Living Dead Dolls Presents: The Joker

If you read my LDD Presents IT Pennywise (2017 version) you'll know that my son bought me a couple of dolls for my birthday this year... Pennywise was of course one and the other was this awesome little guy.

I first spotted his doll as a pre-order announcement email from Mezco in September last year and really wanted him, as he wasn't going to be sent out until around April this year it worked out better because Aaron bought him as a present for my birthday instead!

Before I get into talking about the doll himself, I think I should take a few minutes to tell you about my relationship with  The Joker and the various incarnations of him that have been seen in films and on TV for many years for longer than I've been alive..

My favourite Joker throughout my childhood was played by Cesar Romero who portrayed the enigmatic villain in the TV Series which also starred Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt among many others.

He played the role so quirky and silly but also ingenious in his schemes and fitted in so well with the cartoon / comic book style of the show.

Out of all my favourite Jokers (spoiler alert, I now have 4!) he is still my favourite and the only on to have played the role more than once, having portrayed the maniac villain from 1965 to 1968  and in that short time was in some of the most memorable episodes of the 3 season series as well as the film Batman: The Movie which came out in 1966.

Growing up Cesar Romero's Joker was the ultimate Joker to me but then in 1989 a new Batman film was released, and with it came a new Joker. 

This time played by one of my favourite actors; Jack Nicolson I was a little dubious at first as while I love Jack Nicolson's ability to play weird, edgy and over the top characters, I really wasn't sure how he would fare as The Joker.

I needn't have worried as when I went to the cinema to see the film, I loved his portrayal so much that I went back the next night, and the next until I ran out of pocket money and had to wait for it to come out on video instead!

Whereas Cesar Romero's Joker has a kind of childlike quality to him Jack Nicolson's Joker had a kind of Gangster appeal and along with it a vicious streak which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I now had 2 favourite Jokers, besides The Joker from the Arkham Asylum graphic novel, but I might talk a bit about him later...

Throughout the 90's I watched the new Batman films as they were released but apart from loving Jim Carey as The Riddler and Danny Devito as The Penguin, nothing much sticks out from those films, and for the most I didn't enjoy them. 

But then came the 2000's and with it new Batman films... in 2005 Batman Begins was released I found it pretty boring, except for Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow... (I'm sensing a pattern here!)...

 Christian Bale's Batman voice was stupid and grating which didn't help, so I was really unsure about whether I was going to bother with The Dark Knight when it was released in 2008, Aaron being a fan of Batman, and wanting to see how they portrayed his origin story, convinced me to do so, and I have to say I'm very glad he did!

I'd only seen Heath Ledger in three films; A Knight's tale, Ned Kelly and Candy so I really had no idea what to expect from his portrayal, what I'd seen of his acting was a sensitivity, firmness and determination which he expressed so well in those films, but how was that going to work for The Joker?

Pretty bloody well it turned out!!

IMDB.

And so we come to one of the best depictions of the Joker I've ever seen... 2019's The Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix. When I first heard he was going to play the role, I again was sceptical but it turned out that once again I was very pleasantly surprised...

Joaquin Phoenix was the perfect choice to play this role, his Joker is an amalgamation of of my favourite Jokers, except much much darker and I love him and this movie for it!

Like Cesar Romero's Joker he has a silly, playful side, combined with the ruthfulness of Jack Nicholson's Joker and the psychotic villainy of Heath Ledger's Joker.

Another of my favourite Jokers just happens to be the one that most inspired the 2019 film, he is the subject of the 1988 DC Comics graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke.

Like Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, Killing Joke's Joker is also a failed comedian who has a stressful home life and after one too many hard knocks, loses his sanity and resorts to murder.

This Joker's psychosis leads him into a far more evil mindset than the other's mental illnesses do, and so his crimes are harder to forgive or even understand. 

He doesn't care if his victims are undeserving or if his crimes go way beyond retribution and are just cruelty for cruelty's sake. 

When he decides to toy with someone it isn't playful or a silly scheme like Cesar Romero's Joker or to some extent Jack Nicholson's his is a game of torture and pain.

Anyway, it's time to show off my little man now, which of course is why you're reading this so I'll shhh about the depictions of The Joker and tell you about the Living Dead version instead!

I totally fell in love with the promotional images Mezco send out for this little guy, he's so quirky looking... Although I can't decide which if any Joker he is based on.

His box puts me in mind of Romero's Joker with the addition of Heath Ledger's Joker's playing card / calling card, and the colour suit of Jack Nicolson and Heath Ledger's Joker coupled with the pinstriped trousers of Cesar Romero's Joker's outfit...with it's bright purples and greens... 

While the box has loads of Ha Ha Ha's all over it and inside a hypnotic green and purple swirl which really makes me think of the 60's tv show, 

He has the same articulation points as other Living Dead Dolls - 8 points, as he is based on the same body type used for normal Living dead dolls.

The quality of the fabric used for his outfit is really good and well sewn, so he displays perfectly either inside his box or outside.

He comes with a cute little gun, which is a mini replica of the one Jack Nicolson's Joker used in Tim Burton's Batman. 

It is moulded in it's "shot" position, showing the "Bang" flag which pops out when the gun is shot.

It is moulded in such a way so that his finger fits perfectly against the trigger and it is firmly held in place by the moulding of his hand so doesn't slip or fall even if the doll himself does!

I'm sure it goes without saying, I love this little guy and am very pleased to have him in my collection - Thanks Aaron!

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🎈 Living Dead Dolls Presents: IT Pennywise (2017) 🎈

                                                                  

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On the 24th April last year, I posted about my new Living Dead Dolls Presents IT Pennywise (1990 Mini Series version), you can read about him here if you'd like.

At the time I was waiting for my IT Ultimate Pennywise Action Figure by Necca (2017 version) to arrive, click the link above if you want to read about him or my IT Ultimate Pennywise Action Figure (1990 version) also by Necca who arrived on 7th May... 

In one of those posts I mentioned I wasn't into the new IT film (Part 1) when I watched it, at the time I decided I wasn't going to bother with Part 2 but I did like Bill Skarsgård's portrayal of the demented clown and that was totally true at the time, but recently something weird happened.

I was rereading IT by Stephen King and I suddenly got the idea that I wanted to see how close to the book the second film was so I watched part 2 and I really enjoyed it!

Well after that I decided I'd give the first part another go and for some reason all the annoyances I'd felt the first time I viewed it where no longer there, and I found myself enjoying that part too!

I know, right?!

There were a couple of choices they made I wasn't so keen on (changes to the story) but in the context of the film it worked really well; just don't compare it to the book or the Mini Series and you'll be alright!

Anyhoo,  as I liked the films this time around, and my birthday is this month and because I've been struggling with not being able to see my boyfriend Paul for several months now, due to the Corona Virus Lockdown Aaron decided to cheer me up a bit by giving me my birthday presents early... Yay!

The first one I opened was the Bill Skarsgård version of Pennywise and I have to say he is so cute!

His outfit looks to me to be an exact replica of the film version, right down to the feel of the fabric I had the idea that Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise was wearing. 

The style is archaic, reminiscent of Harlequinade, a form of pantomime, which was adapted from the Italian Commedia dell'arte, of the 17th to mid 19th century, which were fashionable among theatre goers in England during those time periods. 

Of the principle players of this genre the one Pennywise's outfit most resembles is Clown with his baggy breeches and ruffled shoulders, pom poms and floppy double ruffs at the neck.

Like the outfit worn in the film, the Living Dead Doll's outfit also looks old, faded and tatty. 

I like to think that this outfit is a nod to the fact that the creature that shows itself to The Losers during the films/ book is older than the town of Derry itself, and therefore when a child expresses a fear of clowns, IT being an ancient being casts it's mind back and comes up with the image of a clown from hundreds of years into the past because this is the image IT is most familiar with.

Pennywise's hair is also a nod to the clowns of that era, namely Joseph Grimaldi (one day I may tell you my family connection to him)...

The balloon is of course a more modern addition to the ensemble... Doll Pennywise holds it in the same way my other Living Dead Pennywise Doll dues, with the aid of a small peg which you push into the hole in his left palm. 

This allows you to move it a little for posing and also has the bonus that it isn't going to fall out if the doll gets knocked or something.

Inside his box is a black and white background of a street scene in Derry, complete with Police Car in which the occupants ignore the presence of Pennywise and your obvious distress!

I've posed him against it in these photo's but have just realised I should have taken a photo of it minus him so you can see what it looks like, no time for that now unfortunately so I'll have to add it to this post another time, if anyone is interested in seeing it?

His make up is as you'd expect for a Living Dead Doll, film perfect, he even has the grey lines around his hairline which resemble veins, but could actually be metaphoric for his mask slipping.

His two front teeth protrude slightly, which on a child might be considered cute but on a clown is downright unsettling!

The front of his box is pretty plain, nothing fancy and no obvious nod towards the film or book that I've noticed, unlike the 1990 Mini Series Version, which has the front of the box laid out in such a way that it puts you in mind of the covers of the video and later dvd releases.

The sides and back of his box is where it really "comes to life" with really nicely shot photographs of the doll posed like he's got plans for you.

The back reads:       " Based on the blockbuster Warner Bros. film "IT", 

                                   Pennywise The Dancing Clown emerges from the sewers of Derry

                                   to join the Living Dead Dolls family and feed on your fear!

                                  The shape-shifting demonic clown

                                   features bright orange hair

                                   and wears signature clown suit

                                   with ruffle detailing.

                      

                                   Pennywise can hold his infamous

                                   red balloon in his left hand."

I decided to compare him to my other LDD Pennywise... At first I thought it wasn't a good idea as they began fighting... Using balloons as swords.

After they settled down I discovered a few things he has the same 5 points of articulation as 1990's Pennywise; neck, shoulders and hips.

They both are supposed to be 10 inches high, but side by side Skarsgård Pennywise is slightly taller than Curry Pennywise, a good couple of cm maybe an inch.

After the initial fight, they got on really well, perhaps too well... So I'm going to go and trap them both back inside their boxes before they decide that I'm a Loser and start coming up with schemes to scare and eat me!

Take care, stay safe, 6 feet away and don't forget your mask and sanitiser when you're out and about.

Hugs,

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