OT: Heath Ledger,Oscar winner?

[ScarabGator]

Wouldnt this be great!!!! Really gets me jacked to see this movie.





LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Jack Nicholson's Joker was a blast. Heath Ledger's Joker is as dark and anarchic a figure as Randle McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the role that brought Nicholson his first Academy Award.


People who have seen Heath Ledger's "Dark Knight" performance compare him to the great screen villains.

1 of 2 Ledger's performance in the Batman tale "The Dark Knight" is so remarkable that next January 22, the one-year anniversary of his death, he could become just the seventh actor in Oscar history to earn a posthumous nomination.

"I do think that Heath has created an iconic villain that will stand for the ages, and of course, I would love to see him get an award," said Christian Bale, who reprises his "Batman Begins" role as the tormented crime fighter. "But you know, to me, you can witness his talent, celebrate his talent within this movie. Anything else is gravy."

Superhero flicks usually are not the stuff Oscar dreams are made of. Yet Ledger delivered so far beyond anyone's expectations that he could end up as the second performer to win Hollywood's top honor after his death.

"He may be the first actor since Peter Finch. He may even win the damn thing," said Gary Oldman, who co-stars as noble cop Jim Gordon in "The Dark Knight," which hits theaters July 18.

Finch is the only person to win posthumously, earning the best-actor prize for 1976's "Network" two months after he died.

News of Ledger's death at age 28 from an accidental drug overdose broke just hours after the Oscar nominations were announced last January, darkening what normally is one of Hollywood's happiest days. The nominations next year fall on the same date because they were moved back two days from their traditional Tuesday announcement to avoid conflicting with the presidential inauguration.

With nothing remotely like the maniacal Joker among his credits beforehand, Ledger had been a surprising choice to fans, some feeling he was too young, others sensing he would not live up to the campy but earnest performance Nicholson gave in 1989's "Batman." (The role earned Nicholson a Golden Globe nomination, though he did not make the Oscar cut.)

As filming progressed last year, word began leaking from the set about the feverishly psychotic persona Ledger was creating.

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With a marketing campaign heavily focused on the Joker, the movie trailers that followed presented a Joker with sloppy, ominous clown makeup that looked as though it had been applied in a windstorm. The brief footage revealed a character whose cackling humor cannot conceal the malevolent soul beneath.

"Whatever Heath channeled into, he's found something quite extraordinary," Oldman said. "It's arguably one of the greatest screen villains I think I've ever seen."

Fans were hooked, but some were skeptical when Oscar buzz for the performance started circulating after Ledger's death. Comic-book tales and other big action flicks rarely are taken seriously by awards voters, who are willing to honor them for technical achievements but generally not for acting.

Skepticism dissolved once Warner Bros. began screenings for "The Dark Knight." iReport.com: Will you see 'Dark Knight' because of Ledger?

"Heath Ledger didn't so much give a performance as he disappeared completely into the role," filmmaker and lifelong comics fan Kevin Smith said on his MySpace blog after seeing "The Dark Knight." "I know I'm not the first to suggest this, but he'll likely get at least an Oscar nod (if not the win) for best supporting actor."

Ledger's performance is surpassing even the sky-high expectations hardcore fans have going in.

"He was better than I thought he was going to be," said Bill Ramey, founder of the fan Web site Batman-on-Film.com, who caught an advance press screening. "I think he legitimately would deserve an Oscar nomination, not just out of sympathy to his passing, but because he was just fantastic in the movie. ... It's right up there with Hannibal Lecter," which earned Anthony Hopkins an Oscar for "The Silence of the Lambs."

Along with Finch, past posthumous Oscar contenders include James Dean, who was nominated for best actor twice after his death, with 1955's "East of Eden" and 1956's "Giant."

The other actors nominated after their deaths were Spencer Tracy (1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"); Ralph Richardson (1984's "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes"); Massimo Troisi (1995's "The Postman"); and Jeanne Eagels (1929's "The Letter").

The aura surrounding Ledger since his death is a sign that, like Dean, he could endure as a mythic figure of talent silenced before his time. Ledger had a best-actor nomination for 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" and was considered a gifted performer just coming into his own.

That will not necessarily improve his Oscar chances. Dean had two shots after his death and lost both.

"The fact that only one actor has ever won an Oscar from the grave tells us that in general at the Oscars, the feeling is when you're dead, you're dead," said Tom O'Neil, a columnist for TheEnvelope.com, an awards Web site. "Maybe the point is that the Oscars are all about hugs. Nobody wants to hug a dead guy."

Oscar voters tend to hand out the trophies for heroic or sympathetic roles, so Ledger's supremely evil characterization could prove a drawback along with the action-genre stigma.

Yet there are notable instances when actors playing villains made such an impression that academy members could not resist voting for them.

Besides Hopkins as cannibalistic killer Lecter, bad guys who won include Fredric March in the title role of 1932's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"; F. Murray Abraham as Mozart's mortal enemy in 1984's "Amadeus"; Kathy Bates as a novelist's demented fan in 1990's "Misery"; Denzel Washington as a corrupt cop in 2001's "Training Day"; and Charlize Theron as a serial killer in 2003's "Monster."

The last two years have brought Oscar wins by Forest Whitaker as brutal dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," Tilda Swinton as a murderously ruthless attorney in "Michael Clayton," Daniel Day-Lewis as a savage oilman in "There Will Be Blood" and Javier Bardem as a psychopathic killer in "No Country for Old Men."

"When a performance as a villain is that memorable, it can be held up as being that much more special," said Chuck Walton, managing editor of online movie-ticket site Fandango.com. "Oscar voters have a lot of respect for actors willing to really let themselves go and inhabit darker roles."

Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are profuse in their praise of Ledger but have been diplomatic about the Oscar talk. Awards publicity generally pads a movie's box-office and DVD receipts, and the studio has cautiously avoided any appearance of profiting from the added attention Ledger's death has brought to the film.

"The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan sidestepped the Oscar question, saying that he was simply happy that early viewers were responding to the performance the way Ledger would have liked.

[Ms_M]

Depending on the other competition - I could totally see him getting one posthumously. In the short time he did films, he had amassed an excellent body of work.

[texafana]

Hopefully the movie will do him better justice, in the previews he comes off as a wimpy, voiced, Joker. blah...

[Don]

I don't know. If Viggo Mortensen couldn't get a nod for the Role of Aragorn in LOTR, then I don't think so. But it is a vote and sentimental reasoning can play in to it so I guess I won't be surprised if it happens but would it be for the right reasons?

[strangegrey]

I haven't seen the dark knight yet...but I hope they don't throw him the Oscar just because he's fucking dead. That's wrong. I'd like to think that if the Academy was going to give him an Oscar, they would *not* take into consideration the fact that he's alive or dead.

Sadly, this shit doesn't work this way...and the movie industry, much like the music industry, capitalizes on the tragedy of someone's death to advance it's own fucking agenda.

Again, I hope his performance is deserving of it...but It saddens me to think that there stands a damn good chance he wouldn't be considered for it (given the type of film we're talking about) if he were alive....

[RedWingFan]

I haven't seen the dark knight yet...but I hope they don't throw him the Oscar just because he's fucking dead. That's wrong. I'd like to think that if the Academy was going to give him an Oscar, they would *not* take into consideration the fact that he's alive or dead.

Sadly, this shit doesn't work this way...and the movie industry, much like the music industry, capitalizes on the tragedy of someone's death to advance it's own fucking agenda.

Again, I hope his performance is deserving of it...but It saddens me to think that there stands a damn good chance he wouldn't be considered for it (given the type of film we're talking about) if he were alive....

Dude, not only will he win. But in the run-up they'll beat this story into the friggin' ground in an effort to drive up their yearly dismal ratings. Sad but true.

[ScarabGator]

He sure does look good for this role...

[Ms_M]

I agree - I haven't seen the movie and don't know when I'll get to. The previews have him looking really good in the role. At the very least, he gets a nomination on the sympathy vote. Whether he wins or not will depend on what else is nominated. Maybe. He could win it on sympathy - not exactly "fair", but the Oscars are often f'ed up that way.

[conversationpc]

I STILL think that Neal should've been given the role of The Joker. He wouldn't have had to wear any makeup at all...

[ScarabGator]

I STILL think that Neal should've been given the role of The Joker. He wouldn't have had to wear any makeup at all...

[Saint John]

They should make an example of him to kids. Over the counter drug abuse is so unbelievably out of control that the Academy should disqualify him for "detrimental conduct to himself and that of society." I have a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't "straight" when acting (half those fucks aren't). Much like a baseball player on steroids, if you can't do your fucking job "straight" you shouldn't be considered for any accolades associated with your "job." This guy no more deserves to win an Oscar than I do "Steve Perry Fan Of The Year."

[Rick]

They should make an example of him to kids. Over the counter drug abuse is so unbelievably out of control that the Academy should disqualify him for "detrimental conduct to himself and that of society." I have a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't "straight" when acting (half those fucks aren't). Much like a baseball player on steroids, if you can't do your fucking job "straight" you shouldn't be considered for any accolades associated with your "job." This guy no more deserves to win an Oscar than I do "Steve Perry Fan Of The Year."

Hilarious, yet absolutely true.

[strangegrey]

I STILL think that Neal should've been given the role of The Joker. He wouldn't have had to wear any makeup at all...

I dunno, dude.

I would've said the same thing regarding neal, for the role of the penguin.

[BobbyinTN]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

[JH'sTXfan]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

[larryfromnextdoor]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

that song is Out of Sight !! sounds super 70's!! would sound great live with a rock band..

good stuff!

[Rick]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

Is that BobbyTN?

[JH'sTXfan]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

Is that BobbyTN?

Yea, he's got a beautiful voice. He really did a fine job on this song.

[Rick]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

Is that BobbyTN?

Yea, he's got a beautiful voice. He really did a fine job on this song.

Some great harmony work there. That's tough.

[BobbyinTN]

WOW!!! You guys just made my day, oh hell you made my WEEK!!!

Funny story about that song. The musicians were awesome, but the producer was a pot head. He'd take a huge toke and with held breath say, "wha'dya think", each time a vocal was done. I was like, dude, I'm payin' YOU to think. LOL

I can't believe I got through that session without someone losing some limbs.

Thanks again for the compliments. It's nice to know people like some of my stuff.

I hope y'all had a great 4th.

[S2M]

Negative on the posthumous oscar.....It would taint the award.

Just like when Halle and Denzel won that year....token wins. This shite disgusts me. The academy is all about self-promotion. Actors/actresses are the biggest headcases of all.....How many award shows do we need? Or should I say, 'Do THEY need'....

[X factor]

Negative on the posthumous oscar.....It would taint the award.

Just like when Halle and Denzel won that year....token wins. This shite disgusts me. The academy is all about self-promotion. Actors/actresses are the biggest headcases of all.....How many award shows do we need? Or should I say, 'Do THEY need'....

Denzel Washington's Oscar was hardly a "token win"...he was phenominal in TRAINING DAY. If anything, they may have given it to him for getting shafted the year before in THE HURRICANE (also a phenominal performance, yet an uneven film). Besides, Tom Wilkenson was his only real competition that year. Will Smith? Sean Penn (A great actor, but for I AM SAM?? What a lame ass film!) Russell Crowe chewing the scenery in the ridiculously overrated A BEAUTIFUL MIND?
He is one of our finest American actors going today. Sure, Daniel Day Lewis can wipe the floor with him, but how often does THAT bastard make a movie?

Now I TOTALLY think Hallie got a break that year, as she was up against Judi Dench (who damn well oughta win an oscar every time she's on screen) and Sissie Spacek's powerhouse of a performance in IN THE BEDROOM. Hallie got a pass...

[Don]

Negative on the posthumous oscar.....It would taint the award.

Just like when Halle and Denzel won that year....token wins. This shite disgusts me. The academy is all about self-promotion. Actors/actresses are the biggest headcases of all.....How many award shows do we need? Or should I say, 'Do THEY need'....

Denzel Washington's Oscar was hardly a "token win"...he was phenominal in TRAINING DAY. If anything, they may have given it to him for getting shafted the year before in THE HURRICANE (also a phenominal performance, yet an uneven film). Besides, Tom Wilkenson was his only real competition that year. Will Smith? Sean Penn (A great actor, but for I AM SAM?? What a lame ass film!) Russell Crowe chewing the scenery in the ridiculously overrated A BEAUTIFUL MIND?
He is one of our finest American actors going today. Sure, Daniel Day Lewis can wipe the floor with him, but how often does THAT bastard make a movie?

Now I TOTALLY think Hallie got a break that year, as she was up against Judi Dench (who damn well oughta win an oscar every time she's on screen) and Sissie Spacek's powerhouse of a performance in IN THE BEDROOM. Hallie got a pass...

Judi Dench Rules!, She's been robbed more times than A Korean Liquor store in South Central when it comes to Oscars.

[X factor]

Negative on the posthumous oscar.....It would taint the award.

Just like when Halle and Denzel won that year....token wins. This shite disgusts me. The academy is all about self-promotion. Actors/actresses are the biggest headcases of all.....How many award shows do we need? Or should I say, 'Do THEY need'....

Denzel Washington's Oscar was hardly a "token win"...he was phenominal in TRAINING DAY. If anything, they may have given it to him for getting shafted the year before in THE HURRICANE (also a phenominal performance, yet an uneven film). Besides, Tom Wilkenson was his only real competition that year. Will Smith? Sean Penn (A great actor, but for I AM SAM?? What a lame ass film!) Russell Crowe chewing the scenery in the ridiculously overrated A BEAUTIFUL MIND?
He is one of our finest American actors going today. Sure, Daniel Day Lewis can wipe the floor with him, but how often does THAT bastard make a movie?

Now I TOTALLY think Hallie got a break that year, as she was up against Judi Dench (who damn well oughta win an oscar every time she's on screen) and Sissie Spacek's powerhouse of a performance in IN THE BEDROOM. Hallie got a pass...

Judi Dench Rules!, She's been robbed more times than A Korean Liquor store in South Central when it comes to Oscars.

Good one! Her AND my girl Katie Winslet too!

[Tito]

As Neal would say, "F-ck him." He was a shitbum.

[mistiejourney]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

Is that BobbyTN?

Yea, he's got a beautiful voice. He really did a fine job on this song.

Holy cow, Bobby, that is something else! I had no idea you sang and I definitely hear your "influences" in this song! Beautiful!

[mistiejourney]

Negative on the posthumous oscar.....It would taint the award.

Just like when Halle and Denzel won that year....token wins. This shite disgusts me. The academy is all about self-promotion. Actors/actresses are the biggest headcases of all.....How many award shows do we need? Or should I say, 'Do THEY need'....

Denzel Washington's Oscar was hardly a "token win"...he was phenominal in TRAINING DAY. If anything, they may have given it to him for getting shafted the year before in THE HURRICANE (also a phenominal performance, yet an uneven film). Besides, Tom Wilkenson was his only real competition that year. Will Smith? Sean Penn (A great actor, but for I AM SAM?? What a lame ass film!) Russell Crowe chewing the scenery in the ridiculously overrated A BEAUTIFUL MIND?
He is one of our finest American actors going today. Sure, Daniel Day Lewis can wipe the floor with him, but how often does THAT bastard make a movie?

Now I TOTALLY think Hallie got a break that year, as she was up against Judi Dench (who damn well oughta win an oscar every time she's on screen) and Sissie Spacek's powerhouse of a performance in IN THE BEDROOM. Hallie got a pass...

Judi Dench Rules!, She's been robbed more times than A Korean Liquor store in South Central when it comes to Oscars.

Judi Dench is a fantastic actress. Comedy, drama it doesn't matter. She nails it!

[BobbyinTN]

I can't wait for this movie!! It's selling out everywhere.

Changing the subject here...Bobby's song "Running on Empty" is darn good! Give it a listen...

http://www.myspace.com/bobbysmusicplace

Is that BobbyTN?

Yea, he's got a beautiful voice. He really did a fine job on this song.

Holy cow, Bobby, that is something else! I had no idea you sang and I definitely hear your "influences" in this song! Beautiful!

Thank you Mistie. I really appreciate that. I hope you had a great 4th.

[S2M]

Penn should have won for 'All the King's Men'....

[infinityplusone]

Agree that Denzel was awesome in Training Day. It's his performance that makes the film one of my favorites of the 00s. Halle Berry, on the other hand - other than being smoking hot - is vastly overrated. Monsters Ball was complete ass, and the part of Storm (X-Men) should have gone to Angela Basset, or heck, any other physically imposing black woman.

On steroids and baseball - who gives a rats ass? The drug situation in sports is a joke. Players have to do what they can to be the best. How can we begrudge them making the choice to potentially destroy their bodies to be #1. It's their choice, and we, the idiot 'fans' eat it up. It's not their fault - it's ours. They're only playing to the crowd (us). Either test all them, all of the time with bulletproof tests, and fire them if they test positive, or don't. There's no "controversy." Perspription drug abuse in general is another matter. Celebrities get a pass as long as it's not "street" (coke/h, etc.) Even when it is, we're all pretty forgiving about it (Robert Downey Jr.). But again, it's not the celebrities "sending the wrong message." They're just rich and able to do whatever they can get away with. Meanwhile, our government (read: us) allows turns a mostly blind eye to prescription drug abuse, while at the same time demonizing "recreational" use via the drug war.

All that being said, Jack Nicholson in the original Batman was Jack Nicholson in clown makeup. He wasn't the Joker. Ledger appears to be really inhabiting the actual character. We'll see....