i liked this 34 minute short.i liked how it was photographed.i thought the acting was pretty good.the main focus of the movie is of course the Joker,so there is limited screen time for Batman or Robin,but i liked the scenes they were in.i also liked the story.it's original,as far as i know.i thought he atmosphere was great,and i liked the music and songs.this film is definitely not for young kids.it's pretty dark,and has a couple of violent scenes which are very vivid and brutal.this is the second short film i have seen.the first one was Nightwalking,which was only 2.5 minutes,directed by Daniel Cormack.if you are interested in watching Patient J,go to Google video.you can view Nightwalking at the virgin media shorts website.as for Patient J,i liked it a lot.my vote:8/10
8 Reviews
"Patient J" is a very solid Batman-based "fan-film" with a few big problems...
TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness25 February 2012
Director and co-writer Aaron Schoenke delivers "Patient J", a half-hour long fan-film based on the infamous Batman adversary 'the Joker.' And it is a very decent fan-film for what it is, although it suffers from some major flaws, mainly due to the cheap production and some shaky acting.
Kurt Carley plays a psychologist whom has arranged to hold an interview with the deranged villain Joker (Paul Mathew Molnar) deep in Arkham Asylum. At first, the interview is very basic, as Joker explains his past and his various encounters with Batman, but as time passes, it becomes clear that both men have diabolical- and possibly deadly- ulterior motives.
The star of the film is the script by Aaron Schoenke, Sean Schoenke and David Hammond. It is very tight, very tense, and the dialog flows quite nicely. It is very natural and well-crafted and it was a lot of fun to watch.
The acting is pretty good. Molnar is alright as the Joker, although he isn't really a revelation- at times he seems very stiff and a bit forced. Carley is also adequate as the psychologist, but again, nothing special. And Kevin Porter as Batman is good, although the film doesn't really feature him too much, asides from a few action scenes where he yells and grunts, so we don't get a good gage of Porter's abilities. Rachel Nicole is a lot of fun as Harley Quinn.
The main problem with the film is the fairly poor visual direction and cheap production. The lighting is pretty poor and at times the color looks a little blown out, and the camera angles and editing are very amateur. It takes the film down a notch and is quite distracting. There wasn't much imagination with the visuals, which was a shame given the good script.
All-in-all, considering, this is a decent fan-film. It has a good script, but suffers from bad direction and editing. I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10. Check it out.
Kurt Carley plays a psychologist whom has arranged to hold an interview with the deranged villain Joker (Paul Mathew Molnar) deep in Arkham Asylum. At first, the interview is very basic, as Joker explains his past and his various encounters with Batman, but as time passes, it becomes clear that both men have diabolical- and possibly deadly- ulterior motives.
The star of the film is the script by Aaron Schoenke, Sean Schoenke and David Hammond. It is very tight, very tense, and the dialog flows quite nicely. It is very natural and well-crafted and it was a lot of fun to watch.
The acting is pretty good. Molnar is alright as the Joker, although he isn't really a revelation- at times he seems very stiff and a bit forced. Carley is also adequate as the psychologist, but again, nothing special. And Kevin Porter as Batman is good, although the film doesn't really feature him too much, asides from a few action scenes where he yells and grunts, so we don't get a good gage of Porter's abilities. Rachel Nicole is a lot of fun as Harley Quinn.
The main problem with the film is the fairly poor visual direction and cheap production. The lighting is pretty poor and at times the color looks a little blown out, and the camera angles and editing are very amateur. It takes the film down a notch and is quite distracting. There wasn't much imagination with the visuals, which was a shame given the good script.
All-in-all, considering, this is a decent fan-film. It has a good script, but suffers from bad direction and editing. I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10. Check it out.
An interesting take on the Clown Prince of Crime's agenda!
chrisgiant11 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Incarcerated at Arkham, the Joker is visited by a psychiatrist who has been refused access by the hospital's board, but has managed to bribe his way in. While asking the clown prince of crime an array of questions, we travel back via flashbacks to the first time Joker fought Batman as the Red hood, the murder of Robin (Death in the family) and Batman nearly killing him in angry retaliation. There's also some interesting dialogue about why Batman never seems to finish Joker off! Batman's costume changes from scene to scene as well, from the 1940's original (With the lower angled ears), to the costume similar to that pictured in the Return of the dark knight graphic novel and worn by Clark Bartram in Batman: Dead end. Finally, there's a great twist in the tale too, and it involves the psychotic Harley Quinn making an appearance!
The acting is not the best, but the joker is played rather well (With some great lines included), Harley Quinn is spot on (She's hot!) and the set pieces are some of the best I've seen in a fan made film! It has the right Gothic feel that the Burton films and begins have with the insanity of the joker from the animated series.
A great take on why the Joker does what he does. BECAUSE HE'S A NUTTER!!!!!!
The acting is not the best, but the joker is played rather well (With some great lines included), Harley Quinn is spot on (She's hot!) and the set pieces are some of the best I've seen in a fan made film! It has the right Gothic feel that the Burton films and begins have with the insanity of the joker from the animated series.
A great take on why the Joker does what he does. BECAUSE HE'S A NUTTER!!!!!!
Wow!
babyloncrow30 August 2006
I have to say, to date this is the best Fan-type Batman film I've seen. Great acting by Paul Molnar, as the Joker!! Makes you really wish there was more to watch! This has got to be the best Bat in the Sun production, yet. I hope to see more in the near future. There are a few confusing parts, but you instantly forget them as you are swept into a new scene. Would have liked to have more Batman, but the scene between Joker & Batman was honestly... the BEST. I love the filming style, and the writing was excellent, soundtrack was perfect! This really has all the ear-marks of being a major motion picture, Bat in the Sun have exactly what it takes and the ~style~ of this film is what will make them big! Grayson has NOTHING on this film. I've watched all of the other films listed for Bat in the Sun, but honestly I was so excited when I finished watching this that I really wished there were more films. I hadn't heard of Bat in the Sun productions before, but now I'm such a fan of their work. All of the films are well worth the look, though Patient J is the best of all of them (so far!).
My Review
supernoahman9 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Down below in the dungeon of Arkham Asylum, a desperate psychologist Henny Youngman (Kurt Carley) pulls a few strings in order to get a one on one interview with the infamous Clown Prince (Paul Molnar). With the use of flashbacks, Director Aaron Schoenke dives back into the Joker's early life showing the young man who had failed at being a comic and failed at being a father. The specific lighting shots on the Joker's face and hands produced an eerie effect which illuminated his face making each line he delivered frightening. Throughout the thirty-four minute film, a creepy musical score produced by Sean Schoenke gave "Patient J" an appropriate tone, especially shown in the interview scenes. Arkham Asylum was dark and creepy. We did not see very much but from what was shown; it was enough to give the representation of an insane asylum. There were shackles hanging from the cinder block walls and ceilings, occasionally screams emitting from the cells above. Paul Molnar was born for this role. Not taking anything away from Jack Nicholson's wacky portrayal in Batman, Molnar's Joker is more intense, more demented and even more focused than any other depiction of this character throughout the Batman mythology. Molnar's tone in his voice reminded me specifically of the Animated Series Joker. His mannerisms were equal to Nicholson's' but in such confined area of Arkham, even the simultaneous cracking of his toes made me shudder with delight. The way Paul delivered his lines were not only humorous, but very disturbing psychologically because he was being so serious. You cannot affiliate the Joker without mentioning the maniacal laugh. Molnar's smile spread across his face like a pool of blood seeping from one of his victims, shall I say performers? The psychotic unsettling laugh from the Joker was excellent, especially in the portrayal of pain. Although Patient J is short; it provides numerous quotes that will repeatedly run through your head. The Joker's voice was not only the perfect portrayal from Molnar, but the makeup done on him was flawless. He looked dead-on as the Clown Prince in comparing to the cartoon Joker, comic book Joker, and Jack Nicholson's wide smiled Joker, Molnar's facial features made his overall representation entertaining and extraordinary. I would be thrilled if he would ever audition and win the presumed role of the Joker in the sequel to Batman Begins. With the release of Batman Begins DVD, it was hard for me not to compare Christian Bale's portrayal to the unknown actor who played the Dark Knight in this short independent film. I was fascinated by how good the costumes looked on screen, having never seen the cloth version before, it was a simplistic and impressive touch. As far as acting, the Batman never really had any dialogue. His voice was gruff like Bale's and the fight sequences were enjoyable. There was no swooping down from his grappling gun or use of any gadgets, but simple kicks and punches thrown was just enough action for me to get my kicks. The last character that made me smile had to be Harley Quinn. She was in the final scenes and only had a few lines of dialogue with Paul, but she nailed them perfectly. I loved it when she was out of costume and had the sexy thick glasses on while she greeted "Mister J". This was a sweet nod to the Animated Series of the 1990's where Harley Quinn was equally demented. After seeing her and the Joker in full costume, I realized that this short film was a masterpiece. It had all the right elements to be an essential Batman story and deserves to be recognized as an addition to the Batman Mythology. The interview sequence between Paul and Kurt was high and low. The high parts belonged to Molnar while the low scenes were delivered by Kurt. The Joker stole the spotlight in this film and I found it absurd that psychologist had a back story that turned out to be ridiculous and irrelevant to the true portrayal of the Joker. Kurt Carley's lines were not impressive and brought down the tone of the film. I found his acting to be dismal and nothing short of disappointing. Even though the dialogue was weak and the side story of Henny Youngman exerting revenge on the Joker quickly turned into wanting to become part of the Joker's legacy, I did enjoy bits and pieces of their interaction together. It is truly hard for me to be critical of such art when I am a fan of this creation. Some flashback scenes, specifically Batman killing the Joker was a letdown. It lowered the pace of the film and was not really necessary, although it was inserted to give further explanation between the bizarre relationship of Batman and the Joker. Although I am not a fan of Robin and I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed Joker's murderous flashback of killing him, the overall scenes of Robin were less impressive compared to Batman's fight scenes. I also felt that Robin without pants was somewhat campy and a little too weird for my taste. Overall, I agree with the Joker's reasoning that Batman does not need a sidekick. One final quip I have was the fact that Arkham Asylum, full of serial killers and psychopaths, was extremely easy to escape from, however I realize that this is not the most important part of the film. "Patient J" offers a unique outlook on Batman's most villainous arch-enemy. The creative minds of David Hammond, Aaron and Sean Schoenke delivered a fascinating tale that digs into the mind of the deranged Clown Prince and answers questions about his evil motives. Bat In The Sun Productions offers a unique version of the Joker by digging into the mind and reason behind the criminal acts committed over time. "Patient J" is an exceptionally well done piece put together with an admirable performance by Molnar who does indeed get his three gold stars.
Isn't it wonderful? You're in your own movie, Mr.J!
adampotter13 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Wow! What a brilliant fan film! Here is a Batman film that is not really a Hollywood or even a professional film and yet it is so well thought out and well acted and well executed! Patient J is just a fan film yet for me it is up there with Mask of the Phantasm, Batman Returns, The Dark Knight and some episodes of The Animated Series.
In this film, there are references to and comic boo fans like myself will recognise some scenes from some classic Batman graphic novels including Death in the Family and The Killing Joke. The Joker is well portrayed in this film, he is menacing, evil and truly disturbing and frightening, just as Joker should be portrayed! Aaron Schooke has crafted a brilliant project and his other Bat films are great but this is fantastic!
Mr Schooke, if you are reading this, would you please adapt The Killing Joke; adapt it into something like a piece of cinema but stay close to the story and the visuals that Brian Bolland have created!
In this film, there are references to and comic boo fans like myself will recognise some scenes from some classic Batman graphic novels including Death in the Family and The Killing Joke. The Joker is well portrayed in this film, he is menacing, evil and truly disturbing and frightening, just as Joker should be portrayed! Aaron Schooke has crafted a brilliant project and his other Bat films are great but this is fantastic!
Mr Schooke, if you are reading this, would you please adapt The Killing Joke; adapt it into something like a piece of cinema but stay close to the story and the visuals that Brian Bolland have created!
Patient J (Joker): Not bad effort I suppose
Platypuschow25 January 2018
Patient J tells the short story of Joker being taken down into the dark recesses of Arkham Asylum for further psychological evaluation. Through flashbacks his story is told but both men have secrets!
Patient J crams a lot into 30 minutes including Jokers Red Hood origin and even the infamous Death In The Family scene. The trouble is the flashbacks are by far the worst parts of this and just look tacky.
The scenes between Joker and the psychologist however aren't actually that bad, in part due to a decent enough script and strong performance by the clown prince.
I think this could/should have been handled better, maybe more mind games between the pair building up to the finale and less of the flashbacks.
Nice effort, but too badly flawed.
The Good:
Joker does a decent job
Some great ideas
The Bad:
Looks hit and miss
Doesn't come together that well
Things I Learnt From This Short:
That was a prosthetic chin, right?
With the right actor and script a Joker feature film could be better than every Batman film combined
Patient J crams a lot into 30 minutes including Jokers Red Hood origin and even the infamous Death In The Family scene. The trouble is the flashbacks are by far the worst parts of this and just look tacky.
The scenes between Joker and the psychologist however aren't actually that bad, in part due to a decent enough script and strong performance by the clown prince.
I think this could/should have been handled better, maybe more mind games between the pair building up to the finale and less of the flashbacks.
Nice effort, but too badly flawed.
The Good:
Joker does a decent job
Some great ideas
The Bad:
Looks hit and miss
Doesn't come together that well
Things I Learnt From This Short:
That was a prosthetic chin, right?
With the right actor and script a Joker feature film could be better than every Batman film combined
As absurd as the title character
Horst_In_Translation8 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"Patient J (Joker)" is a 35-minute movie from 10 years ago and it is a fan movie taking place in the Batman universe. This was made in 2005, exactly the same year that Christopher Nolan started his Batman trilogy. This little movie here takes place almost exclusively in an interrogation room where some kind of investigator keeps asking the Joker about his crimes. We see flashback scenes that were nicely done and there are also some good moments in the interrogation chamber. However, I felt the ending was really bad. The interrogator's real motives were a complete joke and the way the Joker flees is absolutely unrealistic as well. It sort of destroys everything that happened before and the films credibility. I am a bit surprised this has such a high rating I must say, even if Paul Matthew Miller played his part well. Then again, the Joker is such an absurd character that you can really go over-the-top and still give a credible performance. The writer and director here is Aaron Schoenke and he was quite prolific in the last 10 years working on several other (fan) films. I hope these are better as this one here, overall, is not a great watch and may have been better at 15 minutes. Not recommended.
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