Footlight Frenzy

[BTTFSpencer]

Hi everyone.

I was wondering, does anybody have a high res copy of the 'Footlight Frenzy' poster?

[The Dark Knight]

We've got this in the gallery:

http://www.batman-online.com/images/12123525750176.jpg

[Paul (ral)]

I'd call that hi-res

[Silver Nemesis]

A few observations about this poster:

1) The overall design is very Caligaristic. Compare it against these:

2) The figure depicted looks like a cross between Catwoman and Black Canary; possibly an intentional foreshadowing of the direction the filmmakers intended to go with in the sequel.

3) Footlight Frenzy was a real film released in 1984. The names on the poster – Ron House, Diz White, Alan Shearman – are all names of cast members from the 1984 film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304032/reference

4) A deleted scene from Batman Forever identifies the film the Waynes went to see as being Zorro, not Footlight Frenzy.

This suggests two possibilities:

1.   The Bruce Wayne in Schumacher's movies is not the same Bruce Wayne from the Burton films.
2.   Bruce's recollection of the night his parents were killed was wrong in the 1989 film. This lends credence to the old fan theory that Jack Napier didn't actually kill the Waynes, but that Bruce was merely projecting the root of his childhood trauma onto his adult nemesis.

[BatmanFanatic93]

A few observations about this poster:

1) The overall design is very Caligaristic. Compare it against these:

2) The figure depicted looks like a cross between Catwoman and Black Canary; possibly an intentional foreshadowing of the direction the filmmakers intended to go with in the sequel.

3) Footlight Frenzy was a real film released in 1984. The names on the poster – Ron House, Diz White, Alan Shearman – are all names of cast members from the 1984 film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304032/reference

4) A deleted scene from Batman Forever identifies the film the Waynes went to see as being Zorro, not Footlight Frenzy.

This suggests two possibilities:

1.   The Bruce Wayne in Schumacher's movies is not the same Bruce Wayne from the Burton films.
2.   Bruce's recollection of the night his parents were killed was wrong in the 1989 film. This lends credence to the old fan theory that Jack Napier didn't actually kill the Waynes, but that Bruce was merely projecting the root of his childhood trauma onto his adult nemesis.

Or maybe
1:Maybe they did see zorror that the theaters & it's possible that Footlight Frenzy was just another feature to come on that same night 
2:It's possible but in the deleted scene with bruce thinking about quiting alfred does say "your parents are avenged" referencing to the night bruce killed the joker in the 89 film & in another scene in the movie where bruce & dick are talking about vengence dick says"You can't understand...your parents were't killed by a maniac!" & bruce answers "Yes they were" so that just points it out that schumacher's batman is still the burton batman just alter abit but that's just me though 

[BatmAngelus]

I've always thought Footlight Frenzy was an upcoming movie, since theaters (today at least) mainly display posters for movies that are coming soon, not ones that are currently playing inside. 

The poster display doesn't indicate an answer either way- there's no "COMING SOON" or "NOW PLAYING"- so I think it's free for interpretation.

Of course, if you ask me, I think Burton and co. just needed a poster to establish that the Waynes were walking out of a movie theater.

[BatmanFanatic93]

I've always thought Footlight Frenzy was an upcoming movie, since theaters (today at least) mainly display posters for movies that are coming soon, not ones that are currently playing inside. 

The poster display doesn't indicate an answer either way- there's no "COMING SOON" or "NOW PLAYING"- so I think it's free for interpretation.

Of course, if you ask me, I think Burton and co. just needed a poster to establish that the Waynes were walking out of a movie theater.

Good point

[Silver Nemesis]

theaters (today at least) mainly display posters for movies that are coming soon, not ones that are currently playing inside.

Here in the UK cinemas usually display posters for the films they're currently showing. They'll advertise forthcoming attractions in the lobby, but the posters outside primarily advertise the films that are available to see inside. They promote upcoming movies with outdoor posters too, but not at the expense of billing the current line-up of features.

Of course this movie is meant to take place in America, so they're probably using the American system.  The thing that confuses me most is the fact Footlight Frenzy is still being shown in the present day scenes. I'm inclined to think the theatre might have closed after the Wayne killings, but the doors seem to be open for business at the beginning of the movie.



Maybe they just rereleased the film for the 25th anniversary.

I've always thought Footlight Frenzy was an upcoming movie,

That's possible, but I've always assumed it was the film the Waynes went to see. The POV during the flashback is meant to reflect Bruce's own memories of that fateful night. I doubt a poster for a coming attraction would have stuck in his memory with sufficient clarity to justify the close-up shot it gets in the movie; especially since Bruce clearly wasn't looking at it as he exited the theatre.

Several other websites have also interpreted Footlight Frenzy as being the film the Waynes saw.

Wikipedia:

The movie that the Waynes went to see has fluctuated between the 1920 version of The Mark of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks and the 1940 version starring Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone. A fictional third version has starred "Tyrone Fairbanks." Tim Burton's Batman has the Waynes leaving The Monarch Theatre having seen Footlight Frenzy. Batman Begins has the Waynes leaving an opera house showing Mefistofele at the time of the murder, which they leave early due to Bruce being frightened by the bat-like costumes, giving Bruce the additional guilt of leading his parents to Chill. In The Dark Knight's Visual Guide says that Bruce would rather have seen The Mark of Zorro at a movie house.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wayne#Film

Batman.Wikia:

Bruce Wayne saw Footlight Frenzy at the Monarch with his parents on the night they were murdered by Jack Napier.

http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Footlight_Frenzy

And set photos don't reveal any other film posters around the Monarch. Footlight Frenzy seems to be the only film they were showing.




I've seen people on other sites speculate that Footlight Frenzy wasn't a movie at all, but was actually a stage production. If that's the case then the Monarch isn't even a cinema, it's a traditional playhouse.

The script and comic book adaptation don't make any reference to the title of the film/play the Waynes saw the night they were killed. I haven't read the novelisation, so I don't know if that sheds any light on the subject. But it's quite an intriguing mystery, and one which creates a minor discrepancy between Batman 89 and Batman Forever.

[Paul (ral)]

IMO Footlight Frenzy, as portrayed in the poster, is a play. It mentions who did the costumes as a main credit.

A lot of old movie houses did (and some still do, including my local independent one) have plays and musicals on their stages as well as playing films. I see Monarch as being one of those. The inclusion of popcorn in the death scene tells me that it was primarily a film theatre.

[Paul (ral)]

FYI, incase you didn't know..

Diz White, creator of Footlight Frenzy, was our first interview!

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2008/6/16/diz-white-interview-footlight-frenzy-poster-origin