'92 Nostalgia... Your Memories of the Hype and Personal Experiences

[Smalley]

I think Returns is the more memorable one and the more interesting; I don't enjoy '89 at all. Think it's mediocre. With Returns, Burton definitely stepped up the game greatly with style, characters, plotting, emotion, the whole nine yards...

[The Joker]

You know, the first time I was made aware of Batman Returns was on the now-cancelled "Coming Attractions" on E! that would simply play movie trailers for upcoming films. One day I was in my bedroom either cleaning, or going thru my comic books, and suddenly (and unexpectedly for me) the host says that the Batman Returns trailer will be played following a commercial break. I heard this, and was literally floored with excitement! Especially being a such a fan of the 1989 film. Well, finally the longest couple of minutes passed by and "Coming Attractions" finally played the trailer following the host giving very brief information on the main stars and what characters they were playing. I was essentially glued to the tube watching the trailer play out, and thought it looked fantastic. Sure, the Penguin's look was different, but I felt it definately FITS the movie and had no problem with it. Michelle Pfeiffer looked amazing as Catwoman, and Keaton back as Batman was nothing short of outstanding. My anticipation level was, needless to say, 'sky high' (pun intended).

Outside of the marketing machine such as toys, and Mcdonalds cups, I also distinctly remember picking up the Batman Returns comic book adaptation literally right before seeing the movie. And to which I flipped thru and read after seeing it. Several times. 

Other than that, I was pretty much the 'batman guy' in the 5th grade. As I believe (if memory serves me correctly), I had three different Batman Returns t-shirts, as well as a Batman Returns back pack that I walked around with the entire school year.

But yeah, whenever I think of the year 1992, I think of Batman Returns. 

[Grissom]

I actually saw it on tv, I believe it was after Adams Family on HBO one Saturday night. Me and my two brothers watched it and we really liked it. I still prefer Batman '89 but I understood where Burton was doing with the characters and it still remains to this day one of the best sequels ever.

[GothamAlleys]

Well, dont ask me how, but I was completely unaware of Batman Returns and dint expect any kind of hype at all. No, I did not live under the rock in 1992  , but I have not seen one ad, one trailer, haven't heard one mention from anybody. Then the first day it got released on VHS my dad rented it and brought it home and I was like "what the...". Imagine my surprise. Not knowing that theres a sequel and the bam! Here it is , with no waiting, nothing

What'd you think of it at the time?

I loved it from the very beginning. I saw it in winter so it was perfect. I also just couldnt get over the shock of having Batman sequel when I had no clue that one existed and the original was my favorite movie at the time bar none. I loved it but liked the original better. Today, BR is my definite favorite and is way above all the other Batman films for me

[Bobthegoon89]

I was just 4 at the time but vividly remember it being out. A lot of my early memories are linked with Batman itself which is why this character is very important to me I guess.

Here in the UK it was classified as a 15 cert. No chance of seeing that then! I remember asking my mum as we drove past the theatre marquee and to this day I remind her of turning me down (that and not letting me stay off school to meet Adam West at my local comic store later that year!).

My dad was a huge Batman buff even when he was a kid so he certainly rented the thing (along with another major 92 movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula" I seem to recall). But he must have been aware of some controversy because he wanted to check it out first before I could. I specifically remember being in bed and hearing the sounds and music of the thing downstairs as my parents watched it. The most infuriating experience of my childhood and yet still bloody exciting too! lol These were the days before the internet (as with the latest Bat film) blew every secret, photograph, tv spot and trailer know to man prior to release. But back then I hadn't a clue. I kinda miss those sort of days because it made all the difference in the world when finally seeing it. When I couldn't tolerate the torment any longer I snuck onto the staircase and caught the scene where Batman and Catwoman first fight on the rooftop. Very briefly. Today it may not be the most spectacular or brutal fight ever witnessed but has it stayed with me as being an exciting first glimpse.

The first footage I ever saw however was when Catwoman whips the heads off of the mannequins. I remember going whoa! Catwoman! In live action and looking amazing! Far from my reaction on seeing the first Hathaway image ahem. This was actually shown on a Saturday morning kids show and I swear I think they even had Michelle Pfeiffer as a guest promoting the thing.

That Christmas morning the white and black Bat logo was everywhere. I got the action figures (Deep Dive Batman, Artic Batman, Penguin, Catwoman). Bruce Wayne's Custom Coupe. A Batman Returns bubblegum sweet machine lol And best of all the Wayne Manor/Batcave playset (which I'm shocked to find is now a pain in the ass to buy cheaply on ebay and rare). My dad finally gave me the VHS also with that memorable poster image. I stared at it for ages dying to watch it. Still my favourite Bat movie poster. Batman, Catwoman and The Penguin all together vertically on the front. All you needed to do and show to get people excited back in 1992....

[HarryCanyon]

I remembered when i was 10 reading in Starlog magazine that the movie is coming next year as i couldn't wait and i saw a trailer to it in theaters and thought it looked great, i saw the movie 5 times in theaters when i was 11 and i had the merchandise like beach-towels, t-shirts, toys, coloring books, backpack, lunchbox, movie magazine, comic adaptation and all that. I even ate the cereal and i watched/taped Batman TAS religiously plus i got the movie for Christmas on video that year.

Oh man oh man when i saw Michelle Pfeifer all dressed up as Catwoman, i became a man. She has been one of my boyhood crushes since i saw Ladyhawke in theaters when i was 4 and i had steamy fantasies about her when i was a teen, i always adored Catwoman since i was 8 and knew one day she would make it on the big screen.

[thecolorsblend]

This movie was all anybody was talking about as far as movies go in the lead-up to the release. Lots of anticipation, no doubts there.

I saw it on opening day with a friend and my dad. The S&M allusions weren't lost on my dad, that's for sure. I remember him being ticked off about it.

This was the first time I remember experiencing a big name product or big name director or what have you being turned on by the press. The "build 'em up just to knock 'em down" thing. Content-wise, I don't see what was so different about BR that was absent from B89 but the media all had a field day tearing apart the movie's "objectionable content". I sometimes think the backlash is over-emphasized simply because of how limited all media were back then. You'd think there was this nationwide frenzy against the movie but the box office numbers simply don't tally with that interpretation. It may not have been what mass audiences were expecting (for better or for worse) but I think people made and continue to make waaaaaay too much out of the backlash. Living in the moment, I don't remember it being that big a deal.

[Rebel]

Are there any videos documenting the "batmania" of '89 and '92 online?

[Bobthegoon89]

This movie was all anybody was talking about as far as movies go in the lead-up to the release. Lots of anticipation, no doubts there.

I saw it on opening day with a friend and my dad. The S&M allusions weren't lost on my dad, that's for sure. I remember him being ticked off about it.

This was the first time I remember experiencing a big name product or big name director or what have you being turned on by the press. The "build 'em up just to knock 'em down" thing. Content-wise, I don't see what was so different about BR that was absent from B89 but the media all had a field day tearing apart the movie's "objectionable content". I sometimes think the backlash is over-emphasized simply because of how limited all media were back then. You'd think there was this nationwide frenzy against the movie but the box office numbers simply don't tally with that interpretation. It may not have been what mass audiences were expecting (for better or for worse) but I think people made and continue to make waaaaaay too much out of the backlash. Living in the moment, I don't remember it being that big a deal.

I personally think Nicholson's Joker with his humour helped lighten the mildy dark tone for the general audience in the original. Take him out of the equation and have a child murdering version of The Penguin and a depressed/fractured/sexualised Catwoman and it becomes a bleaker world which is why people less enjoyed it.

I too think the reaction was OTT. Part of me wonders if setting it in the pleasant environment of Christmas had something to do with blackening it's heart to an even greater extreme lol Would Batman Returns be less a bleaker film not set in this holiday season? To this day I think there hasn't been a mainstream comic book movie that has ever attempted a tone quite like Batman Returns. Critic Roger Ebert felt Batman Begins was the darkest installment upon his review. I disagree. None of the Nolan movies came close to the feel of the second Burton movie. Begins started off dark but by the end became uplifting. Returns proved it's opposite.

I would love to see the parent groups criticising it to pieces but no footage seems to be available. Just to hear their comments. Interestingly I think The Dark Knight has been voted the most complained about movie in years (according to Sky News) in terms of it's violent content. History repeats itself.

[thecolorsblend]

I think part of the negative reception of BR is (A) the rise of activist parenting common in the 90's (and God knows even more now), (B) the still widespread perception at the time of Batman as Adam West and (C) honestly, exaggeration. People seem to think there were riots in the streets or something over the movie but I don't remember it shaking out quite that way. There may have been a few uptight soccer moms who were annoyed at having to give Junior extra Ritalin after he got out of the movie but I haven't seen anything to convince me that there was some far-reaching controversy over the movie. My best guess is that media people wanted entertainment news to balance out the election coverage at the time. That's all I can figure.