NEW YORK – The Big
Apple has a bizarre new tourist attraction – a series of steep steps in the
Bronx. And no, we’re not joking.
The steps have
become a cult-movie landmark thanks to a scene in "Joker”, the new movie
that tells the backstory of Batman's foe, the Joker.
The scene captures
the moment that the loner Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, transforms
into the Joker as he dances down the steps to Gary Glitter's anthem Rock &
Roll Part 2, his hair dyed a menacing green and his face painted like a clown.
Now tourists and
locals are taking selfies while attempting their Joker routines.
"Joker,"
directed by Todd Phillips and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, has
dominated the box-office for two weeks. It broke the record for the largest
October opening weekend in movie history, at US$96.2 million.
Suddenly, the Bronx – a district with a tough reputation – has become a tourist
attraction, thanks to a very scary screen character.