Joker continues to generate headlines ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled release. Unfortunately for the film, they continue to be the wrong kind as New York medics were instructed to prepare for the worst ahead of the film. The New York Post obtained a memo briefing medics about the upcoming film, and the quotes are pretty potent. NYPD wants to make sure that their medical teams are prepared for any possible risks.
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The hysteria around the film is still climbing as the nationwide release is just hours away. There have been reports of police departments across the United States exercising an abundance of caution ahead of the film. More stories will probably continue to pour in throughout the weekend as this movie finally reaches audiences. The NYPD isn’t playing games in that memo and wants their people to be ready for anything:
FDNY Counterterrorism Taskforce distributed the memo, which says, “Drill members on placement of tourniquets, bandages and chest seals.”
The memo also mentions, “The online chatter is referencing ‘a group.’ Keep vigilant as there may be more than one assailant in the area (situational awareness). When moving through the warm zone, assailants may try to blend in as one of the victims in the attack.”
Even though Todd Phillips is trying to distance Joker from any sort of controversy about violence. The director hasn’t exactly been helping his case as the comments about ‘PC Culture’ and outrage have continued to flow from him leading up to the film. Phillips told The Wrap that he felt like the discourse around the project sounds like the “far-right” in response to criticisms of the movie’s messages.
“I think it’s because outrage is a commodity, I think it’s something that has been a commodity for a while,” Phillips said. “What’s outstanding to me in this discourse in this movie is how easily the far left can sound like the far right when it suits their agenda. It’s been really eye-opening for me.”
If that weren’t enough heat around this film, Warner Bros. recently released a statement in response to a letter they received from a group of survivors from the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012. Their statement condemns gun violence and hopes that Joker ends up inspiring conversations about the other themes present in the film.
“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bipartisan legislation to address this epidemic,” a representative from Warner Bros. said in a statement on Tuesday. “At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”
