Fan Film Review: Patient J
Review by Craig Byrne - KryptonSite Webmaster

1. Since the beginnings of comic book fandom, when folks like Roy Thomas were putting together Alter Ego and sharing ideas with each other about how DC Comics should revive the legendary Justice Society, the fans have always felt their own special ownership or association with the characters they idolize. When a movie or TV series gets things right in the way they want things to be, they flock to it; when something is a turkey of Catwoman level proportions, the complaining reaches a level that even gets into the general public.

The same kind of practice can be applied to television fandom. When NBC cancelled Star Trek in the late 1960's it wasn't long before fans started penning their own stories. Some of those fans went on to write professional Trek novels, and in some cases, even episodes of the later series. This practice has continued even through the past decade where a series like Doctor Who, cancelled in 1989, could continue in a series of book and audio adventures for the years of the show's non-existence. When Doctor Who was brought back to anchor the BBC's Saturday night, some of those fans - including Mark Gatiss and Paul Cornell - were brought in to write episodes of the actual series.

Fan conventions and the Internet have made networking easier than ever for fan creations to come to light. Google "Smallville fan fiction" and you'll come up with a number of sites. However, some fans, including the about-to-be-mentioned Aaron Schoenke, are taking things a step further - by making their own fan-produced films. I was lucky enough to receive one of them in the mail this weekend, and I was pleased with the result.

Despite the "fan-film" stigma, Patient J appears to be professional all the way through. The lighting, sets, costumes and score all look like they could have been pulled from an Alex Ross graphic novel, and believe me, that's one of the highest compliments I could give. Aaron Schoenke - who wrote the 34 minute film with Sean Schoenke and David Hammond - also directed, shot, and edited the picture. Sean Schoenke provided the score, which ranged from scary to whimsical, and at times, even both at the same time. The score was an impressive treat also, since it provided a very Batman-esque feel WITHOUT ripping off Tim Burton's score from the first two films.

(SPOILER WARNING) Familiar faces make their way through the film. Paul Molnar plays the Joker and is seen in many different time periods and incarnations for the character. The make-up effects used for the Joker's extreme features evoke the works of some great artists like Brian Bolland (The Killing Joke). Harley Quinn appears, and looks much more like her animated/comic counterpart than Mia Sara ever did. And - best of all - this film, like several fan-produced films before it (like the popular Batman: Dead End) - proves that Batman does not need a rubber suit in order to look cool. Again, right out of an Alex Ross comic book. Some other familar characters from Bat-lore also show up in the film, but you'll have to see it to know what I'm talking about. Also taking inspiration from the comic books is a sequence done like a Golden Age comic book - complete with a 1940's Batman look and characters who looked as if they were drawn by Bob Kane or Jerry Robinson. Again, the creators of this film did their homework.

One of the more interesting parts of Patient J is it really is a character study of a character who happens to be the Joker. It's a psychological story about what makes the Joker tick. Paul Molnar does a good job in this feature in that he can change his moods on a dime. One minute, the Joker can be calm - and within a flash, his eyes light up and the manic craziness ensues. At times it seems like there's too much of a reliance in trying to sound like Mark Hamill, who voiced the character in the animated series, but Molnar comes through, and he did a great job of channeling the character and "becoming" the Joker. The Joker is a role that Molnar seems born to play, and especially if you're a Joker fan, you won't leave the film disappointed. All of the weird character traits from the comics, from the early appearances, to the Dark Knight Returns - it's all there, and it's obvious from the performance that Molnar did his research on the character to get it just right.

Kurt Carley (who fans may have also seen in Worlds Finest and Batman: Dead End) plays a psychologist who comes in to see the Joker. He, too, puts in a good performance, although one really long monologue scene seems a bit unbelievable. Luckily, this scene is followed by a climax where we see that the Joker gets such a pleasure from violence and getting what he wants that it's almost as good as sex for him. The Joker is an extremely messed up individual and this comes through in Patient J.

You won't be seeing Patient J for sale or in stores anytime soon. Like Dead End and others like it, it is an independent production NOT authorized by Warner Brothers or DC Comics. The work has, however, gotten the attention of some studio executives, including Spider-Man 1 & 2 co-producer Grant Curtis, who says "I continue to be amazed with the strides Aaron makes as a filmmaker with each new movie. I cannot wait to see his next offering and I sincerely believe he is a director that we will be hearing a lot from in the future."

After seeing Patient J, I definitely agree. Like those fan creators before him, I definitely hope Aaron Schoenke is a name I'll see directing a comic-based movie or TV project at some point.

For more information on Patient J, visit the Bat in the Sun website. The film might end up being seen on the convention and film festival circuit, so, stay tuned!

Note: The views of Craig Byrne don't necessarily represent the thoughts and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite.

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