Batdance

[CapeandCowl]

Who else here are old enough to remember the crazy hype of the Batman movie in 1989? Especially the Prince music videos done for the soundtrack?

This was when Batman was still fun and had not one ounce of realism in its body.The franchise that grew from this signle film is legendary but has led to some unfortunate films that overrelied on humor and gags (B & R) or too much realism (Nolan movies).


I hope the Affleck Batman can have some fun injected into his cowl and kids can go back to collecting bubble gum cards, posters, and magazines. The fun side of Batman as a franchise. Something fans have not really seen since 1989.

[EnterDuration]

I was 14 in 1989, and the Summer of Batman was what got me started reading comics. I remember reading parts 2 and 3 of "Blind Justice" (I think I only read the first part of the story arc a few years ago), especially poring over the pin-ups in the latter. I bought the soundtrack to the Burton film, watched it more than once in the theatres, bought "the book of the movie," T-shirts, toys and action figures, etc. A friend of mine had an extensive Batman collection, so in those years, I also got to read his copies of The Killing Joke, Son of the Demon, Batman: Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns before getting into then-uncollected story arcs here and there, like the first Anarky appearance, and even some of the stories gathered in collections like Batman: From the 30s to the 70s.

All this is a long-winded way of saying that yes, I remember 1989 well, and even if at 14 I would have vehemently denied it, I loved how Batman made me feel like a kid. I wish it could be like this again, but not for me: for my six-year-old, who's been really into superheroes lately. I don't expect the new film to be like Batman: The Brave and the Bold (which my son and I love watching together), but I hope it's more "welcoming" to a six-year-old viewer than Man of Steel was.

[oasis1313]

In the old TV show, there was a derivation of the Watusi called the Batusi.

[MajorHoy]

Who else here are old enough to remember the crazy hype of the Batman movie in 1989? Especially the Prince music videos done for the soundtrack?

This was when Batman was still fun and had not one ounce of realism in its body . . .

I take it you are ignoring everything that had taken place in the comic books up until this time? Who knew that Frank Miller's Year One (1987) and Alan Moore's The Killing Joke (1988), not to mention the classic Batman arc A Death in the Family (late 1988) were actually suppose to be "fun" with "not one ounce of realism"?

Now, if you were referring to just the TV show from the 1960s and all the Super-Friends-like cartoon depictions, . . .

[CapeandCowl]

I was referring to the live action/anime Batman on TV and in the movies, yes. No need to get upset.

[Nick Miller]

Batman 89 is really dark too. Even with all the Joker dancing, and Prince music, throughout the film, there is a nasty menace underneath.

And i wouldnt say it lacked realism.

[MajorHoy]

I was referring to the live action/anime Batman on TV and in the movies, yes. No need to get upset.

It's not so much "upset" as a feeling that your post was a bit . . . naïve. We'll ignore the part where you start

Who else here are old enough . . .

and focus on the bit about "old enough to remember the crazy hype of the Batman movie in 1989?"

Some of us are definitely old enough that we were well into adulthood when this movie came out . . . it was not the defining movie of our childhoods / teenage years. And, as I implied, there was much going on about Batman in comic books that had moved well beyond the campiness of the 1960s TV show, and had done so for about twenty years or so at that point. Without those changes in the comic book version of the character, do you think we would have seen the movie we did in 1989?

(And, please, don't call those cartoons / animated shows "anime".)

[CapeandCowl]

I heretofore apologise for my earlier remarks. I meant no disrespect and maybe I am naieve but only when it comes to the comics as I dont have a large collection, and I am more into live-action and animated Batman stories. I even saw TDKR in theaters even though it isn't a favorite. But what an ending!
And as for the 1989 feature, I still regard it highly as it was defining for me even though I was also into the 1960s series. I appreciate them both and both are my favorites.

[MajorHoy]

I heretofore apologise for my earlier remarks. I meant no disrespect and maybe I am naieve but only when it comes to the comics as I dont have a large collection, and I am more into live-action and animated Batman stories. I even saw TDKR in theaters even though it isn't a favorite. But what an ending!
And as for the 1989 feature, I still regard it highly as it was defining for me even though I was also into the 1960s series. I appreciate them both and both are my favorites.

Defining you is one thing. They also unfortunately led the way to the Joel Schumacher films and the Batman outfit with the molded nipples (among other things).

[CapeandCowl]

And those things are NOT among my favorites. Rest assured. I consider Batman '89 a solo film and don't really watch the sequels. I hope we are square as I did not come onto this board to make enemies and burn bridges.

[WhatHappenedToUrsula]

I remember hearing the full version of Batdance for the first time, thinking geez that song is long, but it was the era of the 12' mega mix album.

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

Who else here are old enough to remember the crazy hype of the Batman movie in 1989? Especially the Prince music videos done for the soundtrack?

This was when Batman was still fun and had not one ounce of realism in its body.The franchise that grew from this signle film is legendary but has led to some unfortunate films that overrelied on humor and gags (B & R) or too much realism (Nolan movies).


I hope the Affleck Batman can have some fun injected into his cowl and kids can go back to collecting bubble gum cards, posters, and magazines. The fun side of Batman as a franchise. Something fans have not really seen since 1989.

I'm not sure that's right. After Batman Begins, it doesn't look realistic, but it definitively was a step in that direction for Batman of other media. Batman Returns was a bit of a set back, and by Schumacher's films you can say that there's not an ounce of realism.

I think that the 89 film looks a lot better alone. The problem is that they concentrated all evil in the Joker and he dies. Then, the Penguin is just as evil, the problem is that there was no transition for Bruce. And they do address that in Batman Forever, the problem now is that it breaks the flow of the franchise and it's not that great as a movie.

[dantefrizzoli]

Loved the music video where he was half bat half clown.

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

Loved the music video where he was half bat half clown.

Ready for the floor?

Edit: I forgot prince did it first.