Heath Heath Heath

[Mikaela]

I keep imagining some random person staying at a hotel in London sometime last year, incidentally walking past the door of the hotel room next to hers just as room service arrives so the door opens as the neighbour receives it. The hotel neighbour; a tall guy wearing caked white makeup and smudged kohl raccoon eyes and a huge crimson smile painted over his mouth and his cheeks. For all the world looking like some demented clown. And then hearing over and over, day by day, variations of some strange, high-pitched maniacal laughter through the wall.

How was that poor (purely imagined) but surely nervous person to know she was not staying next door to a scary lunatic, but witnessing the visual and audio parts of the creation of a cinematic icon? 

[Shasta542]

From MSNBC Celebrity Buzz:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25463577/

[Ellemeno]

From MSNBC Celebrity Buzz:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25463577/

This article says, "OK! magazine is reporting that Ledger’s “Brokeback Mountain” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal will join his sister Maggie [at the July 14th New York premiere], who play’s Batman’s love interest Rachel Dawes in “Dark Knight.”

[Mikaela]

I would take that bit of premiere news with a grain of salt. Isn't OK magazine a gossip rag - probably of the same ilk who kept coming up with sensationalist "news" back in january, reporting that Jake was in Australia etc. etc.? I think they're making this up. Why would they even know at this stage who, if anyone, is accompanying Maggie, and isn't it far more likely that Peter Sarsgaard willl be there with her?

[Mikaela]

A new (to me) and long and very pulse-boosting trailer in the link below, with lots&lots of Joker in it, including a couple of clips I don't think I'd seen before. The very last clip is chilling to the umpteenth degree. Well, most of them are. The Joker has such a menancing physical presence, with that slight hunch...

I never thought I'd get to this place, but I'm very exited about TDK and looking forward to it. I'm actually bummed that the film premieres later in Europe than in the US. I'd like to see it right away.

[BelAir]

This article says, "OK! magazine is reporting that Ledger’s “Brokeback Mountain” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal will join his sister Maggie [at the July 14th New York premiere], who play’s Batman’s love interest Rachel Dawes in “Dark Knight.”

that news sounds too startling to be true.  cause that would be a pretty amazing event wouldn't it?

[Brown Eyes]

that news sounds too startling to be true.  cause that would be a pretty amazing event wouldn't it?

I found a similar report on MSNBC yesterday and posted it over in the Heath Remembrance forum.  It provides a little more context... but, somehow a lot of this also feels a bit like speculation.



‘Dark Knight’ premiere not a Ledger tributehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25463577/

By Courtney Hazlett
The Scoop
updated 10:28 p.m. ET, Mon., June. 30, 2008
 
 
Contrary to some of the buzz surrounding the New York City premiere of “Dark Knight,” the July 14 event will not serve as a tribute to the late Heath Ledger, nor will Michelle Williams be attending. In fact, the attendance of Ledger’s family isn’t certain, according to a rep for Warner Bros.

In terms of who will be there and the intent of the premiere, Williams’ rep Mara Buxbaum said, “There is misinformation all over the place.” One thing is for certain: Williams was never planning on being at the premiere. “(The premiere) was never on her calendar and she’s not in the movie. This isn’t a press event for her,” said Buxbaum. “She’s not going, there is no reason.”

As for Ledger’s family coming in from Australia, a rep for Warner Bros. said, “We cannot confirm that yet. We’re not even sure they’re coming.” But OK! magazine is reporting that Ledger’s “Brokeback Mountain” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal will join his sister Maggie, who play’s Batman’s love interest Rachel Dawes in “Dark Knight.”

Regarding whether the evening will serve as a tribute, the studio would only say, “We’re treating it like a premiere.”

A rep for Warner Bros. also could not confirm the “tribute” at the end of the film, but one insider does say that “Chris Nolan made the decision that as the screen credits roll, there is a tribute to Heath.”

[Kerry]

Ledger Theatre Comes Under Fire

Sydney Morning Herald

2 July 2008

The naming of the new performing arts centre after Hollywood star Heath Ledger has split Perth's arts community.

Since yesterday's announcement of the decision by Premier Alan Carpenter the issue has become hot, with many attacking the Perth-born actor's personal life and lack of theatre work as reasons why the Northbridge centre should get a different name.

On 6PR radio this morning, media commentator Andrew Bolt attacked the move as "cheap", saying Mr Carpenter was just "advertising himself".

He questioned whether Ledger was a good role model, and why someone with minimal stage work should be given such an honour.

West Australian Academy of Performing Arts program director Andrew Lewis also criticised the move, saying the WA government had engaged in a cynical marketing exercise.

But WA Screen Academy director John Rapsey said Ledger had been a brilliant actor and he was happy to have him remembered in this way.

"There is some merit in naming the theatre after somebody whose career was built on film acting, from my point of view it's all acting," he said.

"His performance in Brokeback Mountain will be remembered as one of the great screen performances."

Mr Lewis said the naming issue had put some industry noses out of joint.

"People in the industry don't feel that they were consulted," he said.

But he stressed that this did not detract from the fact that Ledger was a great actor.

"I certainly would love to honour Heath because I think he was an extraordinary man and a great talent, one of the best exports that we have ever had," Mr Lewis said.

"And he is well known, which will hopefully bring people to the theatre."

[Kerry]

I'm a little behind with the news. I hope this article hasn't been posted already.

Ledger Theatre a Fitting Tribute

Sydney Morning Herald

1 July 2008

Heath Ledger would have happily put his name to a new WA performing arts centre named in his memory, his father Kim says.

The new building will be called The Heath Ledger Theatre and it will be built in the cultural precinct of Northbridge, in inner city Perth.

Premier Alan Carpenter announced the new building's name in Perth today and said it was a fitting tribute to the WA actor who died in New York in January.

But Mr Carpenter said the move could attract some controversy.

"There is no doubt that it will be controversial, I am absolutely certain it will be controversial but that's the way life is," Mr Carpenter said.

Mr Ledger, welcomed the move and said it was a fitting tribute to his son, who was a great supporter of the arts.

He said some memorabilia of Heath's glittering movie career would be provided for the venue to display.

"We feel that endorsing Heath in this way for both his work and the arts and for the State, is a wonderful honour," he said.

"I think if he was here today, because he was such a giver to the arts right across the board, there's not a lot of things he'd put his name to but I'm absolutely positive he would put his name to that."

Mr Ledger is preparing to fly to New York for an early screening of Ledger's last film, the Batman movie The Dark Knight, ahead of its July 14 premiere.

The Ledgers have already seen the first eight minutes of the film. Mr Ledger said it was a difficult time for his family, who were still grieving.

"It's difficult to try and grieve as we have been trying to, like any family that's lost a son or a daughter, but it's just been a little more public and the film is making it a little more public as well," Mr Ledger said.

"It's a bit hard but we are extremely proud of his work and we always have been."

The Ledgers would spend time with Heath's former partner Michelle Williams and his daughter Matilda during their US visit, Mr Ledger said.

The Heath Ledger Theatre will seat 575 people, include a flexible 200 seat performance studio, rehearsal spaces and an outdoor multi-purpose space. The $91 million project is scheduled for completion in 18 months

[Mikaela]

Thank you, Kerry. I didn't know of the controversy over the naming of the theatre - it sounds quite small-minded, - but then again entirely human... someone always has objections and opionons and feels the need to air them in public.


Here's an article that's a good summary of the Joker-related reviews so far, the posthumous Oscar discussion, and of other "bad guys" who've previously gotten an Oscar, from CNN. It is an interesting read, but also contains a few entirely insensitive comments from one commenter, just so that's been said as a small warning:

Could Ledger really win an Oscar? http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/film.ledger.oscarbuzz.ap/index.html