, Tybee Island and coast al Georgia. Local readers will appreciate the attention to detail in the descriptions of the area, and those who admire Savannah from afar will find hints of places to go and things to see when they have the chance to visit.

The book moves quickly and its many plot twists keep readers guessing. The criminal mastermind’s ingenious plot is simple but effective and plausible enough to feel threateningly possible. It is also easily concealed from the eyes of the public and law enforcement… until Mercer’s client stumbles upon it.

Leonard’s villains are not caricatures. In fact, one of the most interesting characters is DeVaughn Harris. A mild-mannered auto mechanic by day, Harris moonlights as a hit man by night. The juxtaposition of friendly boss and cold-blooded contract killer makes Harris seem all the more real and leaves one wondering about the secret lives of people that we encounter on a daily basis.

“Coastal Empire” is the first book in the Robert Mercer series. He will likely be back with his Savannah buddies to solve a new mystery soon. It will be interesting to find out more about Mercer and his friends, such as how a seemingly supernatural event in a historic Savannah cemetery affects him, whether Kelly remains in the picture, and whether the events in “Coastal Empire” inspire Nick, a brilliant programmer and confirmed Generation X slacker, to change his life’s course.

“Coastal Empire” is available as an ebook from Smashwords.com.