Monthly Archives: April 2019

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The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – A Book Review

I picked up this thin book after enjoying the Netflix series. As I’m prone to do, I wanted to experience the source material.

For those of you craving a more detailed version of the show, prepare to be disappointed. However, if you’re willing to accept The Haunting Of Hill House on its own merits, I think you’ll have a nice read.

Shirley Jackson published The Haunting Of Hill House in 1959. This, of course, predates Stephen King and the brand of horror that we now come to expect. Interestingly, though, I think you’ll find that The Haunting Of Hill House has its own unsettling moments–they are simply just far more subtle, nuanced, and psychological.

To briefly summarize the book, Dr. Montague has gathered a few people together to study Hill House. One of them is Eleanor. She is a young woman isolated from society due to a sickly mother, but very much hoping to rejoin the world now that her mom has passed. Another woman Theodora, is something of a medium, and she bonds with Eleanor immediately. Luke Sanderson is in line to one day take ownership of the home, and he is there to make sure the doctor doesn’t take any liberties with the estate. The four of them immediately hit it off. They experience some disturbing sounds, and doors have a tendency to close without aid, but the real terror of the house emanates from the home itself. To the adventurers, the house simply feels evil. Much of the book establishes the characters and their interpersonal relationships, but then, finally, near the end of the book, the home’s influence rears its true power.

I have to admit that the first three-fourths of the book perplexed me. Not much occurred in regards to a haunting; in fact, Jackson seemed most interested in depicting her four main characters as quick-witted, jovial, and entertaining people with whom to study ghosts.

When the understated horror begins, though, it is all the more potent due to the characterization. We care about these characters, as well as their ultimate fates.

If you enjoyed the Netflix show, this read is worth your time. You’ll obviously recognize some names and scenes, but the show definitely deviated into something far more intricate. Even with that being said, I found this book’s brand of horror refreshing. It didn’t try too hard to scare me, which served the story very well. There’s an old saying that less is more–The Haunting of Hill House proved this to certainly be the case.

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Avengers: Endgame – A Spoiler-Free Movie Review

I solemnly vow not to spoil any plot points or revelations for you in this movie review.  I will only say this: it was worth the wait.

Avengers: Endgame exceeded my expectations.  Though it’s very, very long, it moves quickly, and there’s virtually no wasted time.  Every single minute of this movie counts.  It’s a big finale to a very big story, which necessitates quite a bit of time.

Furthermore, it gives you exactly what you want–even if you don’t know what you want.  Every single Marvel movie has led to this moment.  That’s not an exaggeration.  We’ve stuck with Marvel for 10 years now, and they reward our loyalty heartily.

You’ve seen some of the science of this movie in the commercials, and yes, it’s a little hokey and doesn’t hold up to much inspection, but the quantum realm element isn’t what this movie is about.  This movie is all about character.  Every character gets their due.  Every character has a moment.  Every character.

Endgame will send you on a roller-coaster of emotions.  There are many moments you’ll want to cheer out loud.  There are times you’ll laugh your butt off.  But there are some heartbreaking moments as well–moments that will absolutely make you cry.  I imagine that comes as no surprise.

In the end, Endgame satisfied.  No, it more than satisfied.  It drew this 10 year journey to an end while opening up new possibilities.  I honestly could not be happier with the execution of this film.71dXHCpZAXL._SL1051_.jpg

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Silver Dollar City: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 9)

A trip to Branson could never be complete without visiting Silver Dollar City!

Frankly, I didn’t really care that much if we made it to this theme park or not.  While it certainly looked fun, nothing can compare to Disney World in my mind.  I figured it would be a pale imitation.

We got off on kind of the wrong foot with Silver Dollar City.  We didn’t arrive as early as we wanted, and so we found ourselves in a very long line to enter.  I think we waited in line about an hour to get our tickets.  At least, it felt like an hour.  Because they closed at 6:00 p.m., we only had about seven hours once we were in.  This sounds like a lot, but trust me–it wasn’t.

As is the case with any theme park, it took a bit of studying a map to get oriented.  Once we felt confident in our bearings, we started strolling along.

We visited a taffy making shop right off the bat and got a few samples.  This was a very popular place with my daughters.  We next visited a candy making shop, which was even MORE of a hit!  After that, we made our way to a glassblower’s area.  It was very cool to watch these craftsmen.

Then something wildly unexpected occurred.  We happened across a roller coaster called Thunderation.  My wife wants no part of roller coasters, nor do either of my children.  Or at least, that’s what I thought.  My oldest, who was ten at the time, agreed to go on it with me.  She picked quite a coaster for her first go!  Though she was a little nervous, she showed incredible bravery and LOVED it.  Personally, I felt elated to finally have a roller coaster buddy!

We waited quite a while in line for Thunderation, probably about 20 minutes.  As the day wore on, these wait times got longer and longer for other rides.  There’s no fast passes at Silver Dollar City!  (At least, not that I know of.)

My wife and youngest daughter traveled to an area with tamer rides for little ones which they very much enjoyed.  There really is a ride for everyone at Silver Dollar City.

I won’t go into great detail, but my oldest and I also enjoyed a very intense roller coaster called Powder Keg.  We then convinced my youngest daughter to ride a very small roller coaster called the Grand Exposition Coaster, which she absolutely adored.  As a complete family, we enjoyed The Flooded Mine–my youngest daughter hated this one because of the escaped prisoner mannequins, but the rest of us got a kick out of it.  We did a ton more rides, most of which were aimed at a younger crowd.  Make no mistake, however, there are plenty of big rides like what you would find at Disney or Six Flags.  Some looked too extreme even for me!  You can find a complete list of all rides HERE.

Silver Dollar City had a lot more to offer than just rides, though.  There were restaurants galore, live singing, functioning craftsmen demonstrations, and plenty of gift shops.  My wife particularly enjoyed a little homestead area made to replicate life in the 1800s.

All in all, we had an absolute blast.  I would not hesitate to go back to Silver Dollar City.  In fact, we plan to go back someday soon because we didn’t have enough time to take it all in!  One day simply wasn’t enough for us.  Believe it or not, my youngest daughter said she liked it better than Disney World.  She was six when we went, so we didn’t come down too hard on her, but we did tell her to slow her roll.  That’s just crazy talk.

You can visit the Silver Dollar City website by clicking HERE.

 

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Hamners’ Unbelievable Variety: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 8)

Hamners’ Unbelievable Variety came highly recommended by the online community, so we figured we’d give it a shot.  After all, it sounded perfect for the family.  Magic, acrobatics, singing — something for everyone!

Like with the Amazing Acrobatics of Shanghai, we were a little surprised to find that the show took place on a stage much like any other theater.  However, as time went one, we discovered this is just the way it is in Branson.  All of the shows occur on a traditional stage.

The show started with Johnny Lonestar warming up the crowd.  He and his son performed some lasso tricks that were a lot of fun.  Lonestar had a great sense of humor, brought up an audience member or two for a few tricks with his whip, and included his son who did a great job.

Eventually Dave and Denise Hamner took the stage as well.  Dave performed some cool card and coin tricks and also made his magnificent birds appear out of thin air.  Everything about his opening act was top-notch.  However, it’s obvious that Dave’s best days are behind him.  While his personality shined, his physical movements seemed labored, almost as though he was in pain.  With thousands of physically demanding performances under his belt, it’s likely he’s got quite a few aches and pains built up over time.

We were next astounded by Mariya Serykh’s aerial act.  Serykh performed a silk performance that literally had us mesmerized.  Without the aid of a net, mat, or safety rope, she climbed, twisted, spun, and turned nearly as high as the ceiling.  Best of all?  The silks hung down right in front of the stage near the front row.  A very young woman, Serykh seemed at the top of her game.  She was graceful, fluid, and executed her moves perfectly.

Next, Jeff Brandt took the stage.  Like Hamner, Brandt appeared to be pretty seasoned.  He’s said to be a master imitator of singers, which certainly proved to be the case.  He imitated, among many others, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, and even — virtually at once — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr.!  Brandt definitely knew how to work the crowd and got everyone rocking and rolling.

Anthony Soumiatin soon appeared in the Cyr Wheel.  This is one of those giant hoops that the person hangs onto with their feet and hands as they spin and slide along the stage.  A young man, Soumiatin really did prove a master at this specialty.

Of course, the Hamners are performing magic and illusion acts between all of these other acts as well.  Many of them are grand, impressive tricks with lots of big props, music, and lighting.  The production really is something to see.

Of course, there were a few other performances, too.  There was some singing, a dance, some slapstick comedy, and even a memorial video montage paying tribute to a deceased cast member.  You get your money’s worth with Hamners — that’s for sure!

Dave Hamner then took a moment to invite everyone back to the theater because he’s also an ordained minister and they hold services on Sundays.  This caught me a little by surprise, but, as I soon learned, everyone wears multiple hats in Branson.  I appreciated that he didn’t come on too strong with this offer, especially because it seemed sincere.

Near the end, Hamner and his cast came out and saluted the veterans before performing one last patriotic trick that will blow you mind.

Yes, I’ll admit it — the cheese factor was pretty high throughout most of the show, but it was the good kind of cheese.  Hamner struck me as being in on the joke.  He knows the product he’s offering.  Don’t make any mistake, though, while much of the cast are on the back end of their career, it’s a great time with some truly impressive feats.  Both of my kids had a wonderful experience, and so did my wife and I.  Though I wouldn’t make viewing this show a top priority, I would definitely consider it among my top ten attractions at Branson.  Like I said, it’s nice because it’s got a little bit of something for everyone.

You can visit the Hamners’ Unbelievable Variety website by clicking HERE.

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Mel’s Hard Luck Diner: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 7)

We needed another meal idea while in Branson, so I yet again ran to Google to search the best reviewed restaurants in the area.

I couldn’t believe it when a placed called Mel’s Hard Luck Diner appeared near the top of the list.  Not exactly an appetizing name, right?  I took a look at the menu and it appeared as though everyone would be able to find something to eat.  The restaurant’s concept also sounded kind of cool — the wait staff will sing to you as you eat!

We agreed to give it a try.  Secretly, though, I felt a little nervous.  Singing and dancing makes me feel really awkward if I’m too close to the action.  I worried that the staff would literally be singing to us.  Looking someone in the eye as they sing directly to you — yikes.

Another confession — as soon as we walked in I wanted to leave.  Honestly, the place did not look all that nice at first glance.  Getting seated wasn’t a super warm experience, either.  Worst of all, the place was practically empty.  How good could it really be if we were practically the only ones there?

However, our waitress immediately proved very inviting and even play-sang for us a little as my wife and children mentioned that they were looking forward to the music.  I thought, “Oh, they just sing kind of goofy for you as they talk about the food.  I see.”

I was wrong.

At that moment,  the real music started and it all made sense.

The waiters and waitresses actually stroll along the restaurant with a microphone in hand belting out classic hits.  They take turns with one of them singing about every ten minutes.  One woman actually patted customers’ heads and rubbed their chins as she sang, but most were content to simply walk around while showcasing their talent.  Most impressive, though, was a man who actually carried several plates with the microphone tucked under his chin before placing the food in front of his customers while singing exquisitely!

Our competitive juices got flowing a little bit.  When our waitress sang, we made a point to cheer for her as loudly as we could and let the place know we had the best.  Nothing about the setting encouraged us to do so, but no one discouraged us, either.

Seriously, we heard about five different people sing while we were there, and they all had beautiful voices.  Each one of them also had a CD available in the gift shop, which they each made sure to mention at the end of their song.  Hey, who can blame them, right?  I imagine these folks are hoping to get discovered.

All in all, we had a really fun time.  The singing was excellent, our waitress was superb, and the food pleased us all.

Oh, by the way, by the time we left, the place was packed.

Here are some pictures from the Grand Village Shops website. This quaint little shopping center is where the restaurant is located.  You can also visit Mel’s Hard Luck Diner directly HERE.

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Hollywood Wax Museum: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 6)

Who doesn’t love a good wax museum?

When researching Branson, the Hollywood Wax Museum came up quite a bit as something visitors must do.  My wife and I took our kids, and we all had a ball.

With King Kong and plenty of outdoor attractions, the museum makes a great first impression.  We played around for fifteen minutes before even entering the museum!  Once inside, prepare for some very cool figures.  There’s a wide array of celebrity replicas.  My personal favorites were Zorro, Indiana Jones, and Bill Murray.  My kids loved Captain Jack Sparrow, the Men in Black, and the modern day pop stars section with Katy Perry, P!nk, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber.  My wife enjoyed the classic film stars section, as well as the Bradley Cooper figure.

I also personally enjoyed the horror section of the museum which featured old school Universal monsters as well as the Predator, Jason, Freddy, and even Leatherface.  Be warned, though, this area is made up to look a bit like a haunted house.  My six-year-old wanted no part of it, and my ten-year-old moved us along through it pretty quickly.

Some of the figures were more accurate than others, but all of them were extremely well made.  You can get right up next to them, and I was amazed to see intricate details like  tiny hairs on arms and blotches on skin.  They really did look lifelike in a lot of cases.

Most families could easily spend an hour or two in the museum.  We were pleasantly surprised by how many replicas were actually on display — more than we expected!

If you’d like to take a look at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Branson, click HERE.  It’s open 8:00 a.m. to midnight every day, so there’s always time to fit it in!

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Titanic: World’s Largest Museum Attraction: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 5)

My wife is a huge history fan, so our visit to the Titanic museum in Branson was always a foregone conclusion.  I’ve got some good news for you — there’s something at this impressive attraction for everyone!

We bought our tickets online well ahead of time, but–during spring break, at least–this wasn’t really necessary.  We arrived around 10:00 a.m. and had virtually no wait.  They do like to start groups at the top of the hour, but I don’t believe it’s a strict requirement.  Anyway, our tickets were waiting on us with no problems at all.

The exterior of the museum will astound you.  As you approach, you’ll notice that the front of the Titanic looms above high.  You can look at the picture below to get a sense of the scale.  It’s mammoth.  Of course, they obviously could only replicate about the first quarter of the ship.  That first one-fourth, though … wow!

As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by curators wearing authentic clothing.  You also get to see a replica of an actual propeller hanging above your head.  While it’s obviously not authentic, the size is correct, and it is breathtaking.

The museum offers listening devices that allow you to hear audio pertaining to specific areas of the museum.  They have two versions.  One is aimed at adults.  The other is meant for children.  The museum even designates which channels are for adults and which are for kids.  It’s a small, though much appreciated, feature.  Both of my daughters were happy to listen to the kid-friendly snippets.

Once you enter the first exhibit, you’re met with an enormous model of the vessel about the size of a couch.  The detail is amazing and you could probably spend an hour alone studying it.

Once you leave this exhibit, you’ll encounter a speaker walking you through the Titanic’s doomed journey.  Our presenter, a retired teacher, was excellent.  Though he probably gives the same talk dozens of times a day, he showed wonderful enthusiasm and really made it fun to experience.

I won’t run through every single exhibit with you, but they have plenty for the entire family to enjoy.  For the grown-up history buffs, prepare yourselves for actual recovered artifacts like paperwork, cutlery, life vests, furniture, a replica of the grand staircase, vintage clothing, and that’s just to name a few.

For the more tactile patrons, the museum offers an actual wheel that you can spin, a deck replicating both the temperature and night of the awful accident, a vat of water with a timer for you to stick your hand in that mimic’s the temperature the survivors would have had to endure, three different portions of the deck at different pitches for you to experience what the sinking would have felt like, and so much more!

Furthermore, you will be given a ticket stub when you enter with the name of an actual passenger on the Titanic and their biography up to the night of the tragedy.  As you exit the museum, you’ll get to discover if your person survived or not.

Though the Titanic museum is extremely educational and offers a lot of really fun, physical things to do, it’s also quite sobering as the full impact of the travesty settles upon you.

If you’re traveling to Branson, I would consider this a “must-do” event.

You can visit the Titanic museum by clicking HERE.

 

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Jackie B. Goode’s Uptown Cafe: Branson, Baby! – Our 2019 Spring Break (Part 4)

During our first full day at Branson, we were faced with figuring out where to go for lunch.  Like with Florentina’s the night before, I simply ran a quick Google search and Jackie B. Goode’s popped right up near the top of the list.  Because we were totally unfamiliar with the area, we decided just to go for it.

We walked up and immediately loved the decor.  As you can see from the picture below, they have a fun yellow taxi cab right out front and their facade makes for a pretty cool view from the street.

As we entered, we saw a big, open room definitely decked out in 50s style.  It felt a little bit like walking through a time portal.  Jackie B. Goode’s is named for Jack Goode, a man who sacrificed his life for America during Vietnam.  You’ll see lots of memorabilia on the walls honoring his memory.

Though it was 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, there wasn’t much of a crowd.  We were seated immediately.  We noticed that the staff, while very friendly, were also pretty experienced.  As a result, the service wasn’t very fast or energetic, but it was done correctly and with a smile.

I ordered a fried chicken sandwich.  I’ve never had one before, so I figured why not?  I also ordered a root beer float.  The root beer float proved to be one of the best I’ve ever had.  The fried chicken sandwich was also very good.  It was exactly what it sounds like — a fried chicken breast on a bun.

My wife ordered fish and chips.  She said it was okay but nothing particularly special.  She told me that it compared to what you would get at a lot of fast-food places.  However, she raved about her chocolate malt.

My daughters seemed to enjoy their grilled cheese, and they certainly loved the chocolate brownie ice cream sundae dessert that they shared.  I took a few bites myself — delicious!

A stage existed off to one side of the restaurant.  Jackie B. Goode’s apparently has live musicians performing most of the time.  No one played while we ate there, but we did notice a woman walk in and start setting up as we were finishing our meal.  They also had a jar placed near the cashier notifying patrons that the musical acts were not paid, but they would appreciate any tips.

We had a good time at Jackie B. Goode’s and, for the most part, liked our food well enough.  I’d have no problem recommending it to someone looking for a bite.  Our only small complaint is that Jackie B. Goode’s has a breakfast buffet from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m.  We didn’t intend to make the buffet, but my wife was positioned as such that she had to watch the workers clean the buffet up throughout her entire lunch.  She didn’t find it very appetizing.

Whatever the case, I absolutely suggest you at least pop in for a root beer float, a chocolate malt, and a brownie ice cream sundae.

If you’d like to visit the Jackie B. Goode’s website, click HERE.

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Shazam! – A Movie Review

If you’re looking for a family-friendly entry to the cinematic DC universe, Shazam! is your ticket!  Lighthearted, funny, and full of positive messages, this film will appeal to kids and adults alike.

That being said, I didn’t think it was all that great.

Let me explain why.

First of all, I would like to say that Zachary Levi absolutely shined in Shazam!  Like Paul Rudd, there is something unarguably likable about this man, so he proved the perfect actor for the role.  Levi’s a big fella which made him more than capable of filling the hero’s boots, but he’s also got a playful side to him that allowed the audience to believe there’s a teenage boy  in there.

Furthermore, the children acting in this film were wonderful, too, especially the two leads, Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer.  These two young men were really fun to watch in action.  They also have a foster family other children, all of whom were distinct and entertaining in their own right.  The script and the actors did a nice job of keeping these young characters both charming and likable.

Lastly, I’ve got to rave about the costume.  When the still first came out, folks were bashing the Shazam costume.  Let me tell you — it looks great on film.  I think it may be my favorite super hero costume yet to grace the big screen.  It’s modern yet classic, streamlined yet flashy, warm yet very, very cool.  Much of the film takes place in the daylight, so you really get to see it in all its glory.  Whatever team created that costume should be proud.

However, I do have some issues with the film.

My biggest complaint is that you’ve already seen the best parts.  The didn’t save anything for the actual film — they gave you all the best stuff in the trailers.  The best lines, the best jokes, the best “wow” moments … you’ve seen them all already.  That really disappointed me.

Also, it took way too long for Zachary Levi to arrive.  The movie starts with a focus on the villain, and it’s a good twenty minutes before we even get to Shazam.  Once Levi appears things liven up quite a bit, but it took awhile to get there.

Finally, the resolution is pretty apparent early in the film.  You probably guessed this from the trailers, but the focus on family is a driving force of the plot.  This isn’t a bad thing–not at all–but it also didn’t offer much else.

In fact, that’s Shazam’s greatest misstep.  There are no goose-bump moments.  When Wonder Woman climbed out of that trench and charged the enemy — goose-bumps.  When Arthur Curry walked out of the waterfall in the Aquaman costume — goose-bumps.  When Superman and Batman stood toe to toe for the first time ever on film — many, many goose-bumps!  Shazam! didn’t have a moment like that.  Shazam’s journey in the film has been done hundreds of times before.

Of course, I don’t think I’m the target audience for this movie.  Shazam has always been aimed at kids.  What fourteen-year-old doesn’t fantasize about being a big, strong, independent adult?  I’m really excited to see what my students think of Shazam!  Will it appeal to their sensibilities more than mine?  We’ll see.  After all, the entire plot really revolves around two teenage boys along with their foster brothers and sisters.

If you’re looking for a fairly innocent family film, though, this could be for you.  There is a little bit of profanity, so be warned, and I’m told there is one violent moment that struck my friends as tonally inconsistent with the rest of the film.  Apparently, this occurred while I was in the bathroom.  I’d have no problem taking my ten-year-old to it, but I would probably keep my six-year-old out due to language and some scary monsters.

So while Zachary Levi is really fun to watch, and while there are some very funny moments, I’m afraid the best parts of Shazam! were already shown during the trailers.

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The New Joker Trailer Proved Me Wrong

Did you know they are making a standalone Joker movie?

Truthfully, when I first heard about this film, it sparked not one bit of interest from me for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I believe the Joker is one of those characters that exists best on the fringes.  The less we know about him, the better.  The Dark Knight nailed his character by telling us virtually nothing about him.  To devote an entire movie to his origin, I thought, would weaken his character and provide too little content.

Secondly, I’m one of the few people who really enjoyed Jared Leto’s take on the Joker.  I’m not yet ready to cast that Joker aside in favor of this new one.  I appreciated Leto’s Joker because it was both classic and unique at the same time.  I’ve never encountered a Joker quite like that, yet his look struck me as comfortably familiar as well.  The contradictory interpretation suited Joker nicely.

Furthermore, I heard rumors that this Joker would not connect to any of the other DC movies and would, for all intents and purposes, be a standalone in an alternate reality.  Now listen, I’m a fan of the DC Multiverse.  I’ve often said that Warner Brothers needs to lean into this concept and really play up the Earth 1, Earth 2, etc. concept.  Fans would easily be able to grasp it.  However, the initial description of the movie didn’t sound like the Joker at all.  For example, they gave him a name, Arthur Fleck, and placed him in the 1980s.  Worst of all, it was said he would just be a failed comedian who loses his mind and dons the makeup.  No mention of Batman.  It’s been argued that Batman is the driving motivator of Joker’s mayhem, especially because it was partly Batman’s fault that the Joker fell into the vat of chemicals resulting in his madness.

All of these things deterred me from thinking I would like this movie.

And then, this morning, the first trailer dropped.  If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look …

I was wrong.

Totally.

Utterly.

Completely.

Wrong.

They are doing everything it takes to completely win over my interest, and that’s by giving me the totally unexpected.  I did not anticipate the unsettling tone regarding Fleck’s descent into madness.  And though I knew Joaquin Phoenix could act, I did not think he’d deliver such a disturbed character.  I could not predict changing the Joker’s “look,” though ever so subtly,  would render him even more terrifying.  They have captured something with Joker, something profoundly … creepy.

This trailer validates taking the film into a remote part of the DC Universe.  While you could argue the fact that this movie doesn’t even have to be the Joker, it could be any clown-based criminal, the fact that it is an iteration of the classic villain makes it all the more ominous.

After all, we know just how awful the Joker really is.  We know that this Fleck character is destined to become one of the most evil fictional villains in pop culture.  Watching him get beaten up and kicked by life time after time after time in the trailer’s short time span really strikes a nerve because we know that many of our mass murderers were similarly bullied in life.

Which leads me to my only real concern about Joker.  Because it’s so clearly detached from the other DC movies, I don’t mind the thorough exploration of his origin.  I actually think it’s totally appropriate to display every single life-altering tragedy that drives a man into criminal insanity in this context.  However, I am worried that they are going to make him sympathetic or even an anti-hero.  I don’t want to feel bad for the Joker, and I say this because he is so heinous.  Mind you, I’m generally not against villains being sympathetic.  But Joker?  No, we can never feel sad for the Joker.  (Of course, Joker has proven me wrong in every other facet, so it will probably do so again in this case as well.)

Joker seems to have tapped into something very special.  It’s unafraid, primal treatment of such a visceral character appears to be creating a film full of raw, unflinching emotion.  I know it certainly struck a nerve with me.  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments.

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