October 11, 2024 ~ Lucy Ann Lance talks with Perry Seibert, Michigan Movie Critics Guild for this week's Talking Pictures. They discusses “Joker Folly-a-doo,” the sequel to Todd Phillips’ Joker film, focusing on its exploration of mental illness through the concept of “folie à deux” or shared delusion. This sequel diverges from typical superhero films by excluding Batman and familiar DC characters, opting for a darker narrative centered around Lady Gaga’s portrayal of a new version of Harley Quinn. The film is not a standard big-budget comic book movie but a thought-provoking dark drama. It challenges viewers by exploring themes of mental health and identity without offering conventional entertainment or relief, even in musical sequences with Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix. The author critiques the film’s approach as discomforting yet intentional, reflecting societal issues and questioning audience expectations of comic book movies.