We're surprised it's taken this long for the world's bumbling criminals to fall in love with Heath Ledger's depiction of The Joker, perhaps one of the most memorable villains in Hollywood history.
First, a tragic example of someone who took the joke a little too far, followed by a more positive note...
Army Spc. Christopher Lanum, 25, a suspect in the stabbing of a
fellow soldier, Spc. Mitchell Stone, at Fort Eustis, was killed hours
after the attack when he pointed a loaded shotgun at police after a
chase. He had reportedly painted his face and dressed to look like The Joker, the villain from Batman comics and the movie The Dark Knight.
Lanum was apparently obsessed with the villain, according to reports
filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. The records stated
that Patsy Montowski, Lanum's girlfriend, indicated that Lanum:
"said everything The Joker did he did for a reason, like killing people, and that he agreed with the philosophy of doing things for a reason." [SNAFU-ed]
Perhaps the most depressing part of the tale is their quote from Lanum's mother: "All I can tell you is that Christopher served 18 months in Iraq and he never came actually home to us."
Another young man adopted the movie character as his hero, with very different results:
"Some kid dressed up as the Joker was caught stealing
movie posters from a theatre's lobby and was consequently arrested for
it." Holy hooligans! Phony 'Joker' arrested in Michigan [Comcast.net]
The mugshot, seen here, is almost adorable.
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