Is 'Joker' Dangerous or Just Distasteful?
by EG
Joker director Todd Phillips said he stopped making comedies like The Hangover Part III because it's impossible to be funny in "woke" culture. Now he's trying his hand at being edgy using violence and mental illness as his tools. That's making some people uncomfortable, too. Read on for details.
New York City police will deploy officers to theaters screening Joker this weekend, the department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Days ago, Los Angeles police announced its department would do the same in the wake of a wave of unease the dark Warner Bros. film has evoked for some after three more mass shootings took place over the summer and in light of the film's indirect connection to a mass shooting that took place seven years ago.
"There are no specific or credible threats at this time and these events will continue to be closely monitored," New York City police told THR. "Any additional personnel will be deployed as needed."
The New York Post reported Monday that NYPD chief of patrol Rodney Harrison directed all the city’s precincts to provide police coverage at theaters showing the movie.
Police sources told The Post that uniformed patrol officers will also be sent to AMC theaters throughout the city.
To date, there have been no "credible threats" connected to Todd Phillips' R-rated take on the DC character. That said, law enforcement sources told THR there have been unfounded threats.
Los Angeles police said Friday that the department "is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of Joker. While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens.”
Early last week, five Aurora, Colo., families wrote an open letter to Warner Bros. expressing their deep worry over the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix and tells the villain's origin story in a dark tale with violence, at times with a gun, that some have said can be brutal and jarring.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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