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I dont know why.

But I decided to watch the trailer Batman 1989 today. I was thinking about the greatness they were going for. The CARE and TIME they put into it, to make it good. Not just like every other action movie or comic hero movie at the time. It paved the way for so many superhero movies of today.

But one part got me..

Its the part towards the end. Where Keaton turns to the camera. And at that moment, as the camera dollies in, I teared up and yelled "Oh my god!" I was wondering why it amazed me. In that shot... Keaton and Burton shut up so many of the naysayers. The odds were against them and they turned the tide in that one shot. People who said "Beetlejuice as Batman? This is gunna suck" went to their video store just to buy a copy of the Batman Trailer.

He looks like a beast, like a gargoyle or demon, he looked threatening and intimidating. I dont get that feeling from any other bat costume in any other movie (even Batman Returns.) That cold stare. I guess I teared up because they did it. They beat the odds and proved that it could be done.

I have a vague remembrance of this small story book. It had mostly pictures and was definitely geared towards kids. Similar to those children's book that teach kids how to read. Few words, but lots of pictures.

It may have come out around the time of Batman Returns, but it wasn't called Batman Returns. It had Bruce Wayne seeing a show at a theater, or was it a circus show. Bruce Wayne was definitely drawn as the Michael Keaton version. The illustrations were great! I can't even remember if the villain was Penguin or Joker.

I know it's vague, but if anyone remembers anything like that, or the title, please let me know.

[Movie:]

To this day, I'll notice something new about this iconic movie. They just put in so much effort and detail. They were out to make waves!

What are some things you just noticed recently?



Movie:

- Lighting of the Belltower Scene: No way could I have appreciated this when I was kid. I realize how lovely that belltower scene looks with the blue-ish hue. If it had more of a whitish / greyish look, I don't think it'd look as fairytale-esque. The blueish hue is a nice style choice. And the actual light hitting the Batman mask a certain way, I really love that now. As a kid, I thought these movie scenes happened just like that. But getting older, you realize how intentional it is.

- Alfred!: I always loved Alfred, but getting older I realize how much he adds to the movie. He gives it a sense of fun and humor. He also doesn't say too little or too much. They got his attitude just right.

- Bulletshot in the Shoulder: Sad to say, I have to admit I only noticed this in my latest viewing. Pretty embarrassing, but I never saw it in HD til recently. When the Joker throws the feather pen and kills the mob boss, a few gun shots go off. Bruce gets shot in the arm and keeps on walking. I couldn't tell if the squib's smoke actually came from the arm or just a bullet hit going off in the background. In a following shot, you clearly see a hole in his coat. Alfred even pokes his finger through the jacket hole. I don't know why but I never noticed that til now. By adding that, it makes the metal plate (under the shirt) to catch the bullet, more believable later in the film.

- Batwing detail: This really stood out to me way more as an adult. My eyes saw the deep grooves by the wings and I thought "Wow they wanted to make this look as good as they possibly could." Then they show Batman in the cockpit. And for some reason, I teared up?! I was thinking of how they were out to defy the odds and they truly wanted this to be a memorable experience. The inside of the Batwing cockpit is unbelievable. I'm not just talking about the dashboard, but the areas around the seat. Someone had to design that, cast that, and make sure Keaton could act in it. All these little details stand up to this day. They cared so much about making this good. Even the little white letters next to the missiles are a nice touch. It's the type of lettering you'd see on military weapons and aircraft. It just seems that much more "not just for kids."

- When the Batwing goes down, I notice the lights in the building more often. I usually never care about that stuff. But someone actively "leaves a light on" in that mini-set. It's all intentional. They could have just left all the lights out and visually it wouldn't have the same kick, the same pop. Leaving some lights on made it feel slightly more real and it just reminds me more of the effort put into creating this blockbuster film.

- Dave Lea: I notice him way more now. He's largely responsible for Batman's confident body language and fighting style.

- Bell falling from the Belltower: I'm not sure how they did this exactly. Wires, mixed with breakaway floors. It looks visually stunning and we truly believe that bell weighs a ton. The bell falling never phased me as a kid. But getting older and seeing more movies, you realize how BADLY they could have done that haha. It was done so well.

- Broken concrete from the Joker fall: I know it's just what the movie prop masters are supposed to do, but the broken-in concrete after the Joker falls is fantastic! When I looked at the detail, a day ago, I realized there are SO many special effects in this movie that are done subtley. Love it!



Script:
- Sam Hamm = played a huge part in creating the Batman we got. The producers had an amazing vision. But Sam Hamm's screenplay from 1986 would help get the gears in motion. So much of that script survived into the actual movie.

- How much do you weigh?: I'm a little embarrassed about this too. When I saw it in the movie, I thought it was just to have a little flirty humorous banter between Batman and Vale. But the script says they don't fly all the way up to the platform because she weighed more than 108 lbs.

" Her additional weight is too much for the reel mechanism. They're
     stranded two stories up -- SITTING DUCKS. "

It's underlined in the script. Did anyone get this the first time they watched?

- Destroyed Leg: In the movie we got you can tell Batman is battered. The script really drives the point home.

" BATMAN. Broken, beaten, his right leg useless, he hauls
     himself up the steps one at a time. He should be dead.
     Dried blood cakes his face, his chest. "

In the ending Vicki helps him rehabilitate his leg. The script lays everything out clear as crystal.




General BTS:
- David Lea's inspiring story: The way Dave Lea got picked to be the other man inside the Batsuit, almost seemed like accident. He was just going to be doing some stunts, but ended up a huge part of Bat-lore. He's the real deal and had a big background in martial arts. They saw him do a few moves and said wow let's see that inside the suit, right? But what if he didn't have the moves or frame? What did they have planned for Keaton's stunt double? Needless to say they lucked out with Dave and perhaps, Dave looking so much like Keaton, influenced the shots we got in the final film (how close you can get, what angles they show the moves from, etc.)

- Elfman's story: It stood out to me when Elfman told his story on the making of documentary. They were doubting him, not really feeling it at first. Then he played the iconic theme and right then he was hired. Much like the making of this legendary movie, Elfman's story was that of triumph and beating the nay-sayers. The first time I teared up at a behind-the-scenes feature. With that legendary piece of music, he shook their doubts and landed the job. It would eventually cement him as one of the best composers in movie history. He did other movie work before this, but this project made his career.

- The Producers + The Belltower Scene: Only now, with all the behind-the-scenes info in mind, do I realize how much of this movie is theirs. I used to think "Oh Batman 1989, yeah Burton's Batman." But they had so much creative control, and knew what they wanted to go for.... And it worked completely! Producers tend to a bad rap for forcing a movie, for rushing things, for making crazy illogical decisions. They tend to be the source of blame for fans. In this movie, however, they got it right! Burton did as much as he could under their guidelines. That final belltower scene is my favorite. They made some huge last minute changes to cause that scene to happen. The results were epic. Everytime I see the belltower scene now, I think of the producers.


Name everything that hit you after revisiting the movie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPLUeA4vwik

I may have been too young to remember it. But for those who got to see it way back when, what were your initial thoughts when you first saw it?

Were you originally skeptical of Keaton before seeing it? How did you feel by the end of the trailer?

I love the way Keaton acts and moves in the suit.

I remember a clip of Tim Burton directing him briefly about not moving too much inside the suit. He just seems more statue-esque that way, like a looming shadow. There's just a lot of power oozing in the way he uses his body language in this. I can't imagine a hyper Batman.

The way it looks bulky and the fact he CANT turn his head (thick neck!) to me, makes him look more intimidating. (In boxing and martial art science they say it's not a big chin that prevents you from getting knocked out, it's the strong neck muscles that absorb the torque.)

I love how in the final scene Joker is rushing Vale up the steps, but Batman with unwavering confidence just slowly makes his way up the Cathederal, as if stalking his prey. Of course for every slow deliberate movement we get to see Batman fight in exciting fashion.

He seems more mysterious to me with little movement. He doesn't seem jittery, hyper, or anything like that. At the very beginning of the first draft, he's easily mistaken for one of the gargoyles atop the roof. 1989 Batman is like a moving statue, very deliberate in his movements, and very intimidating! 

Just wondering what the differences are. Is there more description of the final fight at the cathederal? I also heard there's more dialogue in the Bat cave when Batman talks about the wounded bat "They're great survivors." Any important or even minor changes would be great. Thanks.

[Maybe just because it looked visually exciting]

I'm sure this has been mentioned a few times. I was wondering what everyone's take is on this mini-battle. And why they decided to have Batman pretty much beat down by that last thug.

For the record, I LOVE that sequence. We get to see Batman roll, go into brawler mode, get beat down, and then get back up. Probably the only reason that irks some viewers (or makes it more memorable) is that the final thug is never alluded to as a being of great importance.
 
I know that Burton wasn't aware of where they were going, with the sudden script change. But maybe there's more to it than that.



What are some reasons they decided to have the last wave of thugs / have the final thug toss Batman around?:

1. Maybe just because it looked visually exciting - Maybe the producers just wanted one final brawling scene to spike interest before the confrontation with Batman and the Joker? There's a chance they just wrote it in because they thought it'd be cool if Batman fought his way up, tier to tier, to make his way to the Joker. Or maybe they thought it needed something more than Batman following Joker up and then it ends quickly.

I would love to ask the stunt coordinator what he thought of these changes too. I know they really emphasize on telling us "He made a last minute change to the script" but if you watch the final scene you can see there is some careful planning going on there. (Props, Stunts, Camera, Lighting, these areas had to adapt greatly to these changes.)

2. Brutalize Batman - Maybe they were trying to make Batman look even more heroic by overcoming great odds? I know in the original script Batman's leg is pretty destroyed..... and yet he keeps on going. Perhaps that's why the minor villains stand a chance. I know they wouldn't want to make Batman's final assault look too easy.

3. But Batman isn't just a Brawler - Often scriptwriters like to mention that we should show physically powerful characters outsmarting the bad guys. Batman isn't just about his physical strength, there's a certain cunning and stealth to him. Even the Joker, as we see when his men and guns are taken away, doesn't look so strong physically fighting Batman one on one. It's the power and leadership that the Joker possesses, not his physical fighting ability. Batman even uses his sidekick here, which has thwarted many a foe in this film, and it doesn't work. The guy just won't go down. But the Batman outsmarts him. Maybe they just wanted to show Batman as more than brawler, that he uses his cunning and wits to "survive."

4. Foreshadowing? - After the final thug is handled and he fights the Joker, we see Batman fall off then cling to the side of the cathedral. Even further towards the end, we see him fall from great heights and shoot his grappling hook which leaves him dangling, hanging with Ms. Vale. Maybe they showed Batman defeating the final thug that way, to make his next set of falls (and recoveries) more believable? Maybe in a way, it's like saying through Batman's agility and wits he survives what the final thug cannot. Through his agility and wits, he survives the cathedral fall and Joker does not.

5. Climbing the Cathedral, then going directly into fighting (one-on-one) Jack Nicholson as the Joker, wouldn't look right? - The first draft doesn't have any mention of the final group of thugs fighting Batman at the belfry. Maybe they added them in to add some length to the final scene? Or maybe they thought (with Nicholson's frame) that it wouldn't be visually believable to have the Joker keep up with the Batman in fight?


Even though it probably made Burton crap his pants to see such a big change in the script, that they got this final scene just right. It gives the final scene a little kick and has this nice rising movement to it. The suspense builds as he follows Joker up the church. He barely manages to get past Joker's henchmen, albeit in brutal, action-filled fashion. And finally his confrontation with the man who created him.

-

Does anyone have the final shooting script? On most sites it says its removed. The most I can find is the Fifth draft that's all over the internet. In this thread on IMDB someone mentions the final thug was originally supposed to be on steroids?:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/board/thread/209032105?d=209507376&p=1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/board/thread/209032105?d=209544295&p=2#209544295

To any one who's read the Batman Movie novel..... do they elaborate on this? Or atleast mention the final set of thugs? Novel writers tends to work with people involved with the movie. That's why we sometimes see things left in the novel, that are in the first drafts of a script, but not in the final movie.