So now the hysteria over Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" has died down a bit, at least (hopefully) until Oscar time. Just about everyone who's planning to see the movie has, although judging from the third weekend's box office receipts, a lot of you are going twice.

I would have loved to have gotten my two cents in about Ledger after the first time I saw the movie, on opening night, but toddlers have little to no understanding of deadlines and laugh in the face of statements like, "Daddy needs some quiet time."

So, herewith, my somewhat-tardy ruminations on actors, roles and why Jack Nicholson won't invite me over.

Jack Nicholson has, to me, utterly defined many of the characters he's played. Watch his version of "The Shining," directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-starring a hopelessly miscast Shelley Duvall, and then watch the Stephen King-written miniseries starring the game, serious but not nearly bat-crazy-enough Steven Weber. While Rebecca De Mornay makes a much better Wendy than Duvall, it's game, set and match to the earlier version simply on the strength of Nicholson as Jack Torrance.

Is there anyone who doesn't retain that image of Nicholson, ax in hand, limping through the hedge maze shouting "Danny!" in ever-hoarser tones? And Nicholson's "Heeere's Johnny!" is easily one of the most iconic and recognizable lines in movie history.

If, 100 years from now, some future filmmaker decides to remake "The Shining," whatever flesh-and-blood or digital actor plays the part of Jack Torrance will find himself compared to Nicholson, not Weber, and likely found wanting.

Until three weeks ago, I thought Nicholson had also marked The Joker as his own. Rarely have I seen an actor seeming to have more outright fun playing a part. Nicholson chewed scenery, spat lines and capered about inside the purple suit and shocking-white makeup. But for all his flash, it's still "Jack Nicholson as The Joker." You can see Jack under the makeup, and hear him in every line.

Whether you think the immersion cost him his life or not, the way Heath Ledger completely subsumes himself within The Joker is one of the more stunning feats accomplished by any actor in modern cinema history. The man who traded so much on his polished good looks in films like "A Knight's Tale" is completely unrecognizable in his makeup and Joker regalia. He doesn't seem to be enjoying the role. In fact, you can't tell how he feels about The Joker at all, because he completely disappears behind the white makeup and gruesome facial scars.

The lip-licking, the bizarrely graceful gait, the voice that never quite reaches Nicholson's bombastic glee but also never lets you forget you're dealing with a profoundly disturbed individual ... all these things are facets. When Ledger's Joker says "And here. We. Go." you know all hell's about to break loose, and it's actually unsettling. When he states, in a near monotone, that "I'm not a monster ... I'm just ahead of the curve," you believe him. You believe that in his mind he's created a world in which the things The Joker does are acceptable, even avant garde.

In short, while Nicholson gave his own unique "Jack" twist to the character, Ledger seems to let the character twist him. In my non-Method-trained world, you simply can't inhabit a role that fully and not be somehow changed by it.

There is serious Oscar buzz going on connected to Ledger's performance, and it's well-deserved. You don't expect this sort of acting, this depth of characterization, in a "comic-book" movie. I'm an unabashed fan of the genre and speak from experience. Character development is usually second at best on the director, writer and producer's to-do list.

Based on his work on the two Batman films, how's about we let Chris Nolan do some others? Who knows, he might even be the Charmed One who can make a Wonder Woman movie happen. Could he succeed where Whedon failed? (Yes, Browncoats, I know he didn't fail. It just sounds better that way.)

Stalked By Stephen King

While I've got King on the brain with "The Shining," it's a good time to tell you that he's been stalking me.

It started innocently enough. He waited until I'd learned the rudiments about infection in biology in school before he wrote "The Stand," and gave me "It" when I'd finally begun to confront my childhood clown issues. Then there was finding an old copy of "Christine" in the back seat of a classic Chevy I was thinking about buying.

Then, just as I was getting into the works of Richard Bach ("Illusions," "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"), it was revealed that King's pseudonym was Richard Bachman. This can't be a coincidence!

Now, in his latest book, "Duma Key," King has ramped things up a notch. The main character operates a business in Mendota Heights, Minn., where the company I work for was located until very recently. And at some point in the book the town of Fredonia, N.Y., my birthplace, comes into play.

Coincidence? I think not.

But I don't mind ... as long as those royalty checks start showing up fairly soon.

Oh, and if you haven't read "Duma Key" yet, you're missing some of King's best work. The richness and texture of the story, and the way he breathes life into the characters, are fine examples of a true master at the top of his game. For a guy who'd talked about retiring a few years ago, he shows no sign of rust.

Got anything weird in your world? Photos of UFOs? Clumps of bigfoot hair? Evidence of intelligent life in reality TV? Drop me a line, anytime!