Joker's Birthday

[Slash Man]

So there's a Batman day, but what about a Joker day? I'm thinking October 4th. Why you ask?

Batman Online just shared this on Facebook.

We get a LOT of information here about our friend, Jack. The most interesting to me is the birthdate: 10/04/64. The movie is very ambiguous as to an actual date (which is to its credit). Though if we were to take this literally, the Batman movie would have to take place far into the future. The exact year (according to Nicholson's age)? 2016.

Whoa.

[Catwoman]

Jack Napier could have been younger than Jack's actual age, just aged by stress, late nights, boozin' and snoozin', etc. Just a thought.

[johnnygobbs]

So there's a Batman day, but what about a Joker day? I'm thinking October 4th. Why you ask?

But I thought The Joker was a Pisces?!?   

[JokerMeThis]

Yeah, this is wrong if Joker is a Pisces. Pisces runs from about February 20 to March 20. But the Joker is crazy and not credible. In some versions of the character he can't even tell you how he got scarred.

I see this movie as taking place in another world in which we can't really put a date on it. I see all four movies this way actually. There's an article on Gotham Alleys which studies newspapers seen in Batman '89 and reveals dating information that contradicts this poster. I think we should take it as meaning that it's a timeless world. Another dimension.

Let me see if I can find that article. It's fascinating.

[JokerMeThis]

Here it is. Fascinating article. And fascinating website too.

http://gothamalleys.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-does-batman-take-place.html

[Catwoman]

I love the old quote that goes something like "If I'm going to have an origin story, might as well make it multiple choice."

[Slash Man]

Here it is. Fascinating article. And fascinating website too.

http://gothamalleys.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-does-batman-take-place.html

This is interesting. The 'date prepared' is actually the present in 1989. Which would make Joker 24 (being on the same poster and all). Clearly, dates were intentionally misleading. It's like some kind of dream world.

[JokerMeThis]

These four movies are definitely surreal. That's part of their charm for me. According to that news paper Harry Truman is president and yet Gotham has modern cars, color television, and yet old-fashioned clothes, cameras and microphones, at least in the Burton movies. In the Schumacher movies I think Gotham seems more modernized. It's like a whole other world with a blending of different eras and history is different. Since Truman is president maybe World War II occurred in the 1980's.

[Catwoman]

Here it is. Fascinating article. And fascinating website too.

http://gothamalleys.blogspot.com/2011/11/when-does-batman-take-place.html

This is interesting. The 'date prepared' is actually the present in 1989. Which would make Joker 24 (being on the same poster and all). Clearly, dates were intentionally misleading. It's like some kind of dream world.

Wow my brain switched off. I was thinking 34, not 24. Me and math never were very good friends but gah. lol

[Slash Man]

These four movies are definitely surreal. That's part of their charm for me. According to that news paper Harry Truman is president and yet Gotham has modern cars, color television, and yet old-fashioned clothes, cameras and microphones, at least in the Burton movies. In the Schumacher movies I think Gotham seems more modernized. It's like a whole other world with a blending of different eras and history is different. Since Truman is president maybe World War II occurred in the 1980's.

The more I notice these things, the more I respect the world the filmmakers created. How do you adapt a series that has a rich 50-year history? They did the impossible and linked it back to the beginning. To make a comparison, Batman could have been like the 60s show - an excellent adaptation confined to the decade its in. But it went beyond that to become timeless. Really, the only thing that can really be pinned on Batman as being "80s" is Prince.

Returns was a different Gotham, but had much the same feeling to it. Forever through TDK have held up well for the time being, but like you said, it's easier to see clear time period it its design.