Which is really fair enough, right?
If you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you may have missed the release of Joker and all the related hubbub.
The cliff notes:
- Joaquin Phoenix is being heavily touted for Oscar gold
- Reaction to the film has been divisive enough
- It has made a hell of a lot of money in less than two weeks
Yep, the film is the biggest game in town right now, with many wondering if director Todd Phillips will eventually go back on his ‘standalone movie’ word and craft a sequel.
That remains to be seen. Something we have all seen – and heard – by now is that Joker deploys a very well-known song during a pivotal moment.
Consider this your spoiler warning for a film that has made over half a billion at the box office already.
And here… we…. go:
As Phoenix’s beaten-down Arthur Fleck begins to fully transform into the iconic villain, he bounds down a set of stairs, the sun cascading upon his shoulders, and he begins to dance.
Cueing this scene up and playing throughout? None other than ‘Rock and Roll Part 2’, a song made famous by convicted paedophile Gary Glitter.
The song’s usage has, naturally enough, provoked a big reaction. Some argue that it’s edgy commentary and an example of the director condemning Fleck, while others think it’s just a really stupid and insensitive choice.
Perhaps the film’s bosses lean towards the latter, if the New York Post is to be believed, noting that the needle drop “sparked outrage” at the top of studio Warner Bros.
In turn, the eventual Blu-Ray, DVD and streaming editions of Joker – the cinema cut won’t be altered at this juncture – may swap out the song for another upon home release.
As for Glitter and the question of royalties, he won’t receive any due to selling the recording and publishing rights away years ago.
As the Los Angeles Times previously reported, the track’s American rights belong to Universal Music Publishing Group, who will not be passing any currency in his direction.
“Gary Glitter’s publishing interest in the copyright of his songs is owned by UMPG and other parties, therefore UMPG does not pay him any royalties or other considerations,” noted an official statement.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
