The Troubled History of Batman (1989): Burton! Keaton! Nicholson! Batmania!

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Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name that was such an anomaly at the time by completely redesigning and reimagining whole parts of Batman's established canon.
The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance.
1989's Batman laid the groundwork for the modern superhero film and all of the marketing surrounding them but also set off a number of other comic book movies to be made at the time.
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[@mikerios1065]

Batman '89 made me love the structure of storytelling in movies. My late oldest brother took me to see this when I was kid. RIP Jaime.

[@jaydub7386]

May your brother rest in peace.

[@atariboy9084]

1989 being a New Yorker I cant not turn my eyes away for 10 seconds with out seeing anything Batman Logo on Bus and Subway poster ads, street billboards and T-shirts being warn by ton of folks in the streets of Manhattan and yes saw it on day one releases in NYC Time Square movie theater.

[@treystephens6166]

How can you afford to live in New York City ???

[@atariboy9084]

@@treystephens6166 Simple I was 17 and still living with my mother and younger brother in Lower East side not very far from Katz's Deli.

[@machupikachu1085]

Vicki Vale - admiring a suit of armor Bruce Wayne - "It's Japanese." Vicki Vale - "How do you know?" Bruce Wayne - "...Because I bought it in Japan." Michael Keaton slays in this movie.

[@DementedDistraction]

This was the moment that made Batman 'cool' for the general populace. I can remember being at school prior to the movie and being teased for wearing a Batman shirt because he was considered dorky at the time, but after the movie came out there were tons of kids wearing Batman merch.

[@ABoyNamedArt]

Ha, I had the exact same experience!

[@liltd87]

"How do ya'll like me now, bitches!"

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

I remembered when I was a kid I wanted to become Batman after watching Batman (1989) that inspired me a lot and I find it very cool, so I took my sleeping blanket and tied up around my neck and shoulder and run around the house to look like a Batman lol. Haha. Good times. 😂

[@patjanus0069]

My Dad had a batlogo tie he wore to the office after the movie, he never had seen Batman 1966 on tv nor read a comic book in his life, that was the cultural impact of Batman 1989.

[@Viking_Luchador]

Between this an 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I don't know which VHS I watched more as a kid

[@glennwelsh9784]

Billy Dee Williams would also voice Two-Face in 2017's The LEGO Batman Movie, 28 years since since first playing Harvey Dent. The LEGO Batman Movie would also make several references to the '89 film, including the Joker Gas balloons and the Prince music.

[@Shaeniff]

Still such a great movie. My teenager's favorite version.

[@jinpei05]

Still remember catching the midnight showing with my dad and best friend on opening night when I was only 11. It was the first time I ever did that. Good memories.

[@wstine79]

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I want you to tell your friends about me." "WHO ARE YOU?!" "I'm TOY GALAXY."

[@IanWatson]

When you mentioned you were going to circle back to the Billy Dee Williams version of Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face decades later, I had forgotten entirely about the Batman '89 comic. Billy Dee reprised his role as Harvey and finally got to play Two-Face in the Lego Batman movie.

[@brandonspain12345]

On the DVD commentary for Batman 89, Burton said he would've wanted to go with a black and white dilemma for Two Face. Making his scarred side bleach white. Which makes sense for Burton since he takes things literally; Like Joker has a literal permanent smile, Catwoman literally acts like a cat, The Penguin literally looks and acts like a Penguin, and Two Face would literally be black and white.

[@jeffreybogart9832]

I was the only one of my friends to notice that :D Such an awesome meta nod to the '89 film!

[@pdkup]

I was 5 years old when Batman came out and I still remember the experience. My grandmother was watching me by herself that day and asked if I wanted to see a movie and I said, “Yeah!” She checked the paper and saw Batman was playing, so we went to see it. It was probably a lot darker than she thought it would be and I’m not sure if my Mom would have wanted me watching it at 5, but I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The movie even elicited a rare outburst from me when the Joker says Batman is at home washing his tights just as the Batwing shows up. I jumped out of my seat and yelled, “You’re gonna get it, Joker” before my grandmother very quickly shushed me (that’s the only time I ever acted out in a theater like that). I’m pretty sure I casually wore my utility belt around the house for quite some time after watching it.

[@chevon5707]

When the casting was announced I remember there was confusion with people thinking that Michael J Fox (Alex Keaton on Family Ties) was going to be Batman.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

What's crazy is I never even remember hearing rumors about Robin played by Marlon Wayans that blows my mind and simultaneously now I really want to see that.

[@DrRiddlez2015]

I remember hearing rumors that Fox was supposed to play Robin in the sequel

[@JAllenGrim]

I was 11 when Batman '89 came out. My whole family went to see it opening night at a midnight showing. The AC in the theater was broken, the house was packed, and it was a Las Vegas Summer. Despite the stifling heat, it was one of the best nights of my young life.

[@saturdaymorning329]

Dude my sixth grade teacher blew Batman outta proportion. Lucky enough for me it was a double feature at the drive-in with Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I think Burton did a good job for the noir of the Batman character. Plus, Batman the animated series in succession to the copyrights of WB was such a masterpiece of animation that truly solidified Batman as a legend of comic lore.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

I was definitely more into the animated series at the time as I was about 9 or 10 years old then. But the original 89 movie cannot be understated how important and truly significant was to movies like it at the time. It kicked off the new our wave that we would see for at least 5 years into the 90s. With movies like The Shadow, The phantom, Dick Tracy, The Rocketeer and more. It's a trend I kinda wish would come back as I miss those kind of movies.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

Exactly. If weren't for Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, we would never ever get to see Batman: The Animated Series. Thanks to Burton, Keaton and the production crew. But I still feel bad for Tim not getting the trilogy that he deserves when they decided to do the next Batman movie after Batman Returns. Tim is very underated director. He should get more credits and respect he deserves after what he's done in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns to entertain all of us.

[@A-Muse-U]

My mom can actually quote this movie. She apparently watched it so many times in one night she can now say lines from the movie before they are even said on screen.

[@orlandoruizjr3834]

I remember seeing this on opening weekend as a 6 year old. Everyone went nuts when the bat-wing flew upwards and stopped right in front of the moon. I'll never forget it. With Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, Indi 3, Ghostbusters II, Lethal Weapon, Licence To Kill and of course, Batman, 1989 has the best summer movie season in the history of "summer movies."

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

omg yes!! that part always got the movie theater audience so hyped. The chills we felt when first seeing it in the dark theater with the audience cheering Nothing like it

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

the 1980s was the next generation of Hollywood Classics hands down

[@DavidWRyan]

I am a lifelong Bat-fan. I grew up with Adam West and the campy 70s and 80s comic books, but I loved the gritty The Dark Knight Returns and I knew this was what Batman should be like. Batman inspired me to study martial Arts. I was so psyched for the release of the movie. I bought any of the magazines and fan books that I could find. I had shirts and toys. I loved the movie, but I was a little disappointed by the liberties they took with the characters like you mentioned. The first time I saw it, I almost got into a fight with a guy in the row behind me. He knew almost nothing about Batman and wouldn't shut up during the screening. in, what could be called now, a fanboy rage, I told him to be quiet. He spent the rest of the movie telling his friend was he was going to do to me after the movie. The lights came on, I stood up, full of adrenaline from how excited I was about the movie, and I was at least a foot taller than him. He looked me up and down and his friend quickly dragged him away. I just laughed.

[@darkhierophant4914]

Yeah, everything was Batman that summer. EVERYTHING. I remember working for Taco Bell and still have the plastic collector's cups, cinnamon crisp paper bags and posters the employees were given. This was xenith blockbuster marketing perfection.

[@GeneSimmonsBoots]

Would you believe I still have a Batman Taco Bell napkin?

[@Yikes702]

That marketing blitz will never be replicated. I wonder if they will attempt with him (Keaton) when The Flash comes out. It is supposed to be on June 23, 2023 which is the 34 anniversary of the original movie's release; and 2023 marks 35 years since his casting was announced. Man, time flies.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

Exactly. Even back then there's no social media, Batman (1989) was all over the world lol. The merchandise, posters, toys, foods. Everywhere you go you will see a Batman's black and yellow symbol. This shows how good Batman (1989) were back then. It was phenomenal.

[@TikkiEXX]

Dude I remember buying those cups at Taco Bell. Lol. Was definitely the summer of Batman. Was literally everywhere you looked almost that whole year

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

@@TikkiEXX I know right. 😄

[@pious83]

Too young to see it on the big screen. But as soon as it had a home release, I watched it constantly. Adore the two Burton Batman films. Nicholson, Pfeiffer and DeVito were mesmerising to me as a kid. By the same token, Michael Keaton will always be my go-to Live Action Batman (Kevin Conroy is still _the voice_ of Batman, though). Both Batman '89 and Returns are among my top ten favourite Superhero films to this day.

[@brandonpage7087]

Same here!!

[@BruceLeeKingoftheSewers]

Ditto.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

Yeah, me too. Tim Burton's Batman and Batman: The Animated Series has been always my favorites till today. My first crush superhero and my first animated cartoon that I've watched when I was a kid. Good times.

[@sec9788]

I don’t know. The part when Kim Bassinger kisses Jack Nicholson (starts kissing his coat)…I was confused…🤔. Meh.

[@diemartist]

I was working at a movie theatre at the time and from all the hype, two memories stand out. 1. The moment when Joker shook the mobster's hand and it electrocuted him made me shout, "Oh no... Don't shake his hand, DON'T SHAKE HIS HAND!" 2. As a movie worker, I got to see all the movies before they actually came out and was anticipating seeing Batman ahead of everybody else. To my surprise, the movie Die Hard was shown, which wasn't what I anticipated, but by the time it was over, I was blown away and had a new hero's name on my lips... John McClane. Also, 3. (although this wasn't the popular opinion,) I felt that the movie could've explored his origin a lot better and 4. that if not for Prince's music contribution, it wouldn't have been nearly as popular. / hip.

[@TaliaIGhul]

Fun fact: Prince was a major Batman fan. The first song he ever played on the piano was the Adam West Batman theme.

[@BigMoTheBlackDragon]

Oh gawd!! That final "I am Batman" put me down on one knee. It finally topped the early 90s commercial where a quarterback gets a concussion, and while asking the questions typical (where are you at? Who am I?), when asked what his name is, he answers "I am Batman", just like Keaton did in the movie. Well, it took 20+ years, but finally someone came up with a funnier version. Btw, I think it may have been a candybar commercial with the quarterback. Edit: found it. Snickers, from 1996.

[@Tanglewalker]

One of the things I've always found interesting was how comic book films became such a big part of popular culture with the Richard Donner Superman films (mainly the first two), and the Burton Batman films, and then they basically faded away as the Batman films became more and more silly. But then we had Blade in '98, and X-Men in '00, and Spider-Man in '02. I would really love to see some kind of video about that more recent revival, and how these films re-launched the comic book film, and the nerd-era, as it were.

[@OthelloCyber]

One of the best memories of my childhood - my dad taking me to see Batman at 11. I also had a Batman T-shirt, action figures and Batman underoos.

[@whiterabbit1632]

I have a batmobile model by ERTL

[@wstine79]

My mom planned to take us to see Ghostbusters 2, but we all wanted Batman after seeing the cardboard cutout. Never missed a Batman movie on the big screen.

[@solomonverrico]

Same. And for me it was a drive-in so while trying to watch Ghostbusters 2 (and don't get me wrong, I absolutely wanted to see that too) I kept looking over across the lot at Batman.

[@Michael-bk5nz]

The Batman trailer was attached to Ghostbusters 2, I remember that was when I first learned of the movie

[@Clay3613]

Hope you still saw Ghostbusters II.

[@deathsnitemaresinfullust2269]

One of the biggest super hero influences of my childhood, even though i was born in 1984 i still grew up watching the old Batman show with Adam West. i had the Batman action figure with the belt zip cord from the movie and my mom made me an Adam West style Bat-suite for Halloween, it was wonderful times back then. Batman, Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, Thundercats, He-Man and Ninja Turtles were my "everything" until around 1995-96 when i started watching Dragon Ball Z back before it blew up and started airing on Cartoon Network it would air 1 episode early every Saturday on a local station, discovered SPAWN and found Berserk in 1997-98. There are alot of things i like but those are the franchises i cherish more than any others. 😄👍

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

I too was definitely one of those kids that started with superhero stuff and transitioned very quickly into anime when I got older.

[@daymja]

I remember going to see "James Bond Licence to Kill" and saw the Batman trailer for the first time. I was so impressed, I went and saw LTK again just for the Batman trailer. I cannot remember how many times I went and saw Batman in 89.

[@JerryD9000]

I was 9 when I watched this in theaters, changed my life, and incidentally, Micheal Keaton was the first movie star I ever knew by name thanks to the film synopsis on the side of the official cereal box (with the actors of characters mentioned in parenthesis)

[@mindwipe8788]

Still to this day I love the fact that without this film, Batman TAS wouldn’t happened and we wouldn’t be celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this September.

[@rikmichaels9233]

Here here!

[@jnerdsblog]

@@rikmichaels9233 Hear Hear, but yes, agreed!

[@ZamboniZone]

agreed. Batman would probably be struggling for relevancy

[@JJKoester]

My Brain: Batman: Tool Assisted Speedrun? Google: You're an idiot.

[@JOEYFMISFIT]

There’s so much I love about this vid. The mention of Bill Finger(I’m a comic nerd and some people still think Kane did it alone) the mention of shirts cause I remember so many shirts, and the toys!!! So many toys!! You all did justice to a movie that is so special to me. Gentlemen, I thank you.

[@cassandralyris4918]

You remember the Batman cereal? They had a T-shirt and piggy bank for, I think it was 4-5 box tops? I wore that shirt to pieces and I still have that plastic piggy bank. Good times!

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@cassandralyris4918 Please tell me it was a Batman piggy bank. Like bat piggy or something like that. I would have totally kept that forever.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

Yeah. Batman (1989) was a smash hit lol. The merchandise, the toys, Bat symbol are everywhere around the world. How good The Dark Knight was in 2008 but they still can't tops Batman (1989) when it comes to toys and the iconic Black and Yellow Bat symbol. Batman (1989) absolutely legendary.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@taufikrahmanthegamer No matter what happens in the future Batman 89' did it first. It was the first version of Batman to be true to the original comics and not the corny cartoon and '60s show/movie. It's iconic and nothing's going to change that, no matter how many versions of Batman we end up having the one that did it first when it did will always be looked at as the groundbreaking movie it was.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Yup. Facts! Batman (1989) was the first of its kind to be dark and serious live-action superhero Batman film.

[@joshoshea3194]

"The history of Batman". In under 25 minutes. The dudes been out for 80 years?..... well done.

[@BFG93]

Im so glad I found this channel. It scratches all the pop culture itches I never knew I had. Keep it up gang! Awesome work again

[@derekmason1881]

Summer of 89 was such an awesome time as a kid Batmania was everywhere, . I saw Batman, Ghostbusters 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Great year.

[@Ruinstad694]

The editor notes that drop in these have slowly become my favorite thing about these episodes.

[@matthewstoneback9]

10:44 What's remarkable is how often actor John Glover has been associated with DC related projects. He would go on to voice the Riddler on Batman: The Animated Series, play the demented Dr. Jason Woodrue in Batman and Robin and then appear as Lionel Luthor on Smallville.

[@DSWappropriate]

Micheal Keaton Is The Best Batman!

[@Berengier817]

The movie came out just before I turned 6. So glad it didn't come out when I was younger. I literally remember seeing it theaters with my brother. The movie easily fundamentally changed me. I had no idea who Batman was, because I had never watched the cartoons and had yet to see the TV show, but that movie literally changed me for the rest of my life without a doubt and that's why I still remember seeing it when I was not even 6 years old it's clear as fucking day

[@scubadave32]

I’m the same age as you I feel the same I even had a Batman pinball machine but I always wonder how on earth did my parents let me see such a dark film 😂 these days I’m not sure my kids would stick the whole film out and might find the bits in between a bit boring but bk then I just remember loving it 😁 also why was I allowed to watch Robocop 😂

[@JoeysBatcave]

Yup, came out one month before my 6th birthday and my mom took me and a few friends to see it. I remember it vividly.

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

I had just turned 7 that June 1989 and my older sister was 12~ we even took our little baby sister who was about to turn 5 that August 🍿📽🎞😅 We were screaming Go Batman that entire summer Best summer ever!

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

@@scubadave32 did you have the Bartman aka Bart Simpson t-shirts? I had 2 from our godmother and her husband that she bought at a street fair

[@scubadave32]

@@CarlyneDTQTonPod no but I did have the figure of Bart man on a skateboard with a sling shot 😄

[@acf4565]

I saw it in 89 as well and it was a rainy and dreary day. We got t shirts at Walmart right before going. It’s one of my earliest most vivid memories. It remains one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@cboehm24]

1989 was the first summer of my first job: an usher at a movie theater. That theater had a great idea. Projectionists had to run the print through the projector to test it the Thursday before Friday release anyway. What If they turned on the bulb and allowed the employees to watch? As a result, I saw Batman before most of the world and I was COMPLETELY hooked.

[@robertperry678]

"Bob Kane and Bill Finger". I'll never get tired of hearing that. "Bob Kane AND Bill Finger." Yay!!!

[@southilgurl2003]

My primary memory of going to see the film - opening night in Augusta, GA., fully packed wide-screen theater, popcorn and drink in hand. Trying to find a seat, down one aisle, and cutting across the front of theater on tile floor...where someone had spilled a drink. So in front of about 150 strangers, my foot slips, arms fly up sending popcorn and drink flying, and I land hard flat on my back. To the bit of laughter, my cheeks red, I stood back up and with a grand flourish, took a performance bow. Got a free refill of my drink and popcorn, and finally found a seat somewhere in the back.

[@katiepersons6575]

Jack nailed it. But I would have LOVED to have seen Robin Williams or Tim Curry's take on the joker!

[@orcsmash9]

Curry would’ve been fantastic as Joker.

[@Loyal-to-theFoil]

I sat in the front row too!!! I was 9 years old & got my parents who were divorcing at the time to take me. It was also the 1st time I'd ever tried any sort of seasoning on popcorn (sour cream and onion) oddly enough. I'd seen so many classics in the theater as a kid, from Gremlins to Goonies to TMNT to Ghostbusters, but this 89 Batman movie will always stand out to me. I loved it, & it helped take some of my attention off my crap home life, I will forever hold this movie close to my heart. Also, Keaton & Nicholson are MY favorite Batman & Joker, hands down!

[@jamesbounds]

Batman 1989 is one of my favorite Batman films. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson had a great Batman and Joker performance.

[@ChristianHansard]

I had the cereal to get the Batman bank. Had a couple of action figures, the VHS, posters, some pins, micro machines, a couple of spiral notebooks for school, and a T-shirt. And some of that I still have. My prized possession was a purple Joker ballcap that I wore a ton and it somehow disappeared. :( I was 9 when it came out so it was definitely a big deal seeing it that summer.

[@strangenrare8663]

Burton's description "like hell had erupted through the pavement and kept on growing" is marvelously concise and effective. My brother and I went to a midnight preview of Batman the day before its public release--it was thrilling to be 13 and out that late in the first place, but the opening notes of Danny Elfman's exquisite score creeping into the pitch-black theatre and the visual tracing of that dark, grainy/gritty bat logo was the biggest natural high for us goofy mormon kids... And when Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale go to have sex, somebody in the audience shouted "That's it--show her the bat pole!!!" (which forever feels like a part of the film to me now) :) This movie (and its score) stand up to any Hitchcock/Herrmann collaborative endeavor--genius combined is exponential genius.

[@Dorelaxen]

And now, 33 years later, Michael Keaton is STILL my favorite live action Batman.

[@EricGranata]

Same. I can’t get into the most recent ones (Afleck and Twilight).

[@WorldWithOEnd]

And I hope if they ever make a Batman Beyond movie that he's in it as Bruce

[@patfrat666]

Bale. Affleck. Pattinson. THEN Keaton. (Then West, if that even counts...) (Nice Vyvian profile pic, though...)

[@Dorelaxen]

@@patfrat666 Well, that's just like...your opinion...man.

[@taufikrahmanthegamer]

Same here. Before Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson, there was Michael Keaton, the best and the original first ever live-action film with dark and serious Batman.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Michael Keaton is fantastic as Batman and Jack Nicholson is fantastic as the joker 🃏. 😀👍

[@themeanlesbeann]

I remember wearing out this vhs tape in the early 90's. The grim music and dark gothic artdeco style of the film and animated show really made an impression on my young self. The Tim Burton creepy cool aesthetic is so appealing.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

I wish that Tim Burton's career had gone differently though. Pretty much everything after I would say Edward scissorhands has been very safe. Once he started doing things like Alice in wonderland and the much worse sequel I feel like he'd really falling off as a director. Or like someone else said leaning into the Hot topic crowd. I liked corpse bride but I'm not sure how much involvement he had in that.

[@HandofOmega]

It's only today when I look back that I realize how there was an entire generation of Batfans who ONLY knew the campy 60s version of Batman, and I can only imagine how shocking and out of left field the movie must have seemed to them! OTOH, as dark and gritty as it seemed at the time, it's practically light and silly by today's standards...

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Yep the irony of all that is not lost on me. I mean between the '60s show and the hammy AF Hannah Barbara version I'm sure some people must have been absolutely gobsmacked percent time they saw 89' version.

[@Faction.Paradox]

I had the opposite experience. Growing up with the Burton films and the animated series, seeing 60's reruns pretty much melted my brain. I didn't realise it was intentionally camp till I was a teenager, probably because all the older shows id seen that weren't being intentionally camp. I can watch 60's today and love it for what it is, the movie especially is a riot.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@Faction.Paradox I definitely enjoy the series for what it is. I don't have a personal grudge or anything against that version. But I think a lot of people do simply because it held the series back for so long. It's a fun, campy, enjoyable show that knew what it was and what it wanted to be.

[@brandonspain12345]

We still go through this when a new adaptation of a popular series from a show or a book gets a reboot and fans of the older adaptations rant and say "You ruined my childhood!!!!" It's something that didn't happen not that long ago with the Matilda Musical movie coming out and the people who hated the trailer only knew the original 1996 movie. It's very difficult to change an audience's perception of what a new film or version should look or feel like.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@brandonspain12345 I think the worst ones are where they try to walk a weird line between the original and a new different version. I actually prefer it when they really go all out and try to do something significantly different. It shows they're willing to take a risk. You see this way more often than a version that really tries to be different and unique. It's like they're trying to be both a new version but also get that original audience.

[@mikeshirleyforever]

Wonderful retrospective. Thank you for the nostalgia. The film was my proper first introduction to Batman's origin, so I was confused when I started to see references to Joe Chill in the comic material. As a big fan of this film, I really liked the use of Jack Napier as the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents but I know many were against it, even Sam Hamm.

[@grapeshot]

I remember when me and my mom first went to the movies to see this when it first came out. I was still in high school, we came very close to getting up and walking out the movie theater when it first came on. But luckily we decided to stay. And Michael Keaton turned out to be a very good Batman.

[@edwardklein5770]

In 89, I was 16 when Batman released and it was the first movie that my younger brother and I went to see on our own as I was able to drive us. We caught an 8am showing on opening day because the earlier showings were already sold out.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

The importance of Batman 89' can never be truly stated. It truly and completely changed the landscape at time and ever since. It did indeed truly continue what Superman did a decade earlier and way more so. Ironically it would suffer many of the same problems the Superman franchise did but would recover far better than Superman ever has.

[@Monkeyboy1138]

Billy Dee Williams has played Harvey Dent/Two-Face one other time. The LEGO Batman Movie 👍

[@simonpaquet7161]

Summer is the best time of the year to watch the best Batman there is, Tim Burton's.

[@denniscleary7580]

Will always be my Batman

[@CurtElliott]

I was there opening night and quite a few more times throughout that summer. Later that fall, my freshman year away at college, I took two rolls of quarters my grandmother gave me for laundry and walked a couple of miles to the Mom & Pop video store to buy the VHS the day it came out. Totally forgot about tax on $19.99 but the lady let me have it anyway.

[@GoddessOfWhim2003]

Batman Returns is my favorite Batman movie still to this day. Batman 89 was so impactful and i love it too

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Till this day my all time favorite Batman movie 🎥 ever! I just couldn’t imagine anybody playing Batman better than Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson playing their role’s!

[@dougsmith6262]

Premiered on June 23rd, and parents took me to see it on June 24th for my 5th birthday. And Bats has been my #1 favorite comic hero ever since.

[@argylecowboy]

When I was a kid and the commercials started I remember having a dream that Keaton came to our local blockbuster in costume and handed out batarangs and grapnel guns

[@glazdarklee1683]

in 1989 my only experience with Batman had been seeing the Adam West version in the 1960s, when I was a small child. So when I saw a trailer for this on television late one evening it was hard to process. (Granted, I was a little drunk at the time.) The idea that someone would make a serious, dark, and rather violent-looking movie about Batman, that starred Jack Nicholson, made my brain come close to exploding. It would be as if someone today saw a trailer for a Serious Dark Movie about SpongeBob.

[@stepheneaton4978]

She looked so pleased with herself for that "same bat time" line. Also, my hats off to you guys for the Human League moment.

[@khandimahn9687]

I remember way back when, hearing Michael Keaton would be playing Bruce/Bats, and thinking this would be very much like the goofy 60's series. Then it came out, and it was a whole different film, and Keaton did a great job channeling the dark intensity for the role. Watching it today, some of the sounds and effects haven't aged well, but it's still one of the best Batman movies.

[@petermerz2704]

I love that movie! Trying to find Bat Boats, Batplane, Bat cycle, etc. in model kits is like trying to find hens teeth. And when you do find them, they’re bloody expensive! Thanks for sharing. Happy days and model on! 🇨🇦😎

[@WillKeaton]

In the very early 90s I remember being a fan of _Batman_ from reruns of the Adam West show, and my dad had a VHS tape of this movie. He let me watch it, but insisted he fast forward past the part where Jack falls into the vat of chemicals, because he thought that was too scary for me, and he may have been right. However, he seemed to be unaware of the later scene where Joker electrocutes a man until he's a smouldering skeleton. THAT freaked me right out.

[@edwardburek1717]

You're not any relation to Michael, are you?

[@WillKeaton]

@@edwardburek1717 No.

[@dinomonzon7493]

Michael Keaton took flak for getting cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman from ‘diehard’ Batfans, but proved the naysayers Dead Wrong. Batman 1989 remains one of the best live action superhero films ever. Thanks for citing Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams & Steve Englehart as they were the ones who pioneered the return to Batman’s serious roots, it was not Miller. They made Batman more serious but still human, not grim and gritty, nor as ‘perfect’ as today; he was allowed to make mistakes. The Shadow was a major influence on Batman; hope you can do a video on him (as well as Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze) as well. Back to Batman- For me, Jack Nicholson will always be the best live action Joker. While I did like Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale, it’s too bad she replaced Silver St. Cloud who seemed to be the best girlfriend for Bruce Wayne. Great video, Mr. Larson. Thanks.

[@powerwegy]

My most memorable Batman fan time ever was when Batman forever came out, those were some good times.

[@mekman4]

Great Stuff! I didn’t see Bat-Man (1989) until many years after seeing Bat-Man Returns. I loved Bat-Man Returns, Danny DeVito was just dropping those innuendoes. Being 13 was odd but fun. I loved the Christmas theme, the games (the good, the bad), all of it!

[@scottshinsato2376]

The summer of '89 was crazy! Bat-signals everywhere! It was a good time to be a Bat-fan.

[@big_grub]

I was just a kid when this movie came out and it definitely had a huge impact on me. Pretty sure every birthday party after that was Batman themed.

[@mauigio]

One of those rare movies that got so much better the more you watched it from childhood to adulthood

[@jbearclowater]

It's also worth noting that Billy Dee Williams got to be Two-Face in a film as well finally! He voices the character in The Lego Batman Movie.

[@omgijh]

I will never forget the day I got this on VHS. My Mom had to go to the store, it was rainy, and as a kid I was afraid of thunderstorms, so I wrnt upstairs and hung out with my Dad, well he was asleep so I just sat by the window waiting for my Mom to come home and she greeted me with a surprise, Batman on tape!

[@EvaFull]

Saw it 4th of July Weekend with my Mom & Dad. Went because it was over 100 degrees outside, we didn’t have AC at the time and one of the only places in our small town that did was the local movie theater. Place WAS PACKED. I also vaguely remember us having thunderstorms around that time that knocked out power in certain places of the township.

[@JamesCurtisOKC]

Tim Curry as the Joker would have been awesome, but I imagine we would not have gotten him as Pennywise.

[@mcurran6505]

He was almost the Joker in BTAS, he recorded a least 4 episodes but he had to step down due to bronchitis and was later replaced by Mark Hamil.

[@MattMcIrvin]

Getting paid for nothing must have been sweet though.

[@DSWappropriate]

He’s Coming Back In The Flash

[@SuperNicktendo]

I was only 6 at the time so I didn't see it until it came out on tape. Good stuff and having my own batmobile was a must

[@AaronLitz]

I actually _don't remember_ going to see Batman in the theater, oddly enough, although I know I certainly did, wearing an awesome Batman shirt that showed him standing, one elbow crooked out and his hand on his utility belt, the other arm covered by his cape that draped down his side and down across his feet, all in blues and greys against a black shirt (gawd I wish I could find another shirt like that, it's _still_ the coolest image of Batman I've ever seen.) I _do,_ however, remember watching the movie over and over and over again on VHS, and seeing that damn Diet Coke commercial... Every. Single. Time.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

It's funny considering how much of a commercial entity Batman is these days. That diet Coke commercial may have seemed off but these days it makes perfect sense.

[@AaronLitz]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Yeah. But to 13-14 year old me it was just a bit annoying. ;) Still never bothered to fast-forward through it, though.

[@iampoch01]

If I remember correctly, the 1989 Batmobile was also inspired by the salt flat race cars. As for the bat symbol, the actual reason for the change was that the studio, for some reason, failed to include the original symbol to the license. By the time they corrected the error, it was too late. However, they were able to use the correct symbol in the subsequent sequels, starting with Batman Returns.

[@btetschner]

That film was the event of the year. It was a phenomena. I still think about the film soundtrack often. This was an A+ video, thank you so much for making it.

[@justsayinit6789]

hey man, thanks so much for covering the 80's nostalgia like no other. Love it, you rock sir.

[@hueyiroquois3839]

I can just see Michael Caine reprising his role as Alfred. "You're too ol...OW! Fuck!...We're both too old for this, sir."

[@drjhale9801]

Tim’s vision changed everything We would just line up to see the trailer then left those movies 🎦 until Batman was a reality on film !🎬

[@frankjoyce76]

Oh my gosh That batman commercial showed Parham road Richmond, VA.. I lived right down the road!!!!!

[@millsyinnz]

I remember when the movie came out. While I never saw it (and never have to this day, not in its entireity), I did get the toy Batmobile, which was cool. That is pretty much what 1989/90 was about. Batmania, and Turtlemania.

[@Mayydayy86]

That editor's note at 20:12 is EVERYTHING

[@robvegas9354]

1989 was an amazing year for movies.... Batman, Lethal Weapon 2, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Tango and Cash, Ghostbusters. Good Times!! And plus the tickets were only 3 dollars on cheap tuesdays

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

I’m here for this 🙌🏽 1989 Batman mania for us 80s kids was everywhere and everything! We kids were going to the local stationery store to buy Batman trader cards and Batman logo stuff anywhere. My sisters and I went to the movie theater for free entry from our uncle who was in upper mgmt for a major theater chain in long island new york We’ve seen Batman 1989 in theaters 10 times 😅🍿🎞📽 then had it on VHS as an early release the next year.

[@00ga-booga]

God I remember the gnashing of teeth at comic book shops when Keaton was announced. Then the movie dropped and everyone suddenly retconned their opinion, having known he was the right man for the job since the beginning. It was like watching Crisis on Infinite Earths in real life.

[@benthomson1132]

I first watched Batman as a kid at a drive-in theater, AND it was a double-feature with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It was during one of our all-too-rare family vacations visiting family friends in North Carolina, hundreds of miles away from the mundane flatlands of the Midwest. It was a little too warm to stay in our Astro Van, so my brother, sister, and I were given permission to climb onto the roof. It absolutely thrilled us as kids and only added to the magic of seeing some of the greatest movies ever made while stuffing ourselves with all the junk food & soda we could, AND getting to stay up way past our bedtimes. It remains one of my most cherished childhood memories.

[@pr0t34n]

Fun fact, Tom Curry was also cast as the Joker in the animated series before being replaced by Mark Hamill. As I recall there is still a laugh or two in BTAS from Tim

[@sandrofrias1635]

I can still remember all those Batman bootleg t-shirts, being sold all over Brooklyn street corners that summer. People who aren't from that era can really comprehend how it felt. It was a world phenomenon. Batmania was everywhere. I remember teens going to the barbershop and getting the batman sign shaved onto the back of their heads. People lost their minds. Being a kid in the the 80's was the best!

[@Dorelaxen]

That's no joke. It seemed like every other person you passed had a Batman t-shirt on. Wal-Mart was essentially the Batcave for almost a full year after it came out.

[@scottyaugustinefennell-rod2178]

Saw it with my Dad he passed away months later. He got me the movie on VHS that Christmas. He passed in Jan 1990. I still have that VHS. Love that film.

[@kingrix]

I was at Boy Scout camp the weekend of release. The first thing we did when we got back was go see Batman.

[@skyden24195]

I was living at Scott A.F.B. in Illinois (my dad was an USAF-NCO) when "Batman" -(89) was released. Traditionally, as was true at the time, new films would be played at military base theaters about a month to two months after the original release date of the film. Since, for one, the nearest public (civilian) theater was a hindering long drive off of the base to get to, plus the cost to see the movie at the base theater was only $1.00 for military dependents and free for officers/enlisted personal, the base theater release was when most base residents saw any movie. So, by the time Batman debuted on the base, the hype and success of the movie was already well known, contributing to the (base theater) opening day being absolutely incredible. Not only did it seem like every single kid who lived on the base was there, but the theater even hired a guy to dress in a (Keaton equivalent) Bat-suit and walk around outside the theater amongst the crowd (and signing autographs, lol,) prior to the showing. And, despite that I had already seen the movie some weeks before while visiting relatives, watching the movie during the base-primer with a theater full of kids who had not seen the movie is still more memorable to me now. The theater constantly erupting in cheers during the many iconic (and even not-so-icon) moments of the film, (the first grand-cheer coming just at the presentation of the opening credits' title: " B A T M A N ",) was an extremely fun way to experience watching the bat-acular movie.

[@ericthompson3982]

My mom took me to see it in the theater. It blew my mind and I made her take me three more times. It kindled my love of comic books.

[@TheTrycehyman]

I loved that cereal. I remember it being like...bat-shaped Cap'n Crunch?

[@BatFan1]

Anyone who saw Johnny Dangerously should have known that Keaton would nail the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. What also should have put fans worries at ease was that just a year prior "funny guy" Bruce Willis was cast as John McClain in Die Hard and became the template for the "average Joe" action star.

[@kalllelll]

Saw it the Saturday of opening weekend. I still have the little leaflet product catalogue they handed out in the theater. I wanted every item in that leaflet. The Prince Soundtrack was the first cassette that I wore out. This movie is in my DNA.

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

I was the perfect age to appreciate Batman. I had a Batman birthday party that year. I got some of the toys, the puzzle, and the sound track on cassette. Good times. The puzzle was tricky since it was the poster and so many black pieces.