http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/6437/
I enjoyed reading that. Thanks, Darrell.
Seriously, this is why you don't take 7 year-old to a PG-13 movie.
I was 22 at the time and I found nothing traumatizing about it.
Quote from: GBglide on Thu, 29 Apr 2010, 07:48
I was 22 at the time and I found nothing traumatizing about it.
Indeed. I remember when I first got the internet, many years ago, and logged on to read reviews and comments about the film. Having seen the film countless times as a child and
knowing it was good, I was expecting unanimous praise. Instead, I was greeted with negativity. How it was apparently Batman in name only. How it was too weird and sick.
I was genuinely gob smacked. I thought, we've currently got two Schumacher embarrassments, and we're down on what is obviously one of the best entries in series. And then I read a certain somebody held Returns and Batman and Robin in equal regard. Now,
that is traumatizing.
Along with B89, I see it as one of the purest representations of Batman ever. Personally, it's
the purest. I know what people point out as bizarre, but as a child, it didn?t bother me at all. It was normal to me, and it still is.
I wasn't traumatised. I was more indifferent. I was 12 and was indifferent about everything but fight scenes, and this movie didn't have enough for me at the time. I've matured(slightly) since then and the film has definitely grown on me since.
I still love fight scenes though.
p.s. I also think that Batman's fight in the street with the circus is the best Burton lensed Batman fight scene ever.
Quote from: gordonblu on Thu, 29 Apr 2010, 20:08
I was 12 and was indifferent about everything but fight scenes, and this movie didn't have enough for me at the time.
Indeed. I'm big on dialogue scenes now. Themes and insights into character. And Returns has lots of that. But as a tyke? Gimme action!
I saw Returns when I was 3 years old and the only thing that scared me was that the film started off on the wrong reel. It began with the second reel, which had the devil dressed member of the Red Triangle Gang blowing fire into the camera.
lol my mom was like his grandmother.
it didn't traumatize me but it damn sure affected me. no movie has had such an everlasting impact on me.
I had nightmares about the skull-head motorcycle guys when I was really little. And I'd only seen the previews! Never saw the movie until I was fourteen.
That was...um...interesting about Penguin's umbrellas. Very. I uh, well, hmmm. Glad someone else noticed, I'd thought maybe I was just seeing something I wanted to see...or...y'know. Ahem. *blush*
Quote from: Pigeon on Thu, 13 May 2010, 10:19
I had nightmares about the skull-head motorcycle guys when I was really little. And I'd only seen the previews! Never saw the movie until I was fourteen.
That was...um...interesting about Penguin's umbrellas. Very. I uh, well, hmmm. Glad someone else noticed, I'd thought maybe I was just seeing something I wanted to see...or...y'know. Ahem. *blush*
:-X
:o :o
Interesting. Having done the research for my blog's article about the tone of BR I found more than I ever thought I would - special TV shows against BR, toy companies withdrawing licenses etc. Interestingly enough, at the time I didnt find it much different than 89's movie. Ironically, it is NOW that Im being creeped out by some things and when I see how sad and gothic the movie is in a poetic way. For example, one thing thats very creepy for me in the movie and is like a scene straight out of a horror movie is when Bruce finds out that Penguin is a child murderer, when he reads about mysterious disappearances in the old newspaper. What he reads there, combined with the fact that we never see the "boy" is really chilling imo. And the movie ends on a triple sad note, all 3 characters have a gloomy and sad ending and contrastingly during Christmas time.
But at the time when I first saw it (right after it came out on VHS), I found it very consistent with the first movie. Sure, I noticed the darker look and the more claustrophobic feel, but I attributed it to the winter setting - its always dark in the winter and theres always much less people/activity outside. And sure, the movie was dark and sad, but the thing with Burton is that he can make the most dark things fun - like in Beetlejuice, which is about death, ghosts, ghouls and haunting. Yet it all somewhat works in such way that you view all those things as 'fun entertainment'
I actually found the first Batman alot scarier than Returns, hell, I was watching Returns when I was 2 or 3, continuiously, whereas with 89, I didn't watch it for what had to be nearly 8 years, seriously
Quote from: Seantastic on Fri, 12 Nov 2010, 09:30
I actually found the first Batman alot scarier than Returns, hell, I was watching Returns when I was 2 or 3, continuiously, whereas with 89, I didn't watch it for what had to be nearly 8 years, seriously
The first one had some spooky moments too, mainly the surgeon scene and Joker talking to the corpse
Quote from: GothamAlleys on Fri, 12 Nov 2010, 01:27
And sure, the movie was dark and sad, but the thing with Burton is that he can make the most dark things fun - like in Beetlejuice, which is about death, ghosts, ghouls and haunting. Yet it all somewhat works in such way that you view all those things as 'fun entertainment'
Exactly. Burton?s Batman had balance. You could have a crazed clown (as the Penguin would put it) having a conversation with a fried corpse - and it didn?t overwhelm the tone. It all felt pretty seamless. This quote from Burton helps to summarize what I?m trying to convey: ?Play it with a straight face which would leave room for laughs.? They were dark melodramas, but they had the added benefit of absurd humour.
Right, it all works and its all very surreal but works. A seamless blend as you said. For example, seeing a deformed Penguin man riding in a happy yellow duck is absurd but you dont think of it like that while watching the movie
Quote from: GBglide on Thu, 29 Apr 2010, 07:48
Seriously, this is why you don't take 7 year-old to a PG-13 movie.
I was 22 at the time and I found nothing traumatizing about it.
dude I was 7 when I saw that movie so that was a lie especially when I had to learn son of a bitch was a bad word after watching the 1st movie