Topics

[Batman (1989)]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/movie-scores/40164/the-25-greatest-superhero-scores-of-all-time

25. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
24. Ghost Rider
23. The Phantom
22. The Dark Knight
21. The Incredible Hulk
20. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
19. Judge Dredd (1995)
18. X-Men
17. The Crow
16. Thor
15. X-Men: The Last Stand
14. Spider-Man (2002)
13. Supergirl
12. Iron Man 3
11. Batman Returns
10. Captain America: The First Avenger
9. Ant-Man
8. The Incredibles
7. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
6. Unbreakable
5. Hellboy
4. The Rocketeer
3. The Shadow
2. Superman (1978)
1. Batman (1989)

Batman (1989)

Looking back on it now, the appointment of Danny Elfman as the keeper of the Batman flame was an incredible risk, a plum assignment for a relatively green composer fresh from a rock and roll background with relatively few score credits to his name. That only serves to make Elfman's engrossing achievement all the more incredible, the composer (working around songs from the late, lamented Prince) throwing caution to the wind and fashioning an indelible central theme that brilliantly captures the tortured complexities of the Caped Crusader. The tone of Elfman's first Batman score - brooding yet keenly aware of its pulpy comic book origins, robustly exciting yet suitably tongue in cheek - was to prove enormously influential on virtually all superhero scores in the subsequent decades, as well as Elfman's ensuing work with director Tim Burton. Even today, the score resonates with the same sense of freshness and excitement as when it was first released.

It's a great list (I'm particularly pleased to see the underrated scores for The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man featured), although I do think Elliot Goldenthal's Batman Forever score deserved a mention.  I think Goldenthal's score often gets overlooked because of the film's proximity to Burton's Batman movies and their iconic and deservedly beloved Danny Elfman soundtracks.

Still, it's great to see Batman '89 at #1. 

I've allowed you to change votes, so it would be great if some of you could offer a explanation as to your choice so we can get an idea what the general feeling is. 

Confirmed! 

http://www.thewrap.com/ben-affleck-to-direct-solo-batman-movie-for-warner-bros/

Awesome!

[Dear Zack Snyder Apr. 8.16 – by Mario-Francisco Robles]

I checked out the Latino Review link on the side panel.  Since the writer of the following 'letter' asks his readership to spread the message I thought I'd start a new thread:

Dear Zack Snyder

Apr. 8.16 – by Mario-Francisco Robles

Dear Zack Snyder,

I've had two weeks to think about your most recent film, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." As a longtime fan of these characters, and a devout follower of Superman in particular, I've found both of your films about him to be lacking the kinds of qualities that have made him resonate with fans around the world for nearly 80 years. 

I recall an interview you gave several years ago, while promoting "Watchmen," where you were asked if you'd be interested in directing a film about Superman. Your answer then? To paraphrase: "No." You stated that a character with such seemingly one-dimensional goodness didn't appeal to you. You were far happier dealing with more complex, more subversive subject material like "Watchmen." I respected that. I disagreed about Superman being simplistic and one-dimensional, but I respected that. 

Then you took the "Man of Steel" job a couple of years later. 

Needless to say, I was perplexed by this decision of yours- to take on a film about a character that you admittedly didn't care all that much for. I assumed what did it for you was the opportunity to rebuild and remake the character in a way that did speak to you. 

I'm writing to inform you that the version of Superman you've created is a failure.

By and large, the folks I've spoken to who enjoyed your two films about him have something in common with you: They didn't really have an affinity for the character prior to your films. So, in essence, it's like you've made Superman films that aren't for Superman fans. While that may have sounded appealing, the idea of bringing new people into the fandom, the unintended consequence is that you've alienated many of the people who were already there. 

For two-thirds of a century, writers have been able to create indelible versions of the character that captured the imaginations of fans worldwide. Be it Schuster and Siegel, Bruce Timm, Max Fleischer, Richard Donner, Mark Waid, Jack Kirby, Grant Morrison, Dan Jurgens, or countless others, there have been many people who've gotten it right and didn't feel the need to fundamentally change who Superman is. 

There have been many great takes on Superman, but I'm going to isolate the single most influential one. The one that made a generation of fans believe a man can fly. 

Much has been made about how the Christopher Reeve Superman of the 70s and 80s would never fly with today's modern audiences. The thing is, many- including you- have ignored what made that version so special to fans. 

People like to focus on the corniness, the wholesomeness, and the humor in those films, but they don't seem to realize that none of that is why they worked. Why they worked was that behind Reeve's comforting smile were eyes that conveyed a bittersweet sense of loneliness, vulnerability, and isolation. 

While you couldn't pierce his skin, you could certainly break his heart.

That's what makes Superman special. He's an orphan. He's alone. He'll never be one of us, yet he'll also never be able to be a true Kryptonian since there's no longer any Krypton to speak of. Faced with a destiny that means he'll never truly belong anywhere, he makes the decision to be earth's greatest hero. Imagine the deep sadness you'd feel if you spent most of your formative years simply wanting to live a normal life: Work the farm for your folks, make your dad proud of you, play football, kiss the girl. Then you suddenly find out that not only will you never be able to do those things, but you're actually an alien from a destroyed world. Your life up until now has been a beautiful lie. 

A man that can come from that level of heartbreak, who can still arrive at the decision to be a beacon of hope, and who wants to help us- in spite of ourselves- is a fascinating character. Reeve's Superman had that mixture of kindness, sadness, the weight of his responsibilities, a genuine curiosity about mankind, a love for what we can be, and a desire to be a friend to us even when all we seem to want to do is nuke each other. 

So when we talk about those films getting Superman right, we're not saying that we want a campy real estate mogul Lex Luthor, a cartoonish oaf like Otis, a bumbling over-the-top slapstick portrayal of Clark Kent, or a giant plastic Superman S that can be used as a net in the new films. We're saying we want a hero that decides to do great things, and does so with pride, despite all of the pain in his heart. That's what a hero does. You've instead chosen to focus almost entirely on the pain, and the weight of his responsibility. 

While other artists have given us a hero whose desire to help is bittersweet, you've given us an alien that comes off as simply bitter.

The sad part is that there've been glimpses of a more noble Kal-El in your two films. Yet, by and large, you've suffocated his more positive qualities with your decisions from the director's chair. You've under-emphasized what makes Superman great, while shining a spotlight on what you seem to think makes him "cool" to the kinds of people who think Superman is boring. 

So many iterations of the character have embraced what a powerful symbol for good Superman is.

There are plenty of badass anti-hero types out there for fans who don't care for Superman to follow. Stop trying to turn Superman into one of them. 

When I decried "Man of Steel," many folks told me that the character was a work in progress in that film. I was promised that we'd see the real Superman, the genuine hero, in 2016 when "Batman v Superman" came out. The sad part is, it looks like this year I will see the crusader that still stands for Truth, Justice, and The American Way; The hero who's old-fashioned sense of Right and Wrong often puts him at odds with the world around him; The man who's unbreakable will pits him against his own allies; The guy who's not afraid to be seen as square in an increasingly cynical world, because that's just who he is. But his name won't be Clark Kent. It'll be Steve Rogers. 

Yes, the folks at Marvel somehow magically figured out a way to make their Boy Scout character work, while you've gone and turned Superman into Batman-Lite. That's a shame, because you are currently the custodian of one of the greatest fictional characters ever created, and you're squandering him. It's also a shame because I didn't grow up loving Captain America, but now I have no choice but to root for him since he's seemingly the closest I'll get to seeing Superman on the big screen. 

All fans such as myself can hope for is that you decide to start emphasizing more of what makes him an inspiration and less on how conflicted and distrustful you think he should be. We've awarded your two Superman films with mediocre-to-terrible reviews, and your second one has failed to live up to its box office promise- yet you may still be blind to what you're doing wrong. "These people need me, so I'll just kind of float here while a flood overtakes their home." "Look how thrilled I am to have just saved a life. Go ahead. Worship me."

People love seeing heroes be heroic; Not brooding about what it means to be a hero, or if humanity deserves a champion like Superman. At a time when our world is so fractured, and so filled with terror, we need a hero that wants to lift our spirits and say, "It's going to be okay. You can do this." Let Batman be the dark, conflicted hero, and just please allow Superman to be the guiding light in a murky, complex world. 

The world needs Superman, and you've been keeping him from us.

Sincerely,

A Friend

If you feel the way I do, share this. Share it everywhere.

As I've said elsewhere, perhaps Snyder should have stuck to making a Batman reboot, since he seems to have more affinity for that character than he does to Superman and his supporting cast.  By all accounts, the Batman-related elements of BvS seem to be the most popular.  And in view of Snyder's comments regarding Superman's 'one-dimensional goodness' it's perplexing that he ever chose to reboot the Superman franchise to begin with, and even more perplexing that Warner Bros should have ever thought he was the right guy for the job to begin with. 

The first teaser trailer came out today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wji-BZ0oCwg

I'm really looking forward to this.  It strikes me as potentially a little darker than the previous Star Wars films, yet still within this wonderful universe, and of course the story ties up to the events of Episodes IV to VI.

[Why the B v S director's interpretation best captures the deranged spirit of the Dark Knight]

I know I've been pretty down on this film, based on what I've read and heard, much of which has confirmed some of my pre-release fears, but I do want to like this film (and hopefully will when I finally decide to see it).  Thus, I think it's time to look for and post positive or mostly positive reviews and articles from across the web on the movie.  Here's one I found, which I discovered due to its (positive references) to Batman Returns:

http://www.mtv.com/news/2858788/at-least-zack-snyder-knows-batman-is-deranged/

Why the B v S director's interpretation best captures the deranged spirit of the Dark Knight

by Ira Madison III

Batman is a violent psychopath. He's shot villains in their sleep and starved someone to death. The idea that he doesn't kill his opponents is a fairy tale cooked up by Cold War–era pitchfork wielders. In 1954, the Comics Code Authority was formed to censor depictions of sex, gore, and violence in comic books. While horror titles like Tales From the Crypt and The Vault of Horror bore the brunt of censorship, Gotham City fell under the chilly hand of the CCA as well...

March 1955's Batman #90 marked the first issue to be affixed with an "Approved by the Comics Code Authority" stamp. Prior to that, Batman was a murderous son of a bitch. He was a gun-toting maniac auditioning for the lead role in Death Wish. He even lynched a mental patient in his 1940 debut issue. So, sure, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of the most critically reviled films to come out in a while. But that reception is unwarranted. The characterization of Batman in this film might have been the best since Batman Returns. Ben Affleck beautifully plays Bruce Wayne as equal parts cocky playboy and a man haunted — a man who refuses to give up his obsession with justice. This isn't the Christopher Nolan Batman who implausibly retired between films because he lost a lover. This is a man who can never stop putting on that mask because he has yet to extinguish his demons. Zack Snyder can be an aggrandizing director who has produced multiple films deserved of detestation, but if there's one thing Snyder understands, it's that Batman is a f***ing nut job.

There's a reason the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne are ingrained in the memories of anyone who's ever experienced a drop of pop culture, right alongside Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's father and Spider-Man learning that with great power comes great responsibility. It's because we can't ever get a Batman movie without a flashback to their goddamn murders, but it's also because Bruce Wayne himself can't stop thinking about it. It's an event in Wayne's life that is so traumatic, so haunting that it turns him into the kind of man who dresses up as a bat and prowls the streets. You know who else has this kind of origin story? Supervillains. Every villain in every comic book since the dawn of time experiences a significant and traumatic moment in their life that eventually manifests itself in a murderous rampage. The last director to truly understand Batman was Tim Burton. In his masterpiece Batman Returns, Burton depicts damaged — and deranged — characters who unravel from personal trauma and target their tormenters. The Penguin targets the rich people who turned away a monstrous, deformed child and left him to die in a sewer. Catwoman's modus operandi is besting misogynists at their own game. And Batman sits in his high castle, sealed off from most of the world, except when it comes to picking off criminals one by one. Just like the villains he fights, it was a triggering event that led to his masked exploits. He's not an alien sent to protect Earth like Superman. He's not an Amazonian warrior like Wonder Woman. He wasn't already wearing a mask and using his powers irresponsibly until taught the error of his ways like Spider-Man. Batman suffered a breakdown after his parents' death, got cozy with a bunch of winged rodents, and decided to get like them in order to avenge his parents.

The opening sequence of Batman v Superman is Snyder's thesis on Batman. The brutality of depicting Martha Wayne being shot in the throat by a criminal and young Bruce fleeing his parents' funeral only to be lifted to the sky by a horde of bats is fantastic, twisted, and right out of Burton's playbook. There were complaints about Batman's carelessness for human life in Snyder's film, but why would we expect otherwise? He's a vigilante. He wears a mask to conceal his identity and answers to no one. For all of Batman's beef with Superman for having the ability to wipe out the planet on a whim, Batman brutalizes his own victims and brands them. The brand itself is a brutal act, but we're also told that the mark is considered a "death sentence" in prison.

Imagine for a moment that superheroes are real. Imagine that they dole out their own brand of street justice and protect us from psychotic and sociopathic criminals. Now remember that whenever a superhero accidentally kills someone or isn't able to save a life, we see scenes of them shedding tears over their mistakes, like when Spider-Man can't save Gwen Stacy or the Hulk levels an entire African village. But in reality, this is a man wearing an insane mask and costume operating outside of the law and allowing someone to die. In his book I Wear the Black Hat, Chuck Klosterman compares Batman to Bernhard Goetz, the man who shot four muggers on a New York subway in 1984. Taking that a step further, we live in an age where police are routinely in the news for murdering unarmed black men. If men who are charged to serve and protect can become overzealous and lose control, why can't a playboy with a savior complex dress in a cape?

The notion that he can't plays into the fantasy of the superhero who has to save the day and somehow manages to do so without any effort. In the campier versions of the Batman films, Joel Schumacher shows Batman knocking out villains with one punch while saying awful puns like "I'm putting you on ice" to Mr. Freeze. That works for Spider-Man, because he has super strength. But Batman is just a man. We see that even more in Batman v Superman when he pushes himself to the brink while training for his Superman fight. Bruce Wayne the man knows he can be broken. In fact, one of his opponents, Bane, did exactly that in The Dark Knight Rises. The Nolan films, however, had Batman in humongous, bulky gear that made it seem like he was indestructible. Snyder returns him to a sleeker costume (save for the Superman fight), because no one can run around the city with all the extra weight and not collapse from exhaustion. And when you're in hand-to-hand combat with criminals who possess the same strength as you, you're not going to knock them out with a single punch. You're going to have to keep going until you stop them, even if that means taking a life — and several city blocks — with you.

Take, for instance, James Bond: a man licensed to kill by his government. He stops murderers, terrorists, and assassins with a bullet if necessary. But we demand that our American hero be above that, even if he's as self-possessed as the monsters he fights. It's a fantasy that works for Superman. With his massive abilities, there's no reason for him to have leveled a city and killed innocent bystanders the way he did in Man of Steel. But for Batman, sometimes, we need to let him be a monster in a world where "zap" and "pow" won't appear over a criminal's head when he punches them.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Fans-Trying-Remove-Zack-Snyder-From-Justice-League-121197.html

We're not sure if you've heard, but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a somewhat divisive film. While lots of fans liked the film, and a metric zebraload of them went to see the movie over the weekend, critics have panned the film hard and lots of fans are equally upset. However, regardless of the film's critical appeal, or even its overall box office success, the DC cinematic universe is a thing that's happening, and Zack Snyder is in charge of that show. That is apparently something that many fans feel is one step too far. There have been not simply one, but two petitions started on Change.org to request the removal of Zack Snyder from the franchise.

One petition is based in the United States and specifically requests that another director be found to handle the Justice League movie. This petition seems to be focused on the idea that regardless of your overall feeling toward Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that it would be better to have a director who does not divide the fans quite so divisively. It claims that the building blocks are there to make a great film, simply that Snyder is not the one to do it. This petition is close to hitting its 500 signature goal as of this writing.

The second petition is based out of India and actually requests that Zack Snyder be removed from the DCEU entirely by Warner Brothers. This petition makes a point to compliment Snyder's ability to create stunning visuals but does so as a counterpoint toward its view that he "cannot tell a story." This petition is currently sitting at just short of 230 signatures as of writing.

The most interesting about each of these petitions is that they were both started six days ago, meaning both began prior to the actual release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Having said that, each appears to have received most of their support over the last couple of days, meaning that while the petition creators may have had an ax to grind, those signing it may be doing so due to an honest feeling after seeing the most recent movie. The other problem, of course, is that there's really no way Warner Brothers would pull Zack Snyder off of Justice League right now. Even if they were inclined to do so, the execs at WB are all currently swimming through cash Scrooge McDuck style thanks to one of the biggest opening weekends in history. In addition, Justice League: Part One is set to begin filming in just over a week. Pulling Snyder off now would bring that film to a crashing halt and force a rescheduling of the entire DCEU, which would kill whatever momentum Dawn of Justice actually has created for itself.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has done one thing remarkably well, without question. Whatever people thought of it, we're all still talking about and very invested in our feelings about it, as is made clear by those starting petitions about it. In the end, everybody seems to care about these movies, which is probably good news for their long-term success.

No doubt some posters here will consider me to be 'irresponsible' for reporting this item.    But as far as I know, this site has never been a Snyder fanzine, and if anything was originally intended to celebrate the Burton Batman films.  Not to mention, some of the most prominent contributors to this site have reported what can only be described as a lukewarm response.

Let us all celebrate a truly great Batman film we can all agree on. 

http://www.mtv.com/news/2799613/batman-returns-an-appreciation/

http://joequinones.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/batman-89.html



So sad this never happened.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/04/why-christian-bale-will-always-be-the-best-batman#comment-69936332

I'm pleased to see many of the posters disagree with the article's writer, and are in fact citing either Michael Keaton or Kevin Conroy as the best Batman so far.

I'm also highly amused by one commenter who says the following:

Bale will always be the best Batman because, by making the Dark Knight Trilogy universe resemble reality as closely as possible, his portrayal of Batman did something no other could: It inspired ordinary real life people to take up the fight against crime.

Its ironic that this article should appear on the same day that Jeremy Corbyn backed decriminalizing the sex industry. Let me explain. On Monday and Tuesday of this week a case was heard at the Family Law Court in Goulburn Street, Sydney, between a bankruptcy trustee and the bankrupt individual plus his ex-wife. You'll understand that for legal reasons I can't name any one these people yet...

...Hopefully, pray to God, if all goes well, and the judge rules in my favour I will at least get my home back and we will have something cos right now we have nothing and I mean nothing. Its been a ten year fight. Throughout that whole time The Dark Knight trilogy has been a constant source of inspiration so I would like to thank everyone involved in making such truly epic works.

A hero can be anyone.

  What an utter moron.

If TDK trilogy is 'inspiring' people to become vigilantes and take the law into their own hands it's another example of why Burton's Batman is superior.  No one should seriously look at Batman as an example of someone to take seriously in their own life.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/5-comic-book-movie-performances-that-deserved-oscars.html/?a=viewall

Nicholson at #1 and Pfeiffer at #2.

By the way, do you know that Nicholson was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Bafta in 1989?

I'm not convinced, but this guy at 'Forbes' magazine seems to think so: http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/02/12/i-dont-worry-that-batman-v-superman-is-bad-but-rather-that-its-unconventionally-great/#35894efa2e13

By the way, he likes Batman Returns, a lot, and has similarly high expectations for BvS, yet worries that it might turn-off a lot of audience-members the way Batman Returns did.

And for what it's worth, I am also a fan, maybe the only other fan, of Sucker Punch. 

Yes, even worse than Batman & Robin...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=382FPwYcrKQ

 

What is Nolan now?  The owner of these characters?

I for one am utterly few up with the reverence people have towards TDK trilogy.  Did Nolan ask for Burton and/or Schumacher's blessing when he began work on Batman Begins? 

Lauren Cohen, of "The Walking Dead" fame, has been cast alongside her future TWD co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as Martha Wayne.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/363729-lauren-cohan-boards-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice#/slide/1

Personally, I think this is great casting. 

Amber Heard has been cast as Mera in the DC Extended Universe 'Aquaman' movie:

http://www.superherohype.com/news/362619-aquaman-movie-lands-amber-heard-as-mera#/slide/1

Here's a great article about the Catwoman of Batman Returns as a cinematic feminist icon:

http://www.tor.com/2015/12/16/i-am-catwoman-hear-me-roar/#comment-561195

Batman Returns is at #8

http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/empire-30-greatest-christmas-movies/

30. Brazil
29. Home Alone 2
28. The Polar Express
27. Jungle All the Way
26. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
25. A Charlie Brown Christmas
24. The Santa Claus
23. Love Actually
22. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
21. Meet Me In St. Louis
20. The Snowman
19. Mickey's Christmas Carol
18. White Christmas
17. Miracle On 34th Street
16. A Christmas Story
15. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
14. Edward Scissorhands
13. Lethal Weapon
12. Home Alone
11. Elf
10. Bad Santa
9.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
8.  Batman Returns
7.  Scrooged
6.  The Nightmare Before Christmas
5.  Trading Places
4.  A Muppet Christmas Carol
3.  Gremlins
2.  It's A Wonderful Life
1.  Die Hard