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[no official footage]

Just to warn everyone, there is a fake Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer online featuring only words and a shot of bats flying over a red sky that is being passed off as real and playing in front of Green Lantern this weekend.  A contributor to the site Comic Book Movie "leaked" it out and everyone on that site and on YouTube & Tumblr is eating it up without thinking about the facts.

1) Nobody who's watched Green Lantern from midnight until now has stated that they saw this in the theater.

2) Yes, it looks like it was shot in a theater with a crowd, but that can be faked as well  If you don't believe me, look at this supposed pirated trailer of the Flash from 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O_benaKlsA
If anything it sounds like audio from a Comic Con crowd, rather than a real movie-going audience who probably wouldn't be as enthusiastic.

3) Why hasn't any other news site picked this up?  Comic Book Movie.com is fan submitted and is a notorious haven for misinformation and rumors.  I only visit it as a linking site when it DOES pick up legit information from real sources (i.e. industry trades and legit newspapers like Hero Complex at the L.A. Times).

Oh, and when we're on the subject, ALL "Fire Rises" "viral videos" on YouTube are faked and edited together from past TDK virals and footage from other movies like Bronson.  As of now, there has been no official footage from the movie whatsoever because filming JUST started.

Yes, the amount of "fake" footage is getting annoying, but I have to say that I'm more annoyed by how gullible so many people have become in buying things like this without using the slightest bit of brainpower that biology has generously given them.

Since there's a Burton birthday thread, I thought I'd open one for Mr. Keaton, who is, believe it or not, 59 years old today, September 5.

Happy Birthday- you're still my favorite live action Batman.

[Johnny Depp]

Jumping off of a similar "Man Who Could've Been Batman" thread, I'd thought I'd start one collecting the actors who were reportedly under consideration to be Keaton's successor. 

The following is a list gathered from interviews (since I don't always trust IMDB trivia):

Our fellow poster, The Dark Knight, found this interview in which Johnny Depp revealed that Burton, during his brief involvement approving the new director and writers, was pushing for him to don the cape and cowl:
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/CookiepussProduction/news/?a=12646

Entertainment Weekly reported that William Baldwin was in the running.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302969,00.html

Recently, Baldwin revealed that he was under consideration for both Schumacher movies.
http://gothamknightsonline.blogspot.com/2009/12/william-baldwin-assumes-role-of-batman.html

In the same interview, Baldwin reveals that Schumacher's other choices were Ralph Fiennes and Daniel Day-Lewis.

As promised, after an interview with Arleen Sorkin, Brother-Eye presents yet another exclusive interview- this time with Janet Scott Batchler, co-writer of Batman Forever.

Whether you love or hate the film, you won't want to miss out on reading:
- Just how much/little involvement Tim Burton had in developing Batman Forever
- The comic book influences on the film
- Who they originally envisioned to play the Riddler (It?s not much of a surprise)
- What lead to the creation of Chase Meridian
- Ideas that didn't make it into the film

http://www.batmanmovieonline.com/features.php?display=89

MTV reported this earlier today. 

It looks like Willem Dafoe did talk to the producers about being in the 1989 Batman film...but as Batman, not as the Joker:
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/10/27/exclusive-willem-dafoe-as-batman-it-almost-happened/

While the Sam Hamm article on this site does mention that they threw around Dafoe's name for Joker, I think Hamm and Burton were privately speculating on who could do the role, rather than talking to actors.

Brother-Eye is back with a vengeance, my friends.

The following is my interview with Arleen Sorkin, the actress who provided the voice of Harley Quinn:
http://www.batmanmovieonline.com/features.php?display=90

Find out:
- How The Princess Bride, Days of Our Lives, and Arleen herself helped inspire the creation of the character.
- Arleen's (unintentional) story contributions to Batman: The Animated Series
- Why she thinks Harley stays with Joker
- Her opinions on the recent Batman: Arkham Asylum video game, where she returned as Harley.

[edit - link changed - Paul]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/obituaries/general/view.bg?articleid=1143042&srvc=rss

Thought I'd share this article to fellow Batman Returns fans here:
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/170136/my_favourite_christmas_film_batman_returns.html

[It Was A Night At the Movies...Or Was It The Opera?]

Here is Part One of an article I had written for Brother-Eye.net that compares and contrasts the comic book interpretations of Bruce Wayne's journey to become Batman with Chris Nolan's version in the film Batman Begins.

While most of it is objective description as well as the differences in the two, I also point out aspects that I felt were improved upon in the film version, as well as the aspects I prefer in the original comics.
It's not a Begins bashing article, but consider it to be the opposite of my usual comic comparison threads since this one talks about the significant differences, rather than similarities.

My problem with [Batman Begins] is, there are a number of things that are established in the Batstory. Variations on them, segments of them recombined, segments of them reimagined - all that's fine by me (whether or not I thought them up. ) It's the wholesale insertion of new events that bothers me.

- Steve Englehart, Detective Comments Interview, 2007
http://dccomments.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=interviews&action=display&thread=16

Ever since Detective Comics #33 in 1939, we have known the origin of Batman. One could say that Bruce's journey to becoming Batman is simple- his parents were killed in front of him in an alley. He trained his mind and body to prepare himself to fight criminals. Upon seeing a bat, he decided to take on its fearsome image to strike terror into the hearts of cowardly criminals.

But the devil is in the details.

And while, in 2005, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins was considered a faithful adaptation of Batman, I believe that his version of the story is actually quite different. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. All versions are valid. But I personally prefer the comic book version.

Mind you, I'm not gonna get too anal about the changes. I'm not gonna get into lines of dialogue that weren't carried over from issue number whatever.
I will, however, go into changes that affect the portrayal of Bruce Wayne in the two mediums, from the night of the Wayne murders to the night Bruce first donned the cape and cowl.

(I'm not gonna cover young Bruce's discovery of the cave because the film version is pretty close to the comic version. The only main difference is that he's playing with Rachel before he falls into the well).

Are you ready to begin?

It Was A Night At the Movies...Or Was It The Opera?

As seen in Batman #0, by Doug Moench

Let's start out with that fateful night- in the comics, Thomas and Martha Wayne took their son to the movies. In the most popular interpretations, it's The Mark of Zorro, the 1940 film with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone.
These were the last moments that Bruce was happy with his parents, which were so violently interrupted by the mugger.

In Batman Begins, the night goes a bit differently. They go to the opera Mefistophle and Bruce is miserable. The whole night is traumatic from the beginning since it turns out that the opera has bat-like demons in the show, which brings up Bruce's memories of being attacked by bats in the cave. A minor change, yes, but a major difference in Bruce's emotional mindset for that night.

The Significance of These Changes: While in the comic canon, it was a fun and thrilling night that was cruelly interrupted, the movie version emphasizes Bruce's fear of bats throughout. And it's Bruce's fear that causes his parents to walk out of the theater alone in the alley.
Both are valid and strong, yet different interpretations. However, I may have to give a bit of the edge to the film version in a couple things:
First off, the Mephistofle opera, besides providing motivation for Bruce to want to leave the theater, manages to provide significance to the Batman mythos without being as overt as Zorro. One could say that the tale of Mephistofle and Faust has loose connections to Ra's and Bruce in the film whereas the use of Zorro may seem to be too neat or convenient.

Also, in the film version, the context makes more sense in setting the scene of the Waynes walking into the alley alone. In the comics, there is often some sort of explanation needed to explain why the rich family is walking there alone, rather than in the limo with Alfred on their way back home. For example, the Waynes take Bruce out for ice cream late after the movie and end up going down Park Row.
By having them walk out early and, presumably, using the side exit, the setup seems a bit less contrived.

A Man Stepped From The Shadows, With a Gun...

From Batman #0

As for the murder of the Waynes, most comic book versions have the killer as a mysterious and cruel man with a gun. Above describes him as a "real-life villain- the monster from a nightmare without sleep..."
One of my favorites is actually from the first issue of Superman/Batman from Jeph Loeb, in which we find out that the shadows cloaked the mugger's features and Batman mentions, "I cloak myself in the very shadows the gunman used to hide his face from me." But that's my own preferred interpretation.

There is one comic, however, that portrays the killer a bit differently- The Dark Knight Returns. Bruce describes, "He flinched when he pulled the trigger. He was sick and guilty over what he did. All he wanted was money."
Frank Miller continues this interpretation in Year One by describing the mugger as having "fearful" eyes.

It seems that Nolan goes with this interpretation for Joe Chill. In the murder scene, Chill is very much a nervous and desperate man with a gun.
Later, his motivation is embellished as being a victim of the Depression in Gotham.

Significance of These Changes: The comics portray the killer as a random cruel man with a gun (to represent the crime in all of Gotham). He is a microcosm of the evil that Bruce swears to fight against. And every night, Bruce sets out to strike the very same fear that the killer inflicted in him that night.

The film, however, portrays the man as desperate and fearful. D.A. Finch says it best in the movie that Chill performed the act out of desperation, rather than out of greed. Perhaps this change was to make Bruce recognize early on that criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot...

They Never Found Him...Or Did They?

From Batman #0

In all versions of the story, the police never found the Waynes's killer. Because of this, young Bruce swore to spend the rest of his life at war on all criminals. He sets out to find whatever knowledge will help him carry out this quest.

All versions of the story tell it this way, except one- Batman Begins. In the film, the police catch Joe Chill that very night and Gillian Loeb delivers the news to a catatonic young Bruce.

Significance of These Changes: Well, this one is huge, isn't it? In the comics, I feel that the escape of his parents' killer was what motivated Batman to become the world's greatest detective. It was due to the inadequacies of the police department that lead the poor boy down this road. Indeed, doesn't the idea of fighting all criminals seem like the goal and ambition of a hurt child?

In the film, Chill is caught so soon that Bruce must have had a strong faith in the police at the time. The trauma of losing his parents is still there, but his motivation to become a vigilante hasn't set in...yet.

Before The Travels...

From Batman #0

Obviously, Bruce wasn't going to go to Tibet to master kung fu at the age of ten. In comics like The Untold Legend of the Batman and Batman #0, Alfred, with help from Dr. Leslie Thompkins, attempts to raise him like a normal child. Bruce, however, immerses himself in books and starts to work out.
In Doug Moench's The Forensic Files of Batman, Bruce, while doing this research, creates a sense of principles for himself.
Since a gun took away his parents, he plans never to use a firearm.
And since he felt the effect of death at such an early age, he vows never to take a life. (Of course, this is the newer continuity. In the 1939 comics, Batman occasionally used a gun and has killed criminals seemingly without remorse).
In The Man Who Falls, Bruce "wrote letters that weren't exactly forgeries and weren't exactly anything else—and they enabled him to leave Gotham City at age 14 and begin a global quest for what he wanted to know."

In Batman Begins, we flashforward to a 22-year old Bruce, who returns home to Gotham from Princeton.
It doesn't seem like he's doing well over at college. And he seems very angry upon returning to the mansion, where painful memories of his dead parents still linger.
What causes this state of mind? Joe Chill, desperate mugger, shared a cell with mob boss Carmine Falcone and is willing to testify against him for early parole. Wayne goes to the proceeding in an attempt to shoot Chill to death.

Before he can, however, an assassin shoots Chill down and robs Bruce of his chance.

Unsure where to go from there, Bruce hears from childhood friend Rachel Dawes that, while he's been at college, things at Gotham are worse than ever. Corruption is rampant and more "Joe Chills" are created every day. Rachel literally slaps Bruce back into reality that his own personal vendetta is nothing compared to what the city is going through and that he should be ashamed of himself for wanting to kill Chill.

Bruce renounces his use of firearms at this point and throws the gun in the river. He confronts Falcone, who informs him that he's got the city in his pocket due to their fear of him. He chides Bruce that he'd have to go a thousand miles to find someone who didn't know him.
When kicked out of Falcone's club, Bruce exchanges jackets with a beggar and disappears from Gotham. Why? A few reasons can be inferred- Perhaps he knows that he's not ready to fight Falcone yet and lacks the understanding the criminal mind. Perhaps it's from the shame of what he tried to do to Chill and his uselessness in trying to confront the mobster. Maybe it's a combination of all of these things. But finally, Bruce Wayne is on his sojourn abroad in the film...

Significance of These Changes: Again, this is huge. Teenage Bruce is well ahead of the film's adult Bruce in beginning his quest for Batman.
In Begins, throughout the decade between the deaths of the Waynes and the death of Chill, we are left to assume that Bruce has been wandering around colleges, lost in his vengeance. I severely doubt that the college-age Bruce would have studied criminology, chemistry, and other subjects that gave him the knowledge that he sought for as a crimefighter. Why? Because the movie version of Bruce probably did not even think about getting those skills to fight crime in Gotham. He only wanted Chill dead. I see Bale's Bruce spending his free time doing target practice instead to prepare for his confrontation with Chill.

Here, the corruption of the justice system and the shame of his failed attempt to avenge his parents are what push Bruce to become Batman, as well as renounce firearms or killing out of revenge. Again, this is much different from the comic book Bruce, as detailed earlier.
And while young Bruce in the comic paves his own way to become a crimefighter, the side characters and situations in Batman Begins pave the way for Bruce to set off on his path.
In other words, I find the self-taught comic book Bruce to be a more active protagonist in this period of time. But that could just be me...

TO BE CONTINUED- Part Two will cover comparisons in Bruce's Travels Abroad/Lessons Learned, Preparation for Crimefighting, and his decision to "Become The Bat"

First off, I wanted to invite forum members to another forum that my friend and I created, Brother-Eye:
http://www.brother-eye.net/forum/index.php
Our numbers are small at the moment, but hopefully more members will bring forth more discussion.

For the site, I am also reviewing the monthly Batman title, starting with Batman #682- "The Butler Did It" by Grant Morrison.  Anyone interested in my opinion of the current comics can check it out:
http://www.brother-eye.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=21

Also on the site is my essay on Danny Elfman's B89 score (which is also linked back to where I first posted it here) as well as my review of The Dark Knight.

[Introduction]

The following is an essay that I had written for a film music class in which I was to analyze every cue in a film score.

Needless to say, I picked Elfman's 1989 score.

Some notes before reading:
- I don't get intense with the musical terms, mainly because my professor didn't want them.  The assignment was simply to "Talk about what's happening onscreen and what is happening musically, and then analyze how they work together."  And when I mention musical instruments, they are mainly a guess from trying to identify them by ear.

- The paper is 24.5 pages long, so I will be posting this in sections.  There are a total of 43 cues in the film, so I will probably post about five or so per post, if this gets a good response.

- We were asked to name the cues.  I took some from the commercial soundtrack and the bootleg titles, but some were made up by me as well.

- I got an A 

Introduction
In 1939, comic book writers Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced ?The Bat-Man,? a dark costumed vigilante, with merciless crimefighting methods and a brooding personality.  But as more children started reading comics and censorship tightened, Batman?s personality changed and the tone of his world lightened up considerably.  He ultimately became more kid-friendly and comical. 

In 1966, this lighter version of Batman became immortalized in a campy television show.  Neal Hefti?s playful theme, with its repetitive yet addictive melody, was famous among all viewers.  Decades later, however, producer Michael Uslan and director Tim Burton wanted to make a Batman film that brought the character back to his darker roots.  Their goal was to be as true to the original character and as different from the 1966 show as possible.  For the movie?s score, Burton turned to his friend and collaborator, Danny Elfman, to provide a new theme for the character.

What Elfman delivered was a dark, intense, and driving theme that couldn?t have been more different from Hefti?s notorious melody nor more appropriate for Burton?s version of the character.  This five-note theme is the main motif of the film, usually accompanying the Dark Knight?s presence.  It has been reused in Batman merchandise commercials, trailers for all Batman films in the nineties, and, even, the main titles for the classic Batman: The Animated Series. 

Elfman?s score for Batman essentially helped launch his career as a film composer, aided Burton in altering the public?s perception of Batman, and changed the sound of the superhero theme.

1. Main Titles/The Batman Theme (2:38)
The Gothic five-note Batman theme is immediately introduced over the Warner Brothers logo.  The screen darkens to blue and black as the title sequence begins.  The music crescendos, building to a high chord as the title ?BATMAN? is displayed onscreen. 
A fast-paced march immediately follows and the camera moves along in the shadows to keep up with the tempo.  The theme is very dark, yet still somewhat heroic and establishes the tone of the film.  The music soon softens and slows, still continuing the same melody.  The theme becomes more operatic and less of a busy march.  One could say it even sounds mysterious to keep in nature of the character. 
It builds back up again as we see that we have been looking, throughout the title sequence, at an engraved version of the iconic Batman insignia.  A cymbal crash ends the cue and opens the film as we fade to Gotham City.

2. Don?t Scream (0:53) 
A lost tourist family turns into a seedy dark alley.  Elfman begins the cue with light percussive beats, adding to the seedy atmosphere of the environment.  Dissonant sounds accompany the family as they pass by derelicts.  It starts to grow loud and intense, foreshadowing danger ahead for the family. 
A mugger suddenly pistol-whips the father, Harold, in the neck.  He and his partner threaten the mother and son as they take Harold?s wallet and flee.  When the mother screams, we see a shot overhead of a cathedral roof where a shadowy figure turns away from edge, as if in response.  Over this shot, Elfman uses a slow, ominous version of the Batman theme, allowing audiences to connect that the figure to Batman and foreshadow that the crime we just witnessed will not go unpunished.

3. I?m Batman (2:21)
The two muggers, known in the script as Nick and Eddie respectively, explore Harold?s wallet on a rooftop.  When they discuss the urban legend of Batman, the music is dark and foreboding, as if Batman?s presence is being felt.  The silhouette of Batman appears in the background, accompanied by a slow, ascending version of the Batman theme.  This once again indicates the character?s presence and adds to the suspense since we know that Batman is there and can hear his theme, but Nick and Eddie remain ignorant.  The music dampens down for a moment and the criminals hear approaching footsteps. 
As they look up, the music suddenly becomes louder as we see Batman for the first time, spreading his cape like bat wings. The music is tense, with high strings and loud horns, as if from a horror movie.  It conveys the panic and terror that Batman instills in these mobsters. 
The score backs down dramatically as we hear Batman?s raspy whisper for the first time.  When Batman introduces himself with ?I?m Batman,? a loud and low drumming immediately follows, as if to punctuate Batman?s statement.  The drumming continues as Batman tosses Nick aside.  The Batman theme builds up, accompanying Batman?s jump off the rooftop.  As Nick crawls to the edge of the rooftop, he sees that nothing is there.  The music, however, still provides an uneasy feeling, as if Batman?s presence remains.

4. Eckhardt?s Little Snack (1:28)
As sleazy cop Lieutenant Eckhardt walks into an alley, he sees mob man Jack Napier leaning on a car at the end of the alley. 
Just like in the ?Don?t Scream? cue, light percussive beats convey the seediness of the city and the characters.  The music builds up the tension as the two men get into an argument and then stops for dramatic emphasis on Jack?s line, ?Better be sure.? 
When the music returns, it sounds darker, with long dissonant notes, as Eckhardt puts the gun down.  Although the argument is over, Elfman?s score indicates that there will be consequences.  As Napier walks offscreen, Eckhardt slyly remarks, ?Where have you been spending your nights??  A light drumming ends the cue, building the tension back up and foreshadowing that Eckhardt will have his revenge against Napier.

5. Grissom?s Place (0:10)
This cue provides a small transition from the offices of the Gotham Globe newspaper to the penthouse apartment of mob boss Carl Grissom.  As the camera tilts up the apartment complex, Elfman provides a dizzying tune with high strings, to convey the height of the building and accompany our journey to the top.

And I'll leave it at that for now...

And here...we.....GO!

EvilTwin120, the BOF poster who played a huge role in bringing the B89 Influences thread to life, cited this one:
http://www.batman-on-film.com/a-jokers-dozen-part10_rreineke_7-5-08.html


The scars on Bruce's back, like in Begins, have been established in the comics.


Harvey cites the double-sided coin as his father's lucky coin.  Those in-the-know may read a darker side into that line considering that, in stories like Eye of the Beholder, Crime and Punishment, and The Long Halloween, Harvey's father used to beat him as a kid using the trick coin.  Harvey lost the coin toss and his father always beat him.
Also, in that scene, Albert Rossi tries to shoot Dent.  This may be a slight nod to the Two-Face origin in the comics in which Boss Maroni assaulted Dent in court by throwing acid in his face.  In Eye of the Beholder, Maroni requests a gun to be smuggled in, but since it wouldn't be able to go through the metal detectors, he is given the acid, instead.

In the 1970s comics, Bruce Wayne also had a penthouse apartment in Gotham.

Both Eye of the Beholder and The Long Halloween establish Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Batman as a powerful triumvirate against criminals.  In both, Batman disappears after his first rooftop meeting with Harvey.  In The Long Halloween, Gordon addresses Harvey's shock by saying, "He does that."
The line, "I believe in Harvey Dent," is right out of The Long Halloween.
The Long Halloween also had Two-Face bald on the scarred side of his face.  For a majority of the comics, Two-Face's hair is simply a different color on the other side.

Like Batman Begins, and I found this unexpected, is that there is a lot of Batman Year One in here, particularly the ending of Year One.
In that, Bruce Wayne goes out on a motorcycle (similar to what he does during Commissioner Loeb's funeral) as mobsters (under the comic book Commissioner Loeb's orders) kidnap James Gordon's son and take his wife hostage.  Later, the fight moves off to a bridge and, while Gordon is fighting a mobster, Gordon's son is dropped and Bruce moves in to save him.
The film carried over putting Gordon's family in danger and bringing Batman to a rescue.



The sonar device that tapped into all cell phone conversations was inspired by the Brother Eye satellite that Batman established in the OMAC storyline.  This was confirmed in a podcast interview with screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, which you download at the following link:
http://creativescreenwritingmagazine.blogspot.com/

And last but not least, I'm sure people are curious about The Joker.
This Joker, like Nicholson's, took cues from Batman #1.  He also announced his intended crimes on the airwaves.


He disguised himself as a police officer to make a kill, as well as planted poison to kill off a police official.  In the comic, he puts a poison dart or needle, I believe, in the phone.  When the police chief picks up the phone, the Joker laughs loudly.  The sound vibration then makes the chief exposed to the poison.

Also, like in Burton's Batman, this film was very influenced by The Killing Joke.  The main premise of that comic is that Joker wants to prove that it only takes one bad day to turn the sanest man into a lunatic like him.  He tortures James Gordon and tries to drive him insane, but he fails, whereas in The Dark Knight, his ideology succeeds in swaying Harvey Dent to the dark side.  The Joker's dialogue at the end about Dent is very much in line with what the Joker says to Batman in the comic.

Also in that comic, Joker says that if he were to prefer a past, he'd pick multiple choice.  As does this Joker in the film, who gives two contradicting backstories on how he got his scars.  The first was about an abusive father, which was also a fake story used by the Joker to gain Harlene Quinzel's sympathy in Mad Love.  It was revealed in that comic that Joker made up fake stories to gain sympathy from other officials.
The second backstory states that the Joker was previously married, which he also was in The Killing Joke.

Now, something that could have been an influence was Grant Morrison's take on Joker back in 2006 with Batman #663, The Clown At Midnight.  It not only have Joker establish the cut smile, but it also has a line of dialogue very similar to what Joker says in the movie in which he looks at why they won't kill each other:

You can't kill me without becoming like me.  I can't kill you without losing the only human being who can keep up with me.  Isn't it IRONIC?!

Okay, I'm sure I probably forgot a few things, but I thought I'd just start from there.

[Definite Influences]

Like with the Batman Returns thread, I'll split this up between the comic book influences I know were cited and the ones that could just be coincidental, yet are nevertheless similar.
http://dccomments.proboards62.com/?board=dbst&action=display&thread=928&page=1

Definite Influences
Chris Nolan and company have cited Year One, The Man Who Falls, The Dark Knight Returns, Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale's Batman stories (Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory), and the 1970s Dennis O'Neil comics that introduced Ra's Al Ghul.

So here we go:
The Man Who Falls?:
Bruce encountered the homeless
Bruce hikes up a mountain to reach a monastery, where he?ll be trained how to fight.
Bruce ends up growing a beard out of this!:



Henri Ducard was introduced and created by Sam Hamm (yes, the screenwriter of Batman 1989) in Hamm?s comic book story ?Blind Justice.?  Unlike the film, he is not associated in any way with Ra's Al Ghul or The League of Assassins.

The events of Ducard training Bruce are essentially summarized in ?The Man Who Falls.? 
While Ducard in the film is Ra?s, I personally find him closer to the actual Henri Ducard.  Being larger in size than Bruce Wayne (Ra?s, to me, looks like Batman?s equal in stature) and having a moustache.
His zero tolerance of criminals (evident in his willingness to kill, without mercy) sets him at odds with Bruce and ends the latter?s training under Ducard. 
In ?Blind Justice,? Ducard also mentions that he was impressed by Bruce?s fighting skills, which happens in the film as well (?Tiger!  Ju-Jitsu!?). 
In the present day part of the story, Ducard first makes his appearance in Gotham known to Bruce by going to Wayne Manor.

The Dark Knight Returns:
While it?s in ?The Man Who Falls? and mentioned in Year One, I believe it was The Dark Knight Returns that introduced the idea that young Bruce Wayne fell into the cave as a child and was haunted by the bats that swarmed at him.


The Man Who Falls, though, had him fall through wooden planks like the movie.

And just like in B89, the pearl necklace plays a role in the Wayne murders.

The riots in the Narrows are possibly inspired by The Dark Knight Returns, particularly when the black man criticizes Flass with assault and Flass points a gun at him.

Wayne Manor burns to the ground (though in the comic, it burns down for good).

Lastly, there's the fact that Batman has a tank as a Batmobile is probably taken from The Dark Knight Returns, although the designs are obviously different.



Year One:
The first shot of the comic is actually of the monorail.
Then, there's, to some extent, the media covering Bruce Wayne's return (in the film, it is mentioned.  We don't really see it).

The level of the corrupt in the city that is controlled by Carmine Falcone (and enforced by the characters of Flass and Loeb).  Even if none of these characters really resembled much of their counterparts.

The closest is Flass, who, like his movie counterpart, tells Gordon in the police car that other cops get nervous at how clean Gordon is.  He also winds up at a drug deal that gets busted by Batman, gets traumatized by Batman, and ends up getting knocked out and handcuffed by Gordon, though in a different context.

Batman does tie up Falcone, but in the comic, it is as a warning rather than actually apprehending the criminal.

Batman using a sonic emitter from the heel of his boot to summon bats to attack the SWAT team and distract them as he makes his escape (which then leads to a chase between police cars and Batman himself).  Let?s also note that Gordon has to get a wounded person to safety:


The swarm of bats against the sky in that scene could?ve inspired the opening:



The use of the Bat-Glider had to have influenced Batman Returns in having Batman?s cape become the glider.  Batman Begins is probably influenced by both in explaining the background behind it (even if Returns isn?t in the same continuity) and having Batman use it more.

Bale's animalistic portrayal of Batman had to have been somewhat inspired by Year One's reference to Batman giving a "growl" that he brought from Africa.

The mention of the Joker ?alluding to a sequel- on the rooftop with Gordon.

Oh yeah, and Alfred looks on as Bruce does pushups in the morning.

The Long Halloween:
This is actually where Falcone's first name was given as Carmine.  I don't believe his first name was ever given in Year One.
Besides Falcone's presence and having him briefly work with Scarecrow-

Scarecrow on a horse upon escaping Arkham:



Dark Victory:
Batman hanging Riddler upside down to interrogate him.
Scarecrow putting fear toxin in kids' toys
Somethine to note here is that in the original draft, Falcone confronted Batman with the shotgun in the dock area and popped the question.  Batman would turn around, revealing shotgun rounds from Falcone's gun in his hands before saying "I'm Batman."  In Dark Victory, something similar happens with Tony Zucco and the gun he hides in his office

Haunted Knight- "Fears":  I find it interesting that on the DVD, The Long Halloween is solely credited when the most influential had to be the story ?Fears? from a Legends of the Dark Knight issue.  The DVD featurette even uses part of ?Fears? in talking about ?The Long Halloween.?

Scarecrow on a horse (again)
Batman hanging a man upside down to interrogate him regarding Scarecrow



Fire coming out of Scarecrow's eyes as a result of a hallucination (unfortunately I can?t find the panel online)

The line "Dr. Crane isn't here right now.  But if you'd like to make an appointment..."
The general story:  So basically, we start out in a room with a bunch of criminals. The lights go out. A crook says "It's--The B-Batman!" (okay, not exactly what happens in the movie). Batman beats the crap out of people...and then later on, he does the same to Scarecrow. Gordon comes to arrest Scarecrow. Batman returns home and gets dressed in a tux to attend a party that's at Wayne Manor. Two guards watch Scarecrow and he later escapes while Bruce is at the party. Hmm.

Heck, even Loeb?s Hush could have influenced the film, I think: Thomas Wayne was mentioned as an opera lover in the Hush arc.

As for the Ra's Al Ghul comics:
- In his first appearance, he had a base in the Himalayas, tricked (or attempted to trick) Bruce/Batman into helping him while hiding his own intentions, and used a decoy Demon's Head.
- Another comic had him gassing the city.  He wore a small gas mask that fit right over his mouth, looking similar to the one in Begins. 

You?ll have to take my word on this one since I can?t find the panel online.
- The first time the League of Assassins (league of Shadows in the movie) appeared, it had the Sensei in charge, even though it was Ra?s?s gang.  The Sensei looks kinda familiar doesn?t he?




Lastly, the Batman Begins documentary on the DVD also has this comparison:

To compare with:


Even posters were influenced.  Check out these covers:

Well, I haven't seen the entire film since '97, so my memory is a bit spotty.

http://dccomments.proboards62.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=dbst&thread=618&page=1

For all intents and purposes, Mr. Freeze's origin is pretty much how it was in the comics (after they incorporated the animated series one). Just take Ferris Boyle out of the equation...

Wilfred Pennyworth is actually in the comics.  At least in Len Wein's The Untold Legend of The batman.

And the comic Hothouse by John Francis Moore and P. Craig Russell ends with Poison Ivy in Arkham doing the "He loves me, he loves me not" with the flower.

Okay, so that's not a lot, but again, I wanted to be fair and do a thread for every live-action film from 1989-present.

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2012/10/1/comic-influences-on-batman-forever-1995

Entire feature here

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2009/1/2/possible-influences-of-comics-on-tim-burtons-batman-returns

Now a feature

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2008/7/19/comic-influences-on-tim-burtons-batman-1989