SEND IN THE CLOWN: a People's Joker review

[@nocturnaloop]

coming to this video after (finally) seeing this movie in theaters and wow. honestly in disbelief that I was able to see something like this on the big screen, surrounded by other trans folks. what you said about everyone laughing at punchlines that you thought only you would find funny was absolutely true-the whole theater was cracking up the entire time and it was just a blast. I think one of the most striking parts about the experience was just how much of the runtime Vera spends talking directly to the audience. one of the most frank and honest works of art I’ve had the pleasure of seeing and I’m not gonna forget about it anytime soon.

[@DarkSoulsSauron]

IT'S OUT FOR DVD PREORDERS NOW IT'S GREAT

[@flashoxmtg]

This was an excellent review. I am looking forward to watching it for the first time on the physical release (!) today!

[@Dot-yj9tj]

Augh. I hope a digital release gets out somehow. I remember hearing about it a while back and running to see where I could watch it and being intensely disappointed at the lack of availability.

[@KindelingBoy]

Thank you for making this review. Had I not seen it I wouldn't have known to be incredibly giddy when my friend said he had spare tickets to see it tonight at a screening in Vancouver! Incredible stuff. So happy I had the chance to see it in a theatre full of trans folks.

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

hell yeah!!!

[@ittixen]

IP is also vector for ideology. When they use copyright against art, they're not only after money, they're maximizing the dominance of their paradigms. I'm so thankful this video let me know of what sounds like a subversive gem right up my alley. Adding to my watchlist.

[@williamwadsworth761]

Yeah, it's almost like people don't like their ideas being bastardized. Crazy.

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

It's a trans movie, it's bad

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

You touch children

[@Darth_Bateman]

When you create a paradigm, or own it, you are allowed to maximize its dominance. Maybe if you actually created something, you’d understand that.

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

@@Darth_Bateman the movie will be trash

[@PantsMasterPlays]

I was following this movie since its announcement and i was SO GLAD to find out it lived up to the hype. It better get a proper wide release because i refuse to go the rest of my life without watching it again!

[@UltraVioletKnight]

This film feels like an elseworlds tale rather than an adaptation or even "parody" of Batman. I do prefer Batman to be heroic who cares for his sidekicks non-creepily and his rogues gallery to be villains, but elseworlds can change whatever they want. It still has a lot of references to Batman media, which I caught. * Jason/Carrie's backstory is from Dark Knight returns, directly adapting some panels but they make Jason/Carrie embrace Batman romantically rather than just holding onto him. * Catwoman calls out Frank Miller for making her a hooker which he did in Year One. * The Clayface they use seems to be Sondra Fuller / Lady Clay. * There's a lot of references to Batman Forever. Gotham has neon lights and giant statues, CGI Nicole Kidman appears in a movie, the Riddler's brain scanning device is used by UCB. A lot of nods to other batman films but Batman Forever seems to have the most influence..

[@lunamarcelinesnowfall9297]

well. i found out ab this movie by my classmates telling me it sucked. feel a lil backstabbed by them now that i know what it actually is. hope i get to watch it soon !

[@blinkfilms1]

Deeply upset at fate that I learned about this movie's existence less than a week after it left my city. This movie (especially the characters of mistah j and the mother) put my life on screen in a way I'm still reckoning with. And it's the best batman adaptation ive seen.

[@TuckerWooley]

i’m so glad to hear you talk about this, especially as someone who worked on the movie!!! i always felt like it was right up your alley. i’m really stoked about the there will be brawl comparisons too, i thought only i and a very small contingency of people even knew what that was

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

there will be brawl was such a weird and ambitious project, how could i forget it? i don't know that it's aged particularly well but i have to admire the audacity of it

[@AXEWAVE_]

I saw this tonight and it was funny and weird and incredibly personal and emotional. And it’s like, wow so many of these things are just core trans experiences. 😌

[@Ancusohm]

I hadn't heard about this movie, but you did a fantastic job covering it. Great work on the video!

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

thank you!!

[@mackovoir7546]

Apparently Vera is doing more edits for a current version if her social media is anything to go off of; really hoping that means they'll have more accessible releases of it soon since I'm pretty sure a movie like this has never aired within 500 miles of me.

[@OneCSeven]

ive been following this movie since the copyright notice and im pretty resigned that ill never get to watch it

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

vera drew seems pretty confident that she'll be able to get it distributed bloodknife.com/peoples-joker-banned-film-coming-soon-to-a-theater-near-you/

[@Grumskiz]

The trans experience movie being unavailable to eggs everywhere is painfully ironic

[@discographetti]

oh my god i just realized sat on the row opposite of you haha great review

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

nice!!! i wore the same thing in the review as i did at the screening just to see lmao

[@joeyj6808]

Thanks for the great review. I still haven't seen the flick, but am looking forward to it!

[@UnfertigeGedanken]

this is the stuff this platform is actually for: discovering really awesome niche stuff! thanks for this entertaining and enlightening video :)

[@AZ-ty7ub]

You're back!! I can't wait to watch this!

[@jennifer.perren]

This movie is finally in Arkansas...just a one-day screening at a queer film fest...today. But I'm so excited to see it.

[@JCOdrjones]

Big doubts

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

thanks

[@JCOdrjones]

@@letstalkaboutstuff like, you know it's rough when MDE produces higher quality looking film than something that you would make fun of if it were a TGWTG film. Like, c'mon, don't kid yourself

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

@@JCOdrjones i don't know what any of those acronyms mean but thanks

[@ladyhoratia1709]

Hey. I'm so glad you're back for another video. Kind of bummed it's not the lost video but I'll watch this nonetheless. Hope you are having a good life and have a good weekend. ❤

[@HenryKathman]

The fact that this film exists in a time when Warner Discovery has tried so hard to limit the reach of their own IPs for the sake of short term business gains has a great poetic justice to it. Also describing this as video essay masquerading as a movie has been the most enticing sales pitch for this film I’ve heard yet. Keep up the great work!

[@Wattsername]

Yay new video

[@moonfallfan6933]

Hell yeah! It was just announced that the movie will be released in some theaters in April 2024. Also, in the Q&A of my screening Drew said that she might have a distributor that will do a home video and digital release. I honestly think this is one of the most worthwhile films to come out in a long time and I can’t wait for everyone to be able to see it. Such a creative piece of art that should be shared to the world. Loved your video by the way! I love to see as many people as possible talking about the film because it truly deserves it! Keep up the great work!

[@ezzy_bela]

Good review, I recall hearing about this when it first came out. Hope I'll be able to watch it soon enough. 🎉

[@hanklin2642]

yt buried this from my recommendations again, so just posting to boost. Esp after the "Plagiarism and You(tube)" video, I felt compelled to revisit a queer creator who works hard at transparency, literacy, synthesis, original perspective, and taking their damn time to make something that, when added to the annals of the youtube archives will contribute at least some goodness to the world. Congratulations, that person is you!

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

thank you so much!!!!

[@RonTheAnarchist]

OH MY FUCK I REMEMBER THERE WILL BE BRAWL. I WATCHED IT ON THE ESCAPIST. I REMEMBER THINKING IT WAS UNIRONICALLY REALLY GOOD. Like, it's really cool that almost all the characters have a great deal more depth than you expect. And how the series as a whole starts as an unimaginative parody, but becomes this genuinely dark and grim and fucking horrific trainwreck of a story. ...then again, I haven't seen it in...fuck, it would have been almost 10 years. Would have been before I got chased out of The Escapist by gamergate shitheads. ...I feel old.

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

i've been feeling this a lot lately. a lot of the culture and spaces i spent all my time in in my 20s has all but vanished, while the contemporary versions of that stuff moves at light speed. i feel like a dinosaur talking about it sometimes even though this really was not *that* long ago

[@MadDgtl]

had an amazing time seeing this but my showing also had kinda subpar audio lol can't wait til the movie is available somewhere

[@Liz-Istrata]

Coming back to this video after I got to stream it with one of my partners

[@Liz-Istrata]

Watched it as a double feature with this and I saw the TV glow. Holy fuck

[@escher10000]

The point about comicbook movies versus movies about comic stories is such a good one,

[@wolfbrother9393]

Yes!!! I want to see this!! Going to have to keep an eye out for when it’s available again.

[@birchwwolf]

"the Seattle crowd" ? Dang guess i missed it

[@Lux_Lost]

is there any way to see this movie currently

[@Jasperi]

Yes, its screening across the US and more screenings will be announced

[@VeritasUnae]

A fantastic overview of what I’m sure is an incredible work of art. Hopefully I can see it myself some day! As you mention, the style changing is very reminiscent of internet media, and I think the action figure segments very much draws from the Robot Chicken wellspring, which always felt very tuned into the internet cultural dogma you espouse wrt There Will Be Brawl / Legend of Neil. So there’s even another layer there of the internet era on TV too.

[@torsegundo637]

I've never even heard about this movie, I assumed by the title this was gonna be some odd socialist/communist read or criticism of the populist perception of Joker (2019) . Kind hype to see this movie in a way I aint never gonna be for the other one or its sequel.

[@meander112]

Clown for the clown god!

[@agostoangosto9442]

As someone Who is trans and is very invested in queer interpretations of the joker this sounds like the movie for me. Thanks for helping me know about it

[@krissuyx]

Queer interpretations of the Joker? What a strangely specific thing to get invested in.

[@agostoangosto9442]

@@krissuyx to me It seems really obvious that there would be queer interpretations. I feel like the jokers design has since the beginning meant to evoke homophobic and antisemetic tropes, so It makes sense to me that people would want to reinterpret and transform the joker. Like as a way to reclaim the character if that makes sense. Specially since the joker has practically been everything: their motivations and backstory are changed depending on the story and the medium again and again.

[@dopecat15]

@@agostoangosto9442 You might be schizophrenic. Alphabet people seem to be really delusional, stop trying to find correlations in everything, things are actually much simpler than you think and characters like the Joker have nothing to do with queers.

[@thequietpart_]

Aaa I’m so glad you’re reviewing this! Thank you Sarah!

[@redo5oh]

I wanna see this!

[@elilla3583]

I hope the creators resolve to leak it to piratebay

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

vera drew seems pretty confident that they won't have to! bloodknife.com/peoples-joker-banned-film-coming-soon-to-a-theater-near-you/

[@CleaverArchive]

hey sarah! glad to see ya!

[@c.morland]

Thanks

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

you're welcome!

[@chao3948]

this channel is so good

[@dusk616]

This movie seems laser-surgically designed to be the single most insufferable and infuriating watching experience i would ever subject myself to and I, truly and honestly, do not know what to do with that. I don't know how to put into words how it feels to have all this praised and referred to as a common trans experience and very much not relate. Alienating doesn't cut it; it feels uniquely patronizing and mockish on a level that is depressing to see coming from people i should ostensibly hold common ground with. Maybe this is a mistake, commenting at all. I shouldn't be here, i think.

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

that's why i made a point of describing it as "a trans experience." no art is for everyone and that's okay

[@UltraVioletKnight]

@@letstalkaboutstuff i'm a trans person and this also sounds insufferable. To be fair, I'm not white.

[@eeemdash]

when i watched the movie i totally felt what you're describing here: "uniquely patronizing and mockish on a level that is depressing to see coming from people i should ostensibly hold common ground with." it was a deeply, profoundly alienating experience. im actually pretty sad about it. i wasn't expecting to laugh out loud the whole time or anything, but i was at least expecting a sense of camaraderie with my fellow trans women. the whole film just repelled me beginning to end. ive actually been troweling thru reviews and comments to see if anyone else had such a negative reaction to it as i did, cuz god damn i can't be the only one. im terminally online enough to get the references, ive been transitioning for years, i like Tim n Eric and similar "cringe" comedy, i even have a friend who did work on the movie, and yet i just could not stand it. i even feel some guilt about it, like im *supposed* to like it and it's a moral failing on my part that i don't. sure you can say it's "not for everybody", but why *isn't* it for me? why can't i like it?? i want to be part of this. i feel left out of something that's a watershed moment for everyone who's like me, and it seems like it *is* that, but for everyone but me. feels fuckin weird

[@tiffany-chan1235]

This film looks insane, anarchic and ambitious for an indie film like this. It really reminds me a lot of the Mr. Boop comics with how it plays with copyrighted characters in a unique and crazy way (also some Superstar: The Sarah Carpenter story energy with that bit with the action figures), plus I have heard of some comparisons with There Will Be Brawl, pretty apt. ones actually. As a person who can be a bit picky with anti humor (Absolutely love Tim and Eric though, best Anti Comedy show imo) I can honestly respect Vera Drew for giving this really unique film a go and I do genuinely want to see this film, especially if it ends up getting a digital release. 😊

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

Mr. Boop appears in the film with his wife!!!!

[@gorimbaud]

a friend of mine saw it at that same show! i've been dying for a chance since i heard about it, i hope it gets some kind of wider availability soonish.

[@lizan2678]

Eeeee I want to see this so badly!

[@DeathAlchemist]

Lucky, i have been trying to find a way to see this movie and find it so i can show it to ppl.

[@DeathAlchemist]

Okay I finally saw it. I agree a lot of what you say, though personally I see it much more in line with Doug Walker's work which isn't meant to be an insult, but helps put it into the internet parody space like you mentioned with the mixed media stuff (Vera's background with Tim shows through, adult swim was ahead if the curve in that day). Vera either is a batman fan or did her research, multiple bits from this film (the clownfish, super sane, carrie) that nobody who has only seen batman movies would know which work with the theme of identity. It's a lot and does it well. Since you liked the manic energy of this movie, you might also like the Lego Batman movie which has the same sort or manuc energy in a more kid-friendly direction. I do wish this is more widely available, copyright is BS. Lastly, lots of good cameos.

[@rath60]

"keep the ball rolling"

[@jersydvl]

This might just be the worst movie ever made.

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

no you

[@soulthrasher9]

Evere seen it?

[@chluff]

why have I seen it five times in the last week then, huh

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

Oh yes that's always how I open my conversations by telling them my pronouns sounds normal

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

youtube videos are notable for being exactly the same thing as a casual conversation. i give my pronouns at the start because i know what i look like and i don't want you, specifically, gliderfanboy7315, to have an excuse for getting the pronouns wrong.

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

You are weird

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

​@@letstalkaboutstuffbe normal

[@OllieFreeman-w6g]

​@@letstalkaboutstuffyou understand 99 percent of the world doesn't like trans people?

[@B1_1_9_7_5]

@@OllieFreeman-w6g dam

[@benignentity]

Has anyone told you how much you look like Chris-chan?

[@letstalkaboutstuff]

not until this comment, no