The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 31, 2024

“The People's Joker” opens with a few paragraphs of legalese, putting the picture behind the protective wall of “fair use” before it begins. And one can understand the anxiety of the production, as co-writer/director/actress Vera Drew wields the world of D.C. Comics and the D.C. Extended Universe to inspire a “queer coming-of-age film” that uses the history of Batman and Superman in ways never before seen on screen. Drew attempts to create a subversive comedy about identity, self-worth, and the many ways of love with the endeavor, employing pop culture sacred cows to propel a highly bizarre movie that remains somewhat formulaic with characterization, but essentially lives to poke at superhero entertainment. Drew goes the DIY route with “The People’s Joker,” basically building a greenscreen odyssey into comedy and concern that’s impressively imagined at times, representing a real homegrown effort to complete a personal vision for mischief and creative expression. Actually sitting through the feature is a bit more challenging.

Joker the Harlequin (Vera Drew) hasn’t always had it easy in life. She grew up in Smallville, with her Mother (Lynn Downey) an overbearing woman who had no patience for her child’s feelings. Daring to question her personal feelings with her mother, Joker is sent to see Dr. Crane (Christian Calloway) at Arkham Asylum, soon put on the healing gas of Smylex to keep depression away. Realizing her future as a transwoman, Joker grows up and moves to Gotham City, endeavoring to become a comedy performer on the UCB Television Network. Joined by The Penguin (Nathan Faustyn), the pair open an “anti-comedy” club which attracts a number of fringe comedians, including Mr. J (Kane Distler), whom Joker falls in love with. Dealing with the challenges of relationships, Mother, and identity, Joker battles to find her truth, making a goal to charm producer Lorne Michaels (voiced by Maria Bamford) and appear on “UCB Live,” giving her the audience she’s always craved.

Joker the Harlequin is kept balanced (or perhaps imprisoned) by Smylex, which is a green gas meant to be inhaled, sweeping the blues away. She’s been on the stuff for decades, and “The People’s Joker” explains why, going back to childhood days in Smallville, where Joker walks on eggshells around her Mother. Drew (co-scripting with Bri LeRose) begins to generate worlds for the feature, using all kinds of artistry and technology to do so, including CGI creations, animation, and almost nonstop greenscreen work, but the overall arc for the effort remains human, with young Joker trying to express that something isn’t quite right, looking for parental guidance that’s difficult to find. Adult Joker is a transwoman still dealing with all the disappointment and pain, but newly determined to make it big in Gotham City, freeing herself from chemical control and the judgement of others.

Drew spent some of her career working on Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim productions, and the Tim & Eric way influences most of “The People’s Joker,” especially when Joker and Penguin elect to open their own establishment, creating a safe space for comedy that isn’t funny, and that’s the point. Strangeness is all over the endeavor, with Joker inundated by an intense media landscape (Perry White is an Alex Jones-type figure), and she takes lessons in funny business from Ra’s al Ghul (Tim & Eric stalwart David Liebe Hart), looking to find her power in anti-comedy. Along the way, love blooms with Mr. J, but Joker’s “puddin’” doesn’t exactly live up to expectations, and she shares tips with viewers to help identify toxic relationships. On a similar beat, Bruce Wayne is involved in the tale, depicted here as a dangerous groomer/pedophile and a fascist presence in Gotham City, complicating authority in town and the lives of his victims.

The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The People's Joker" works with a movie that's all about color and visual mischief. Hues are stable, exploring the comic book world of the feature, including Joker-branded purples and greens. Primaries are alert, touring the strange worlds of the picture, which provides a very art-intensive journey. Skin tones are natural. Makeup designs are defined. Detail handles with some softness in the highly processed endeavor, examining the skin surfaces on the exaggerated appearances of the cast, along with the extremity of makeup effects. Wilder costuming efforts are decently fibrous. "The People's Joker" largely exists in a digital realm, but artful offerings are appreciable and sometimes textured. Delineation is satisfactory, preserving shadowy events. Compression struggles periodically, with mild banding present.

The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix secures sharp dialogue exchanges from a variety of performance choices, capabilities, and tech limitations. Dramatic intent is understood, and hushed emotional offerings are intelligible. Scoring supports with a defined synth sound, and musical moods generally push into the surrounds, creating a more enveloping listening experience. Electropop songs are crisp, with a fuller presence on the track. Low-end also does well with heavier beats. Sound effects are distinct, and atmospherics are appreciable as the film works around unreal environments.

The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Blu-ray Menu Screen (19:44, HD) provides time with Joker the Harlequin, who plays around, reads legal letters, and free- associates her heart out to entertain those waiting to make menu choices. Short clips also precede Extras, Play Movie, and Subtitle selections, and can be fast-forwarded.

• Booklet(22 pages) offers an essay by director Vera Drew.

• Commentary #1 features director Vera Drew.

• Commentary #2 features director Vera Drew and actor Nathan Faustyn.

• Commentary #3 features over 20 members of the cast and crew.

• Discussion (46:57, HD) is a video conference conversation about "The People's Joker" with director Vera Drew and film historians Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay.

• "Queebso" (HD) includes "Suicide Cop Pilot" (29:59) and "Serve the Date" (5:30).

• Image Gallery (4:45) collects BTS snaps.

• "Anatomy of a Scene" (10:43, HD) joins director Vera Drew with a look at the construction of "The People's Joker," which was pieced together with help from a variety of collaborators. Drew points out the highly detailed world of the film, exploring a few moments from the feature, which took three years to complete, including a handful of individual shots.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:34, HD) is included.

The People's Joker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The People's Joker" is almost handmade, watching Drew piece together the feature one shot at a time, going anywhere possible to bring unusual visuals to the movie. And there's a defined emotional journey as well, exploring the ways of duality and pursuit of confidence clearing a lifetime of shame, finding Drew determined to instill as much of the screenplay with her perspective. It's a laudable effort and the picture is interestingly constructed. However, 90 minutes of this piecemeal approach does wear on the senses after the hour mark, with Drew periodically getting noisy with the endeavor, and a dramatic shape for it all doesn't materialize. There's directorial bravery and cheekiness to "The People's Joker," but there's also the nagging feeling that what Drew really has here is a terrific short film.