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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@wstine79]

I remember hearing that Adam West was denied a small role in the movie. But with the movie being big and TV channels re-airing the 1960s show, his career got a second life.

[@cassandralyris4918]

I loved getting home from school and watching the 60's show. I was so happy when Adam got to be the Grey Ghost in the Animated Series.

[@kevin10001]

Now is has been a villain called the breathtaker in the black scorpion series all with his riddler frank gorshin who also played a villain in that series

[@iampoch01]

I agree with that decision. It was necessary at that time. They were already facing problems with them casting Michael Keaton as Batman, casting Adam West, regardless how large or small the role would have been, would not have been favorable.

[@phoule76]

I remember Letterman making fun of Mayor West for complaining about not getting a role in it.

[@ajclements4627]

I read somewhere that West wanted to play Thomas Wayne, then I read he tried to campaign for being an older Batman, but I have no idea if those were serious ideas or not.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!"

[@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

[@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.

[@joenic4662]

My uncle took me to see this when I was eight. The Joker has the line, "This town needs an enema." I asked my uncle what an enema was. When he explained it to me, I thought it was the funniest thing in the world and I couldn't stop laughing. When we got home, my mom was very angry at my uncle for taking me to see such a dark, violent movie. But I loved it!

[@beargrills1290]

HA! I learned what an enema was from this movie too.

[@TaliaIGhul]

LOL She was angry for taking you to see Batman because she thought it was too dark and violent? My mother took me to see Angel Heart when I was a kid.

[@BigAL68xyz]

If she thought Batman was dark and violent, I can't imagine what she thought of Batman Returns.

[@Michael-bk5nz]

@@BigAL68xyz Not to mention The Dark Knight or The Batman

[@oodatooitis6714]

😂 that’s a great story.

[@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.

[@rocketdude2969]

I remember the summer of 89 and it was magical. Indiana Jones , Ghostbusters , Star Trek V and most of all Batman . I went to see it alone and was blown away only to go back again and then twice more . I had the shirts the hat all the posters plus figures and when it hit VHS I preordered that too. To this day I can't watch the movie without saying every line. Michael Keaton is still Batman and his take on the dark knight is my favorite. Of course I have more figures and shirts and I'll watch the flash movie despite all the Ezra drama.

[@Summertimeblues28]

I saw Batman 3 times in the theatre during that summer of ‘89. I bought my first Batman comic after seeing the movie. Batmania ruled that whole summer. Keaton will always be our generations Batman. Another great video Dan & Greg. Enjoy your summer guys.

[@jeffreymcquillen1208]

Our generation?

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

omg yes summer of ‘89 was Batman Insanity! 😅 we saw it 10 times in the theater on some weekends back to back showings 🍿📽 best summer of the last year of the 80s

[@CarlyneDTQTonPod]

@@jeffreymcquillen1208 gen x’ers & millennials 😅

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@jamesmoss3424]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@sec9788]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@deadairconversion]

I was there, every seat was sold out! Even people leaving other movies stopped in to watch, standing room only for them, but they still stood and watched! Those were the days when movies were actual events that people came and experienced together in large numbers like a rock concert. I’m sorry to see those days are gone

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@Ruinstad694]

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

[@wstine79]

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

[@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.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@kifuatnamhar 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.

[@Yikes702]

I am not even going to tell you how much I spent last year on Ebay for an old Michael Keaton shirt from 1989 that was in perfect condition. I bought some old buttons with him on them too; they have the WB DC copyright on the back. Lots of good stuff. I was working at store called Hills that summer, and it seemed every day that we'd receive about 20 boxes with Batman swag -- posters, shirts, buttons, socks, notebooks, etc. etc. It was a great summer.

[@kendallrivers1119]

@@Yikes702 my black and yellow Bat symbol shirt just came in Friday! Perfect condition too. I love rocking my Batman shirt. Feels like I'm back 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)

[@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.

[@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 😄

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@jamesbounds]

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

[@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

[@NeilBlumengarten]

Thinking about this movie, I always remember how news reporters almost fell over themselves to report that, "You won't be seeing 'POW' or 'BANG,' this is a grown-up Batman." I also remember getting a Bob the Goon figure and being excited for it. Dan is right, they nailed the likeness.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!!!!!

[@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.

[@powerwegy]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@crsingh2010]

remember collecting the Topps cards. before even seeing the movie. living in NYC, it was def the talk of the town.

[@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.

[@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.

[@justsayinit6789]

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

[@benisrael2948]

Yes I saw Batman opening night and the theater was completely packed with people every seat was filled they were even people's standing in the aisle the Batman movie was so big back in the '80s there's was a long line of people just waiting to see it. I'm glad they chose Michael Keaton as Batman because he did a great job he will always be my favorite Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker did a great job also

[@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.

[@TaliaIGhul]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@DSWappropriate]

Micheal Keaton Is The Best 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.

[@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.

[@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! 🇨🇦😎

[@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

[@TheTrycehyman]

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

[@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.

[@GoddessOfWhim2003]

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

[@simonpaquet7161]

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

[@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.

[@robertperry678]

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

[@ixtrake]

...One of my fondest memories will always be when my dad took me to see It back in '89. A whole experience that i' ll cherish forever now that he passed away.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@pennygadget7328]

This is great timing, I've almost finished rebuilding my collection! '89 and then Returns toys always seemed to get around our meager budget somehow, with my mom and I both obsessing over the same details. It was a ritual to seek out new stuff, and she'd use her trips to Mexico to pick up oddball bootleg merchandise to boot. No other toyline ever really connected the two of us quite like Burton Batman did, except *maybe* Playmates TNG stuff.

[@Ominvus]

I was born in that year and love watching it as far as I can remember.

[@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.

[@mauigio]

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

[@joshoshea3194]

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

[@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

[@kingrix]

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

[@scottshinsato2376]

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

[@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."

[@Mayydayy86]

That editor's note at 20:12 is EVERYTHING

[@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.

[@Monkeyboy1138]

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

[@TheArisar]

Thank you for correctly crediting Bill Finger and not just Bob Kane!!

[@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.

[@billlange9408]

This was the first film that I ever waited in line for. I was 8 when it came out. It was also the first film I ever saw more than once in a movie theater. It was a wild experience to be sure.