Batman: The Movie (1966) 45th Anniversary

[Paul (ral)]

Batman '66 is the perfect introduction for kids Ral Jr's age

He loves Batman 89 - he runs around like Batman and laughs with a big grin like the Joker  - his favourite toy car is the Ertl diecast 89 Batmobile...we can hardly part him from it.

[Silver Nemesis]

Doesn't he find it frightening, Ral?

[Paul (ral)]

Doesn't he find it frightening, Ral?

Yeah, but it will toughen him...I joke!

I don't show him the "Antoine hot under the collar" bit or Alicia taking off the mask...that would be too much.  He loves Joker's "Boo!" and Batman crashing down from the roof (as does any right thinking person  )

He loves watching Superman (movies, cartoons) the most though.

Sorry to take the thread off topic with talking about my son! I can't help it! lol

[Silver Nemesis]

I remember fast forwarding through the Rotelli murder the first time I saw Batman when I was little. I loved the rest of the movie, but I'd seen pictures of the electrocution scene in the 'making of' book beforehand and it freaked me out.

It was the same with the Indiana Jones movies. I've loved them for as long as I can remember, but when I was little I always looked away during the scene where they open the Ark at the end of Raiders, or when Donovan drinks from the wrong cup at the end of Last Crusade. Funnily enough, the heart ripping scene from Temple of Doom never bothered me.

He loves watching Superman (movies, cartoons) the most though.

So do I. Though I probably shouldn't admit that on a Batman site.

[gordonblu]

I didn't see the ark scene or Donavan's aging until I was about 16 as I had a thing against gore at the time (actually I still do, just not as severe as it used to be). I did see Rotelli and Alicia's mask in the theater when I was nine, they were my least favorite parts at the time but now I love the Rotelli scene mainly for Jack's performance in it.

[Azrael]

It always struck me that Burton's Batfilms had a "15" BBFC rating in the UK. On one hand I saw this as a justification that they are by no means "kid's films" (I say that, because where I live there was always a big misconception about the Batman films being for kids - only), on the other hand I never found them to have material that is particularly "scary". I agree about the Ark scene from Indy, though. Even some Vigo scenes from Ghostbusters II scared me back then, and let's not talk about Temple of Doom 

[Paul (ral)]

Batman 89 was rated 12 in the UK upon it's cinema release...the first film to be rated so. The 12 rating for VHS didn't appear until around 1994 (Philidelphia was the first to get one I think) so B89 ended up with a 15 when released on video.

[Silver Nemesis]

Vigo still freaks me out today. There's something inherently creepy about the idea of a painting watching you and changing when you're not looking. Sigmund Freud described it as "doubt as to whether an apparently animate object really is alive and, conversely, whether a lifeless object might not perhaps be animate". There's a terrific short story by M. R. James called 'The Mezzotint' which is all about a haunted picture. I'd highly recommend it. Really chilling stuff.

Batman 89 was rated 12 in the UK upon it's cinema release...the first film to be rated so. The 12 rating for VHS didn't appear until around 1994 (Philidelphia was the first to get one I think) so B89 ended up with a 15 when released on video.

BBFC ratings can be difficult to keep track of. One thing they're very sensitive about is headbutts. The Matrix, Attack of the Clones and a number of James Bond films have all had headbutts removed from the Region 2 versions (though they'll show the uncut versions on TV). I remember once being told that any movie showing a man headbutt a woman is instantly rated 18.  I think they made an exception with Batman Returns because the context was slightly comedic.

But I'd love to see the uncut version of Temple of Doom with the complete heart-ripping scene.

[Paul (ral)]

I find it funny that Enter the Dragon was rated 18 in the UK and had the nun-chuck scene removed...yet I was watching Toy Story 3 the other day and Mrs Potato-head was using one! 

[Azrael]

Batman 89 was rated 12 in the UK upon it's cinema release...the first film to be rated so. The 12 rating for VHS didn't appear until around 1994 (Philidelphia was the first to get one I think) so B89 ended up with a 15 when released on video.

Didn't know about that. I only remember this big red "15" on the B89 and BR boxes, while BF/B&R had a safe yellow "PG" triangle. I still own this videotape since I love the boxart http://www.amazon.co.uk/Batman-Returns-VHS-Michael-Keaton/dp/B00004CMRW/ref=pd_sxp_f_i 

Vigo still freaks me out today. There's something inherently creepy about the idea of a painting watching you and changing when you're not looking. Sigmund Freud described it as "doubt as to whether an apparently animate object really is alive and, conversely, whether a lifeless object might not perhaps be animate". There's a terrific short story by M. R. James called 'The Mezzotint' which is all about a haunted picture. I'd highly recommend it. Really chilling stuff.

There's something very atmospheric and creepy about late 19th/early 20th century supernatural horror stories.  It's like they "got" this stuff much better than modern writers. Just like Gustave Dore's illustrations seem to be much more effective in setting a mood compared to everything the best PhotoShop artists can do today. I haven't read "The Mezzotint", but I remember being creeped out by some MR James stories like "Lost Hearts". Have to check it out.