Hello Everyone,

If you're a horror fan like myself then you need to check out a website some friends and I started called fuel the fear. It had it's soft launch a few days ago and will have its hard launch very soon.

So what is the purpose of the site? Our hope is that it becomes a popular community for horror fans and filmmakers. Once you join the site you are encouraged to post short films or any other original material that you want the world to see. It could be your material or other material you have found that deserves a larger audience.

The site is a work in progress but with your help I know we can turn this into something truly great. Please help us get the word out there.

My section on the site will be up in a few days and I will be a featured film critic on the site. So if you have been reading my reviews on myspace then head on over to this site as well.

All you have to do is go to www.fuelthefear.com and create a profile. From there you can add friends, post videos and share your thoughts on the genre. You can help make this a very large community of artist and fans. You're also encouraged to tell others to join as well. I hope to see you on the site soon and if you have any questions please message me.

Gaius

Well a lot of people have sent me many messages about the last blog I posted. Saying how it touched them or that they could really relate. However, some of the messages wanted to know exactly what it was all about. At first I didn't want to say, since it represents many aspects of my life but I figured if I did explain it then maybe it could help other people that read it relate even more.

The blog basically details my struggle to to fully embrace manhood. Wanting to be more of a man than my real dad could ever be. The adolescent fears represent the fear of thinking that I'm destined to grow into what he was. It's also about something very simple: When I was growing up a lot of my friends had those role models to guide them. They had dads who would take them to games and bond with them and I really didn't have that until later in life. Hence, the whole aspect of feeling like I was on the "outside looking in". If anything it represents how it still feels like that as I try to shape myself as a man because I'm afraid that since I didn't have a solid example when growing up that I'll never truly understand what it's like to step up and be a man.

It's about sometimes hiding behind walls trying to put on the front that I have everything together when sometimes I'm just as lost as the next person, just trying to find my way.

However, it also says just because I'm going through these growing pains doesn't mean I don't appreciate what I have in front of me. I know there is a lot to celebrate in this life and that's what gets me through. That's what makes me feel confident that I will figure it all out.



It also represents how I won't allow those influences to bring me down and make me miserable. I won't let "them" meaning any negative outlooks on life, let me sink

Hope people get something out of this and thanks for your messages about it. Means a lot

G

So I was told to write what I feel earlier today and it actually made me feel pretty good. writing is probably the best therapy, for me at least. Can't go wrong with that. Always puts a lot in perspective.

Looking In

You look at me and see the boy
Who lives inside the golden world
But don't believe
That's all there is to see
You'll never know the real me

He smiles through a thousand tears
And harbours adolescent fears
He dreams of all
That he can never be
He wades in insecurity
And hides himself inside of me

Don't say he takes it all for granted
I'm well aware of all I have
Don't think that I am disenchanted
Please understand

It seems as though I've always been

Somebody outside looking in
Well, here I am for all of them to bleed
But they can't take my heart from me
And they can't bring me to my knees
They'll never know the real me

A

What do you do when a film completely destroys a franchise? You start from scratch and pretend like it doesn't exist. That's what Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins which is a follow up so to speak to Batman & Robin. I say so to speak because it's not a direct sequel. In fact it's a reboot and it aims to tell the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman. If Batman & Robin was the death of the franchise then Batman Begins is the rebirth. Despite the bad taste that Batman & Robin left in audiences mouths, many people embraced Batman Begins and for my money, this is how Batman was meant to be made. This is a true origin story that never loses focus on the fact that Batman is the center of story. From start to finish this is his film and what a great film it is.

With Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan has gone back to basics, jettisoning both the silliness of the TV incarnation and the gothic and fetishist elements of the '90s version. This is a hard-core, down-and-gritty origin story - the tale of, as one might reasonably expect, how Batman begins. It isn't intended as a "prequel" to the 1989 film - not only is Gotham City a completely different place, but key events of the Batman chronology are re-spun. Batman Begins is designed as the start of a new life, a reboot for the franchise.

Batman Begins takes us to the dark corners in the life of billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), who is rescued from an anonymous Asian prison by the mysterious Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Bruce, who has been haunted by the memory of seeing his parents gunned down in front of him, has been wandering the world, picking fights with small-time thugs until Ducard finds him and offers him an alternative to his nomadic existence. Ducard wants to train Bruce so he can become a member of the League of Shadows, the organization presided over by Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe). The League of Shadows is dedicated to restoring "balance" to a world in which "criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding."

Bruce's training under Ducard is physically demanding, but it transforms the young man into a living weapon. Along the way, Ducard frequently sounds like a Star Wars Sith Lord as he imparts nuggets of wisdom such as "Your anger gives you great power" and "Your compassion is a weakness." In the end, Bruce breaks with the League of Shadows so he can return to his native Gotham City and fight the burgeoning crime wave there. Aided by his faithful butler, Alfred (Michael Caine); a Q-like inventor named Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman); one of the city's few good cops, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman); and a childhood friend-turned-assistant DA, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), Bruce sets out to bring justice to Gotham. He decides to do this not as Bruce Wayne, but as a sinister alter-ego. And, at the beginning, he has two dangerous enemies to face: the city's crime lord, Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) and a demented psychiatrist who calls himself The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy).

This is what the 1989 Batman should have been. That film threw us into Batman's world with explaining how he came to be and he essentially played second fiddle to the Joker. In Batman Begins it appears that every element is explained in enough detail that you can accept how a millionaire playboy could become a vigilante protecting Gotham from evil. We get the origin story that we are familiar with (the death of his parents), to his fear of Bats which he ultimately uses as a method to out fear in the heart of his enemies, and even his grueling training which explains how he becomes so proficient in hand to hand combat. We see the creation of the Batcave and we also get a logical explanation for all his gadgets. Every nock and cranny is explored in Batman Begins and while some may be a little upset that it takes a little over an hour for Bruce Wayne to make his first real appearance as Batman, I thought it was definitely worth the wait. The film builds to moment so well and when it happens, it's hard not to feel the excitement.

Batman Begins loses the gothic imagery of Burton's Batman and definitely throws out the colorful world that Schumacher created. The film is dark much like Burton's first two films but Nolan's Gotham is just plain gritty. This is a depiction of a city that you can believe exist in the real world. This really enhances the realism of the story because, despite it being based on a comic book, you begin to buy that this is a world that you or I could live in. This is something that is really obvious in The Dark Knight but the framework was properly laid in this film.

I'm going to go on a limb and say that this probably the best cast that has been brought together for a Batman film. Christian Bale is the best Batman hands down. He knows how to play both characters. He is extremely charismatic as Bruce Wayne and even adds shades of Patrick Bateman to the role which is a nice touch. I really loved how he played up Bruce Wayne being a less than smart playboy. His Batman is effectively dark and brooding. He's extremely intimidating when behind the mask and while some have complained about his Batman voice, I think he utilizes a roar in his voice that makes the character a truly powerful presence.

Stepping in as Alfred is Michael Caine and what a great choice that was. He and Bale develop a very solid father and son relationship that is essentially the heart of the film. He makes Alfred more than the faithful butler, he actually gives the character some substance and sense of refinement. Also adding Bruce Wayne in his quest to become Batman is Lucius Fox played by Morgan Freeman. Freeman doesn't have a lot to do here but Morgan Freeman is good at playing Morgan Freeman and it's always a pleasure to watch. He gives Fox a pretty nice sense of humor and he also shares a nice rapport with Bale as well.

Gary Oldman does she great understated work as Gordon. I truly think this is some of the best work he has done on film. It's a really subtle performance that also carries a lot of weight.

Stepping in as the love interest, so to speak, is Katie Holmes and I for one still don't get the Katie hate when it comes to this film. Sure, she looks a little young to be playing an assistant D.A. but she's very likable in the role and she shares a nice chemistry with Christian Bale. I bought them as childhood friends and I'm glad that the romance between them was understated rather than being thrown into the forefront. Katie Holmes hits all the right notes and I for one was disappointed she didn't come back for The Dark Knight.

On the villain side of things, we actually get villains who play second fiddle to Batman which is a good thing. That doesn't mean they don't make an impression because they certainly do. Cillian Murphy is chilling as Scarecrow and while he may not be physically imposing, he can really spook you with a simple icy stare. Tom Wilkinson gets to chew some scenery as Folcone and Liam Nesson brings a hint of class to his is he or isn't he a villain role. This is really an A-list cast that all bring their best to their performances.

What would a Batman film be without action? There are some great sequences here that are only enhanced by Han Zimmer and James Newton Howard's score. The Tumbler chase is particularly exciting and the roaring score featured during the scene gave me goosebumps throughout. The climax is also a nice centerpiece of action and it's nice to see very little CGI used during some of the action sequences. You can tell that Nolan wants to make this as real as possible.To further elaborate on the score, it doesn't quite top Danny Elfman's score but it's still a soaring piece of music. It's heroic in its scope and it certainly serves this film well.

Batman Begins is a strong re-start to a franchise that deserved better than it had often been accorded. After seeing The Dark Knight twice, it really made me appreciate Batman Begins because The Dark Knight could not be the masterpiece that it is without the solid framework that Batman Begins laid down. In 2005 I thought this was the best comic book movie ever made. What a difference a weekend in July of 2008 can make.

A

Trivia:

The device, on the heel of his boot, that the Batman uses to summon a swarm of bats is taken directly from Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One".

A second stage Scarecrow look was created for the hallucination scenes but was never shown on film. The mask was more organic and tighter around the actor's face.

Before Christopher Nolan took over, director Darren Aronofsky was attached to make a Batman movie based on the graphic novel "Batman: Year One" and have the author Frank Miller write the screenplay. By 2003 there was a first draft screenplay with story boards, which are properties of AOL Time Warner. Warner's decision for not producing the film is unknown, but based on the details that have since leaked out, it would probably have to do with the screenplay, which strayed a considerable amount from the source material, making Alfred an African-American mechanic named "Big Al," the Batmobile being a souped-up Lincoln Towncar, and Bruce Wayne being homeless, among other things. This is all detailed in David Hughes' book "Tales from Development Hell."

The wide-shot of the house of the League of Shadows was entirely computer-generated.

Before Christian Bale was cast as Batman, many other actors were considered for the role, including Ashton Kutcher, David Boreanaz and newcomer Hugh Dancy.

Only days before the role of Batman was cast, eight actors were asked to audition for the part. The actors were Christian Bale, Joshua Jackson, Eion Bailey, Hugh Dancy, Billy Crudup, Cillian Murphy, Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal. While Bale won the part, Christopher Nolan liked Murphy's audition so much, he cast him as Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow.

Christian Bale lost his voice three times during filming after altering his voice while playing Batman.

During filming of the scene where Batman is being towed by a train through the streets of Gotham, so much steam was used that after each take that it would "rain" on the cast and crew for several minutes.

Marilyn Manson was considered for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow.

The Batmobile, 9 feet wide and 16 feet long, has a top speed of 106 miles per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6 seconds. The engine is a 5.7 liter V8 Chevy. It runs on unleaded gas and can do about 7 miles per gallon. It has four 44-inch tires at the rear, made by Interco Tire Corp, while the front is covered in jagged plates of armor. It was designed and built by 'Chris Corbould' and Andrew Smith at Shepperton Studios in England. This Batmobile was built from the ground up and is estimated to be worth half a million pounds. It was designed by mashing together several different off-the-shelf model kits; its construction was so exacting to the model that they even duplicated the blobs of excess glue.

Director Christopher Nolan decided that there would be no second unit, and so for the whole of the one hundred and twenty nine shooting days Nolan oversaw every shot of the film personally.

The name of the commissioner on the film is "Loeb". However, this is NOT a reference to comic book writer Jeph Loeb, author of the graphic novels "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory", but rather simply the canonical name of the Gotham City police commissioner when Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham. This is shown in Frank Miller's Year One, which actually influenced both "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" and was published nearly a full decade before either of these.

Christopher Eccleston was rumored for the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow before Cillian Murphy was eventually cast.

David S. Goyer said that the graphic novels "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" by Jeph Loeb were a huge influence on his screenplay. When he was asked the question, "What about Frank Miller's Year One?", he replied, "Our story is not Year One." An early draft of David S. Goyer's script leaked onto the Internet in April of 2004.

This is the first movie to use the new DC logo.

Much of Batman's gear and apparel, including his cape and suit, is based on actual military technology.

During the interviews he performed to promote the movie, Christian Bale continued using the American accent he'd adopted to play Bruce Wayne/Batman. He explained that he didn't want potential moviegoers to be confused about why Batman, an American institution, was being played by a Welshman.

When the prisoners are all released from Arkham, briefly visible is Mr. Zsaz, a serial killer from the comics with tally marks scarred into his skin, representing each of his victims. Mr. Zsaz also appears in the courtroom in the beginning of the film where he is being transferred to Arkham Asylum by Dr. Crane.

Contrary to the previous Batman films, in which the Batcave was realized as a combination of a live set and matte paintings (done either by hand or computer), no visual effects were used in this film to show the Batcave. The entire Batcave is instead a massive full-scale set.

The score track names refer to Latin names of bat species. Also notice that the first letters of track 4-9 spell B A T M A N.

Christian Bale had previously screen tested and was considered for the role of Robin in Batman Forever (1995).

In the movie, Bruce Wayne is shown arriving at a fancy hotel in a Lamborghini Murciélago. The word murciélago is Spanish for bat (although the car itself was named after a prized bull owned by Don Antonio Miura, who had nothing to do with bats).

Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by at one of the sets during filming.

The sets were built in the Admiralty Hangar No. 2 at Cardington, one of the largest hangars in the world. The floor area is the size of 16 Olympic-size swimming pools. The No. 2 shed was assembled at the site in 1928 to house the British airship R100.

The license plates for the Gotham related cars were designed in the same style as the Illinois state license plates. This was done to stay consistent with other vehicle license plates while filming the car chases in Chicago.

Ra's Al Ghul is Arabic for "The Demon's Head". This refers to his position at the height of the Brotherhood of the Demon, also called the League of Shadows.

A quote from Christian Bale that some of the crew had on the back of their t-shirts (the wardrobe department did it as a joke) said: "It's hot, dark and sweaty and it gives me a headache."

Chris Cooper turned down the role of James Gordon.

Kurt Russell and Dennis Quaid were considered for the role of James Gordon.

Viggo Mortensen turned down Liam Neeson's role. Daniel Day-Lewis was also approached.

The title went through many changes. First, it was known as "Batman 5". It became "Batman: The Frightening" for a while. To prevent script leaks, they were titled "Intimidation Game" to throw off the public, before settling on "Batman Begins".

Anthony Hopkins was offered the role of Alfred but declined.

Laurence Fishburne was considered for the role of Lucius Fox.

Filming was temporarily delayed on the London soundstage due to the sound of amorous pigeons in the rafters above.

The crime boss Carmine "The Roman" Falcone was a character from the comics. He was Gotham City's last "old school" gangster. He was killed, and his empire wiped out, when Batman's familiar rogues gallery came into prominence.

On 22 May 2004 filming took place at Senate House (a property belonging to the University of London, just off Russell Square). The front of the building was made up as the Gotham City courts, complete with New York-style taxis and Gotham Police Department cars.

Christian Bale's trailer didn't have his name on the door but said "Bruce Wayne" instead.

A full city block of Gotham - much of it based on the slums of Kowloon in Hong Kong which were torn down in 1994 - was built in a converted aircraft hangar.

On the set, the costumed Christian Bale constantly had two people trailing him to keep the Batsuit smudge-free.

On a converted parking lot at Shepperton, the film crew built an entire village of trailers where chemists and costume artists made neoprene-and-foam-latex Batsuits. The place was dubbed "Cape Town."

The script was written by David S. Goyer in the seven weeks before he was due to direct Blade: Trinity (2004), which he also wrote. Director Christopher Nolan took over the writing chores from there.

While shooting on the streets of Chicago, a person accidentally crashed into the Batmobile. The driver was apparently drunk, and said he hit the car in a state of panic, believing the Dark Knight's vehicle to be an invading alien spacecraft.

David S. Goyer mentioned in an interview that his favorite pre-audition choice for Batman was Jake Gyllenhaal, but that he was won over by Christian Bale after seeing his test.

While filming in Lower Wacker Drive, in Chicago, Illinois, the filmmakers were so concerned for the care of the Batmobile, that they told the stunt driver to take as much time as he needed to make any move. Therefore, when it came time to back the Batmobile up, they went so slow as to cause traffic jams that had to be reported on the news. Simply moving the Batmobile around Chicago took numerous police as well as caused traffic jams where ever they went.

Before the shooting began, Christopher Nolan invited the whole film crew to a private screening of Blade Runner (1982). After the film he said to the whole crew, "This is how we're going to make Batman."

Christopher Nolan wrote in the character Rachel Dawes with Katie Holmes in mind. No other actresses were in serious consideration; it was hers to lose.

Unlike most characters on the movie, Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes, doesn't exist in "Batman" or any other DC Comics' series. She was created by director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer.

Henri Ducard was created by Batman (1989) screenwriter Sam Hamm. The character was in the movie's original script, however was dropped. Hamm later during his comic book writing debut on Detective Comics series incorporated the character into the Batman mythos.

This is the first Batman film to be shot in 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

Contains 400 VFX shots.

The "daylight" coming through the windows of Wayne Manor was created by a single 100,000-watt floodlight which weighed nearly 400 pounds.

At the time of this film's release, Forbes Magazine did a breakdown of how much it would actually cost to become Batman. The magazine estimated that total expenses in US dollars would be around $3.5 million.

The gun Bruce Wayne tosses in the river is a Brazilian six-shot Taurus.

All the big name cast members were initially not told that the movie was a Batman movie as the script they were sent was titled "The Intimidation Game". Michael Caine commented that when he first saw the title, he assumed the script was some kind of gangster movie.

A pair of Batman pajama bottoms can be seen hanging from the line in the scene where Batman talks to the little boy in the Narrows.

The license plate on Bruce Wayne's sports car is 375 265.

Since Alfred's sense of duty and loyalty towards Bruce Wayne reminded him of the comradeship that exists in the military, Sir Michael Caine based his character's voice on that of a colonel he knew when he was in the army as an 18-year-old.

Body count: 18

The key "combination" that Bruce plays on the piano to open the secret entrance to the Bat Cave is comprised of three, two-note chords, starting three octaves above middle-C. The keys he presses are D-E, D-E (up an octave), and G-A. However, the tones heard in the soundtrack are actually a half-step down from the correct tones for the notes he plays. This may simply be a post-production soundtrack adjustment or variance, but could also be that the piano was tuned a half-step down, which is sometimes done on older pianos to reduce the 18-20 tons of string tension stress on their framing.

The UK censors, the BBFC, viewed the film at the request of the distributors during post-production. The sound mix was incomplete. Warners were keen to get a 12A rating (to match the US PG-13) and the BBFC advised them that in order to avoid a higher rating, "care should be taken with the final sound mix so as not to play up the sound of blows and to avoid more bone crunching sound effects" in a number of scenes. Because the BBFC examiners did not advise the distributors to specifically reduce any of the sound effects, as the sound mix was incomplete at the time of the viewing, this film was passed 12A with no cuts made. This same version was released worldwide, with the cuts discussed in full on the SBBFC website for students.

When Warner Bros. was considering "Batman: The Frightening" as the title, a script was released online that was widely believed to be official. Two writers, Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias, were credited on the draft, but both denied writing it. The author was later discovered to be Brandon Gaines.

Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski were approached to direct, and even wrote their own treatment based on Frank Miller's graphic novel "Batman: Year One", but turned down the offer and made the Matrix sequels instead.

Broke opening weekend box office record for IMAX theaters.

For the IMAX version, some of the theatres running older IMAX equipment, the credits for the movie wouldn't fit on the platters. IMAX and the theatres had to get special permission from Warner Brothers to show the movie without the credits.

During earlier developments of the movie, Ewan McGregor was considered for the role of Scarecrow.

During production, DC Comics commissioned well known Batman artists to give their interpretation of the Dark Knight. The results were shown to Christopher Nolan and the cast to help give them a better idea of where the comic artists were coming from. Among the artists were James Jean, Jock, Tommy Lee Edwards and John Paul Leon.

Early work on the script and the production design was conducted in the back of Christopher Nolan's garage. During the writing process, Nolan and David S. Goyer sometimes took walks near the site of the original Batcave from _"Batman" (1966/II)_ .

Due to his part in Maquinista, El (2004) (aka The Machinist), Christian Bale was vastly underweight (about 120 pounds on his 6 foot+ frame) when he was under consideration for the part. After being cast, he was told to become as "big as you could be" by Christopher Nolan. Bale underwent a dietary and exercise regimen and ending up weighing about 220 pounds (about 40 pounds above his normal weight). It was decided that Bale had became too large (friends of his on the film's crew dubbed him "Fatman") and he quickly shed about 20 pounds to have leaner, more muscular frame.

Alfred's last name is Pennyworth.

When Christian Bale and Liam Neeson were fighting on the frozen lake they could hear the ice cracking beneath their feet. The next day, the lake was completely melted.

Production designer Nathan Crowley said that the design of the Batmobile was largely influenced from the design seen in Frank Miller's graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns". The incarnation of the Batmobile was given the nickname "The Tumbler" by both filmmakers and Miller.

Christopher Nolan originally didn't want to give Scarecrow a mask. Screenwriter David S. Goyer was able to talk him into it.

Wayne Tower is based on the Chicago Board of Trade Building.

The name of Arkham Asylum is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

The Gotham Police cruisers' color scheme is based on that of the New York Police Department. Gotham is meant by 'Bob Kane (I)' to be a caricature of New York City.

The boy who Bruce Wayne gives the fruit to in the narrows is wearing an old Sheffield United shirt. This is the only time football is referenced in the movie.

In an interview with Moviefone, Christian Bale said that he became interested in playing Batman after a friend of his loaned him the graphic novel "Arkham Asylum" in 2000. After he read it, he told his agent that if anyone was making another Batman movie, he wanted in.

The 2006 Forbes Fictional 15 ranks Bruce Wayne as the 7th richest fictional character with a net worth of approximately $6.8 billion.

'Andrew Kevin Walker (I)' was interviewed by Nolan to write the script.

Batman's journey to Tibet, and his ninja training, were both elements introduced into the comic book by writer James Owsley in Batman 431 (March, 1989). The series editor, Denny O'Neil, made the issue part of the Batman Writers Bible that he would hand out to each new writer on the series, thus confirming the story's place in canon.

According to DC Comics Batman stands 6'2" and weighs 210 lbs. Christian Bales stands 6'0-1/2" (according to his IMDB profile) and at the time of filming weighed 210 lbs.

There is no reference in Batman Begins to Ra's Al Ghul having any daughters; however, his daughter Talia is mentioned in the novelization by Ra's & Talia's creator Dennis O'Neil.

This is the third time Linus Roache and Tom Wilkinson appear in the same film. They had previously appeared in Priest (1994) and The Gathering Storm (2002) (TV). They also appeared in the TV series "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales" (1992), but in different episodes.

Director Christopher Nolan is reputed to have been so fascinated with Cillian Murphy's bright blue eyes, that he kept trying to find reasons/ways to have Crane remove his glasses.

The opera that young Bruce attends with his parents is Mefistofele, composed in the mid-1800s by Arrigo Boito.

The average length of a shot is 1.9 seconds.

The three notes Bruce, and then later Alfred, play on the piano to open the entrance to the Batcave are the same three notes that begin Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath"; 1970. These are known in music theory, ominously, as "The Devil's Intonation".

Instances with just one or two bats in the shot (such as the single bat gone astray inside Wayne's mansion) uses real bats, but each scene with a flock of bats had to be done using CG bats, since it was decided too difficult to control that many bats at once.

Both Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, from Batman (1989), have said they were impressed by this film.

Wally Pfister was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 78th Academy Awards, receiving the film's only Oscar nomination. The film received three nominations at the 59th BAFTA Awards. Just months after its release, Batman Begins was voted by Empire readers as the 36th greatest film of all time. In 2006, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, and Ramin Djawadi with an ASCAP award for composing a film that became one of the top grossing films of 2005. The film was awarded three Saturn Awards in 2006 as well: Best Fantasy Film, Best Actor for Christian Bale, and Best Writing for Nolan and Goyer. Christian Bale would go on to win an MTV Movie Award for Best Hero.However, Katie Holmes's performance was not well received, and she was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress. Batman Begins won the fan-based Total Film award for Best Film.

Batman Begins opened on June 15, 2005 in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters, including 55 IMAX theaters. The film ranked at the top in its opening weekend, accumulating $48,745,440, which was seen as "strong but unimpressive by today's instantaneous blockbuster standards". The film's five-day gross was $72.9 million, beating Batman Forever (1995) as the franchise high. Batman Begins also broke the five-day opening record in the 55 IMAX theaters, grossing $3.16 million. Polled moviegoers rated the film with an A, and according to the studio's surveys, Batman Begins was considered the best of all the Batman films. The audience's demographic was 57 percent male and 54 percent people over the age of 25.[60]
The film held its top spot for another weekend, accumulating $27,589,389 in a 43 percent drop from its first weekend. Batman Begins went on to gross $371,853,783 worldwide. It is the second highest grossing Batman film to date, behind Tim Burton's Batman, which grossed $411,348,924 worldwide. In comparison to the previous Batman films, Batman Begins averaged $12,634 per theater, the least of all the Batman films. It was released in more theaters, but sold fewer tickets than any of the others, with the exception of Batman & Robin. Batman Begins was the eighth highest grossing film of 2005 in the US

D-

"My how the mighty have fallen". Those were the exact words one of my friend said to me after we saw Batman & Robin. Till this day, in regards to the original franchise of films, truer words had never been spoken. This film was like a swift blow to the head. It was mind numbingly bad and it truly turned the character into a joke. It takes what worked in Batman Forever and injects it with a lethal does of childish antics that makes for a truly terrible experience. I actually sat through this again recently so I could review it with a fresh perspective and my mind has not changed about the film. It is a disaster and all I have to say is thank God for Christopher Nolan.

The plot of the film is virtually non-existent. Sure there is motivation behind what Mr. Freeze is doing but the script doesn't take the situation seriously so neither do we. There isn't really anything poignant about Poison Ivy. She's there to look sexy and drive a very annoying wedge between Batman & Robin. Speaking of this union, Robin is more annoying this time around. He loses all the charisma he had in Batman Forever. He comes off as a spoiled brat and because of this Batman comes off as more of a overbearing father figure rather than a super hero. The chemistry between the reminiscent of the 1960's TV series which worked then but certainly falls flat now. The only story that remotely works is the one involving Alfred's illness. It's the only heart the film has and since we've seen this actor in 4 films now, it's hard not feel some sympathy. In fact this story line seems a bit out of place since it's the only serious one within the film.

I watched the behind the scenes special features on this DVD and I've decided that Joel Schumacher being blamed for the failure of this film is a little unfounded. Sure, he's the man behind the camera so in theory all blame falls on him but he's also working for a studio. This is a huge studio film so I'm sure they get a lot of say so in what direction the film goes in. Batman Forever was a huge box office hit, even more so than Batman Returns so Warner Bros told Schumacher to really make Batman & Robin for the kids. That means cheesy dialogue, a colorful landscape, cartoonish violence, and scenes that feel more like toy commercials rather than legitimate pieces of film. Chris O' Donnell even says on the DVD that when he did Batman Forever he felt like he was doing a film, but when he did Batman & Robin he felt like he was doing a toy commercial. This film is a classic example of a studio getting greedy and caring more about the financial aspects of all the product tie ins, rather than making a genuinely good film.

The acting is bland and I really don't think I can blame the actors since the script is just incredibly awful. George Clooney has admitted doing this film was a mistake and that he was wrong for a part but I will say I could by him at least as Bruce Wayne. George Clooney has the looks and charisma to pull it off and in a better film I think he would've got more credit for it. His Batman is another story. He basically plays him as Bruce Wayne in costume. Doesn't change his voice and doesn't give him a distinct personality. It's safe to say he's the worse Batman of the series.

Chris O'Donnell is a victim of bad dialogue. His Robin is annoying at best and never seems to escape that stereotype. It's unfortunate because he showed promise in Batman Forever but none of that is realized here.

Then there are the villains. They are both a disaster but at least one of the actors seems to be having fun with the part. Arnold Schwarzenegger is just wrong for the part of Mr. Freeze. He doesn't have the emotional chops to pull off the more serious aspects of the character and he gives the character his signature one liner approval which is a huge mistake. How many ice puns can one take? I'm sure he did this one for the paycheck and from what I read, he got paid a hefty penny. Uma Thurman doesn't have much to work with as Poision Ivy but out of everyone in the film she was the only one I had fun watching. She manages to make the character sexy in some weird way and she seems to be having a good time with all the camp. I could be in minority but she's the only reason I didn't give this thing an F.

Then we have Alicia Silverstone who was already passed her prime after the 1995 success of Clueless. First of all, Batgirl is a shameful addition, only added to bring in a female audience. Silverstone also does nothing with the role since it's vastly underwritten and even when she finally gets into costume, it doesn't elicit enough excitement to even make the audience care.

The action sequences are all cartoony. The opening ice skating fight is especially laughable and seems lifted right from the 1960's show. This is the first time the action scenes have not been exciting, in fact they make you laugh more than thrill you. The world in which these scenes take place is too hard to believe. It was a little much in Batman Forever as well but I think in that film they found a balance to make it somewhat realistic. In Batman & Robin you feel as if you're watching a really bad cartoon. Nothing in this film feels genuine or real.

I could write more about what went wrong here but I think we all know. 1997 was the death of Batman as we knew it but thankfully in 2005 Christopher Nolan decided to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. He righted all the wrongs and in 2008 he just blew it out of the park with The Dark Knight. Writing about Batman Begins and The Dark Knight will be a true delight because I'm happy to say that Batman has become significant again in the world of film and he finally has some films that does him justice. It's best to just forget Batman & Robin and just head over right to Batman Begins

D-

Trivia:

The Batman costume weighed 90 pounds; with the material being rubber, the entire body suit weighed 50 pounds plus a 40-pound piece rubber cape attached to the headpiece.

The Batgirl costume weighed 50 pounds.

The Robin costume weighed 50 pounds the same as the bat girl costume.

The Mr. Freeze costume weighed 75 lbs.

Anthony Hopkins, who was one of Joel Schumacher's other choices for Mr. Freeze, was also considered for the role of Alfred in Batman Begins (2005).

Anthony Hopkins was also considered for the role of Mr. Freeze.

Hulk Hogan was Joel Schumacher's third choice to play Mr. Freeze.

A new form of light foam rubber was used to make the superhero costumes. This helped the costumes weigh less than on any other Batman film, but they ripped and tore very easily.

Batgirl had a full-head costume designed for her much like Batman's (complete with pointy ears) in this movie, but it was rejected in favor of letting Alicia Silverstone's hair flow freely (except in one scene where she wears it as a crash helmet). Batgirl action figures designed for the movie reflect the full-head costume, before the toy makers were informed of the change.

The sign on a club reads "The Head Room" just before the scene in which Alfred's computer likeness talks to Barbara in a manner resembling Max Headroom.

The disease "MacGregor Syndrome" was named after producer Peter Macgregor-Scott.

During the scene where Batman and Robin bid for Poison Ivy, Batman pulls out his credit card. Its expiration date: FOREVER (a reference to Batman Forever (1995)).

Dr. Jason Woodrue appeared in DC Comics as another plant themed super-villain, as himself and as The Floronic Man.

Dr. Woodrue creates Bane with what he calls his "Super Soldier Serum". This is a reference to the origin of the Marvel Comics character Captain America. Created in the early 1940s (under Marvels's previous incarnation as Timely Comics), Captain America was Steve Rogers, a man too frail to enlist to fight in World War II. He agreed to subject himself to the Super Soldier Serum which heightened every ability and sense to the highest human limits. Of course, as these things go, the doctor who created the formula was promptly killed and Captain America would be the only Super Soldier. Despite Timely/Marvel having been a somewhat popular line at the time, Captain America was wildly succesful, rivaling Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, and Wonder Woman in popularity.

Director Joel Schumacher first realized that George Clooney would make a good Batman after drawing the famous cowl over Clooney's face in an advertisement for From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).

In the original theatrical trailer, Mr. Freeze says the line, "Button up, boys. A storm is coming." That line is not present in the final film.

'Julia Roberts' , Sharon Stone, and Demi Moore were all rumored to be in the running for the part of Poison Ivy, before Uma Thurman was cast.

Joel Schumacher once said in an interview that if Arnold had not wanted to play Mr. Freeze, Sylvester Stallone was his second choice.

Arkham Asylum was originally "made up" by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, to use in his stories (and was located in Arkham, not Gotham City).

In the evidence room at the prison where Freeze is held and before Bane breaks in, both the Riddler's and Two-Face's outfits can be seen.

Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon) and Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth) are the only actors to appear in all four of the Batman films.

One of three movies to feature two future United States Governors acting in the same film. Jesse Ventura, elected Governor in Minnesota in 1998, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, elected Governor of California in 2003. (The other two films were Predator (1987), and The Running Man (1987). All three of these movies featured Ventura and Schwarzenegger.)

The computer in Alfred's room is a 20th anniversary Macintosh built by Apple Computer.

In an interview the cast members were asked what item from filming they would like to take home with them. Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he would be taking Mr. Freeze's armor home, Uma Thurman said that she wanted Ivy's floral throne, and Elle Macpherson said that she just wanted a cap or something with the "Batman & Robin" logo before anyone else. When asked, George Clooney said he wanted Elle Macpherson.

During shooting, George Clooney visited his friends on the set of "ER" (1994) in full costume.

George Clooney injured his lower leg playing basketball, while shooting Batman & Robin (1997). Because of this, he needed to cut the boot off of the Bat-suit in order to wear a cast. You can tell when his leg was injured from his limping while inside the freeze rocket.

When Batgirl sneaks to the motorcycle contest, one of the gangs there are dressed like the main characters in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). At the same time, the background song is "Fun for Me", performed by Moloko. Moloko is Nadsat (Alex de Large and his droogs' language) for Milk.

Rated 5 in Entertainment Weekly's Top 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made (2006).

Patrick Stewart and Anthony Hopkins were both considered for the role of Mr. Freeze till Joel Schumacher decided that Mr. Freeze must be "big and strong like he was chiseled out of a glacier".

The film did so poorly in the box office that Warner Brothers canceled the fifth Batman film, "Batman Triumphant". Had the film been made, the main antagonists would have been the Scarecrow, the Man-Bat and Harley Quinn (for this story, Harley Quinn would have been the Joker's daughter instead of his on-and-off lover; and at the time, Madonna was being considered for the part) and a prolonged sequence would have involved the effect the Scarecrow's fear gas has on Batman: a return of the Joker (with Jack Nicholson making a cameo).

The villainous character Bane was created by comic book writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan.

Val Kilmer was ask if he wanted to play Batman again but by his own admission, was not interested.

Despite the overwhelming negative publicity the film received, its soundtrack became very popular and was well received. The soundtrack included songs by R. Kelly, Arkarna, Jewel, The Goo Goo Dolls, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and The Smashing Pumpkins, whose song "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" rolled over the movie's closing credits. Three songs from the soundtrack became top-ten hits in the United States; Jewel's contribution, a radio-mix version of "Foolish Games", as well as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's "Look into My Eyes", and R. Kelly's "Gotham City". There was never an official release of Elliot Goldenthal's score to the film, aside from the brief suite on the song album, but bootleg copies are in fairly wide circulation.

Published financial figures indicate that the movie was made on a budget of $125 million. Batman & Robin opened at 1 at the box office, and had an opening weekend of $42,872,605 in 2,934 theaters averaging $14,612 per venue, which were two of its very few successes. However, over time, its popularity slipped, (possibly when put in competition with The Lost World: Jurassic Park, another summer film, which became a huge financial success) and the film collected only $107,325,195 domestically — less than any other Batman film — and $130,881,927 abroad, for a total worldwide gross of $238,207,122, but still covering the film's budget

B

I think Batman Forever just came out at the right time. After the uneven and brooding Batman Returns I think audiences needed something more lightweight and fun from the Caped Crusader and Joel Schumacher provided audiences with just that. Batman Forever has been dismissed by some fans as being way to kid friendly but I actually think Forever has a nice balance of the light and dark elements. Batman & Robin would turn the series into child's play but for this outing I think the filmmakers got it right. Warner Bros was certainly happy with the result since Batman Forever outgrossed Batman Returns and several critics who slammed the first two films (such as Roger Ebert) actually thought that Batman Forever was more entertaining than the previous films. I definitely don't think it's better than Batman but it definitely surpasses Batman Returns by being way more fun.

This time around, the Caped Crusader (Val Kilmer) is faced with a new pair of dastardly bad guys: the Riddler (Carrey) and Harvey Two-Face (Jones). The Riddler, aka Edward Nigma, is a scientist working in Bruce Wayne's electronics factory. When he invents a device to beam television waves directly into the brain, then tries it on himself, he becomes unhinged ("wacko" is the "technical" term used). Now, he's out to control all of Gotham City and humiliate his former boss in the process. To that end, he joins up with Two Face, who has a more modest goal: kill Batman, whom he blames for his disfigurement. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is falling for his third woman in three films. This time, it's a lady doctor with a name that sounds like two merged banks (Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman). She's a psychiatrist who specializes in split personalities (something that afflicts just about everyone in this movie). And, in the person of Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell), who takes on the appellation Robin, Batman gets a sidekick to help use all his bat-gadgets and pilot his batmobiles, bat boats, bat planes, and bat subs.

There is a lot going on in Batman Forever but for some reason Batman finally gets his time to shine in a movie. This is probably the most exposure he got as a character in the films until Batman Begins. He's not such a blank slate this time around and the conflict he's facing regarding the memory of his parents murder and his new relationship with Dick Grayson which recalls some of that turmoil makes for a much fuller character. This is a story about how Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and will forever be one and the screenplay never loses sight of that, even though there are a slew of new characters to introduce and establish.

This is definitely not Tim Burton's Batman. Joel Schumacher is definitely a director who also has a strong sense of style (check out The Lost Boys or Phantom of the Opera as examples) and he puts his stamp all over Batman Forever. The world in which Batman inhabits in this film is the same but different. The Gothic imagery is still there but this is also a more colorful world and despite being off putting at first, it works in terms of this film. The look may not be as dark but this does look like a comic book come to life and I think it deserves some credit for that.

Danny Elfman's score has also been replaced with a score by Elliot Goldenthal and while it's not as good as Elfman's score, it still manages to soar to heroic heights. The opening them actually sounds like a slight variation of the original theme by Danny Elfman which for me symbolizes the mixing of the old with the new.

The acting is generally pretty good on this project. Val Kilmer had tough shoes to fill replacing Michael Keaton and for the most part he succeeds. He definitely makes for a better Bruce Wayne than Keaton did. I actually bought Kilmer as a millionaire playboy and he definitely plays the role with more charm. His Batman is a slight notch below Keaton's. There are moments when he seems to evoke the right emotions for the role and then there are other times when he simply appears as if he's Bruce Wayne dressed in a suit. There were several moments when he's under the cowl that he didn't make the two characters that different from each other. Overall, he doesn't embarrass himself though and I think he equips himself well.

The villains are a bit of a mixed bag. Jim Carrey was the cream of the crop when this was released so he gets the bulk of the screen time and I can't say I complain. He's quite at home in the role and you can tell Schumacher just let him go at it. He's suitably zany and his performance recalls one you might have seen in the 1960's TV show which is suitable for this film. Tommy Lee Jones is another story. This character, as presented here, is a huge misstep. He plays second fiddle to Carrey and for some reason he plays the character very over the top and zany which doesn't work since Carrey has that department covered. At times I thought he was trying to imitate Jack Nicholson's Joker from Batman. This is another example where the two villain gimmick does not work.

The two other newcomers are Nicole Kidman and Chris O'Donnell and they certainly make their presence known. This is before Nicole Kidman became movie star Nicole Kidman and for some reason that makes her more likable here. She has actually never been sexier in my opinion and the most important thing is she has chemistry with Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne and Batman. I think out of all the original films this love story is the one with the most mileage since it is given a little time to develop. Chris O'Donnell is definitely a product of when this was made. In 1995 he was at the top of his game and was a pretty good choice for the role. I thought he had a good rapport with Val Kilmer and he's hip and charismatic in the role. He comes off a bit whiny at times, but it's not nearly as bad as it got in Batman & Robin. My only true complaint is I wish he got to don his costume a lot sooner in the film and kick a little bit more butt as Robin but it's a small gripe.

The action is also very flashy and full of energy. I loved the action sequences in this film especially the ones involving the new Batmobile and and when Two Face crashes Edward Nigma's launch of his box software. The film never really lets up when the action sequences are in full steam and they are simply kinetic and a blast to watch.

If there is a reason to dislike Batman Forever is that it's change in tone and style really set up the downfall of the franchise known as Batman & Robin. Since this film was more successful than Returns they figured they should make the next one more kid friendly and that ended up being a huge mistake. When judged on its own merits however, Batman Forever is a fun piece of entertainment. It's not the definitive take on the character but it certainly lets the title character shine for once. Something that the first 2 films failed to do.

B

Trivia:

While learning to twirl a cane, Jim Carrey reportedly broke around a dozen prop canes and some of his trailer furniture.

The Robin costume weighed 41 lbs.

Dick Grayson suggests "Nightwing" for a hero name; an in-joke for the comic books, where Dick Grayson now appears as Nightwing, an identity he took after he abandoned the Robin costume in 1980s.

In the film there is a doctor named Burton. Tim Burton directed the first two Batman films and produced this sequel.

At one moment, to Batman's surprise, Robin exclaims: "Holey rusted metal, Batman!", then explaining: "The ground, it's all metal. It's full of holes. You know, holey" - a jokey reference to the old US TV show "Batman" (1966) with Adam West, where Robin would yell his trademark exclamations of surprise every once in a while: "Holy something-or-other, Batman!".

The scratches on the tails side of Two-Face's coin form the letters HD, the initials of Harvey Dent, Two-Face's former identity.

Elizabeth Sanders, who plays Gossip Gerty, is the widow of 'Bob Kane (I)' , the man who created the Batman character.

The design of the Flying Graysons' costumes was a reference to the red, yellow and green spandex that Robin wears currently in the comic books.

In Canada, the French version of the Riddler's name is Le Sphinx.

Chris O'Donnell's sister can be seen directly behind him in the party scene where Robin is first introduced to the public.

In the movie, there is a scene where Two-Face keeps flipping his coin until he gets a result he wants. In the comics, a key element of his split personality is that he unquestioningly accepts the result of a single coin toss concerning any decision he makes.

Rene Russo was originally cast to play Dr. Chase Meridian when Michael Keaton was still attached to the project as Batman. However, when Keaton dropped out of the project and was replaced by Val Kilmer, Russo was deemed too old to play his love interest and was replaced by Nicole Kidman.

William Baldwin was reported to be considered for the role of Batman.

In the original Batman (1989), District Attorney Harvey Dent was played by Billy Dee Williams. Williams accepted the role with the knowledge and expectation that Dent would eventually become Two-Face: he reportedly had a clause put into his contract reserving the role for him in any sequels, which Warner Bros. had to buy out so they could cast Tommy Lee Jones.

Chase remarks about "Or do I need skin tight vinyl and a whip", an obvious reference to the "Catwoman" character in Batman Returns (1992).

When left at Wayne Manor, Grayson informs Wayne that he is leaving. To this, Bruce replies that the circus would be halfway to Metropolis, which is the city of Superman.

The movie was going to be shot in Cincinnati, using the old subway tunnel. The exterior of the Gotham City Hippodrome (the arena where Dick Grayson's family is killed) is based on the exterior of Union Terminal, a famous 1930's Art Deco train station in Cincinnati.

The exterior set for Two-Face's hide out is the same set used in the first disappearance of Max Schreck (Christopher Walken) in Batman Returns (1992).

Exterior scenes of Wayne Manor were filmed at the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture on Long Island, NY. The production team had to change the school's "W" on the entrance gate because it had an anchor behind it.

Actors Kimberly Scott (Bruce's assistant) and Michael Paul Chan (a worker at Wayne Enterprises) came back for Batman & Robin (1997), but in different roles, playing scientists at the Gotham Observatory. Joel Schumacher frequently uses them in his movies.

Olympic gymnast Mitchell Gaylord was a stunt double for Chris O'Donnell.

Val Kilmer learned he was the new Batman while he was literally in a bat cave in Africa, doing research for The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) He accepted the role without reading the script.

25 minutes of the film were digitally color corrected at 2K resolution - a very early example of digital grading for motion pictures.

The scene where Dick Grayson sorts and dries his laundry using kung-fu moves was taken shot-by-shot from a similar scene in the Hong Kong film Yong zhe wu ju (1981) (aka "Dreadnaught").

After the Batmobile rides up the wall to escape from Two-Face, there was going to be a car chase on the rooftops of Gotham. Due to time and money constraints, this idea was scrapped and used in the next film, Batman & Robin (1997).

Will Shortz, "puzzlemaster" on National Public Radio and editor of the NY Times crossword puzzle, created the Riddler's riddles.

Early concepts of the final showdown on Claw Island had a huge, muscled, Riddler sitting on his throne when Batman finds him. The Riddler twists the two skulls on his armrests and the Riddler's muscled body is revealed to be a shell which splits in two, from which the real Riddler (wearing his white and green jumpsuit) steps out. This description made it into the junior novelization of the movie by Alan Grant, and was also featured in the video game based on the movie.

Before deciding not to don the cape and cowl for a third time, Michael Keaton met with Joel Schumacher and declined to join the project after deciding that he did not like the direction in which Schumacher was looking to take the franchise. In the brief time that Tim Burton was still considering doing a third Batman film, Riddler was the only villain that he planned on using. The idea of using Two-Face did not come up until Schumacher joined the project.

After seeing him in this film, record producer George Martin approached Jim Carrey about performing the song "I am the Walrus" for his The Beatles tribute album "In My Life". Carrey accepted.

Joel Schumacher had asked Bono of 'U2' to reprise his role of Macphisto that he played during the band's ZOOTV tour, but Bono denied, saying that when ZOOTV ended so did Macphisto, so instead 'U2' contributed the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" to the soundtrack.

According to Tim Burton, he originally felt very enthusiastic about the idea of directing a third Batman film. However, when Warner Brothers executives expressed concern over the direction of the franchise--namely that Batman Returns (1992) had been too dark to appeal to a family audience--Burton decided it best to step down as director.

Scott Shaw was offered the role of the Gang Leader. When he turned it down, the role eventually went to 'Don 'The Dragon' Wilson' .

When The Riddler is in Two-Face's hideout demonstrating how "The Box" works, he says, "This is my brain on the box, does anyone else feel like a fried egg?". This is a spoof on an Anti-Drug commercial, which demonstrated what your brain would do when it is on drugs, by using an egg and a hot frying pan.

While Tim Burton was still slated to direct the film, Robin Williamswas running to play The Riddler, but after Burton dropped out, Williams lost interest and turned down the role despite being offered.

Joel Schumacher's decision to put nipples on the Bat-costumes and an earring on Robin caused controversy - it even bothered Batman creator 'Bob Kane (I)' . Schumacher said he wanted the costumes to have an anatomic look, while the earring was supposed to make Robin more hip.

The Batmobile was usually driven by stunt drivers, but 'Chris O'Donnell (I)' insisted on driving it himself in the joyride scene - but he crashed it into a curb and dented a fender.

The helicopter at the start of the movie flown by Harvey Two Face's gang is a Sikorsky S-62.

Batman Forever opened on June 16, 1995 in the United States in 2,893 theaters, accumulating $52,784,433 over its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $336,531,112 worldwide. It is the third highest grossing Batman film to date, behind Tim Burton's Batman and Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, though it did have a higher opening weekend than Batman Begins. The opening weekend gross was a record at the time and the studio beat their goal of making more money than Batman Returns. Batman Forever was the second highest grossing film of 1995, only losing to Toy Story

B-

Despite being about 7 years old at the time, I can remember with great clarity seeing Batman Returns in theaters. I remember being extremely excited because I had practically worn out my copy of the original Batman and I remember all the TV spots that would be shown during all my favorite Saturday morning cartoons. I even had a movie poster for the film (the one shown above which remains my favorite poster for any of the films in the franchise).

When the film was released on VHS I remember how excited I was when my mom picked me up from school and had surprised me with a copy. Needless to say, when I was younger, Batman Returns was one of my favorite films.

The weird part about this is, as I've gotten older, this film is just ahead of Batman & Robin for me in the franchise. Yes, I can now say that I think Batman Forever is a better film. I've taken quite the beating for saying this to Batman fans because many people praise Tim Burton's first 2 films. Despite a pretty decent entertainment value and the sense of nostalgia I get whenever I see it, Batman Returns is deeply flawed and is a classic case of style over substance.

Having read up on the reception for Batman Returns when it was initially released, it would appear that even audiences felt this was a flawed film. Sure the film was a hit but the film's $162 million final gross was well off from the $252 million that the original Batman film. Reviews were also not as kind and Batman Returns performed like most blockbusters do now, they open big, then fade fast. It's strange because apparently Batman Returns caused damage to the franchise that was ultimately fixed by Batman Forever yet was destroyed yet again with the release of Batman & Robin.


The movie begins by establishing the origin of The Penguin. The deformed baby was dropped into the sewers by his rich parents, and was then raised by circus performers. Cut to 33 years later. Sightings of a hideous penguin creature living in the sewers have the citizens of Gotham City frightened, and hooligans in clown garb besiege the town. Meanwhile, high above the streets below, Max Shreck (Christopher Walken—The Deer Hunter, True Romance, Pulp Fiction), industrialist, conspires to build a power plant to siphon off and store the electricity flowing into the city. His secretary, Selina Kyle (Pfeiffer), finds out about the plan, and is supposedly killed by Shreck. She is revived by a swarm of cats, and soon dons the sleek garb of Catwoman and takes to the streets. Soon the Penguin and Catwoman team up on an attempt to tarnish Batman's reputation however Catwoman's real life persona is attracted to Batman's real life persona and as they battle in their secret identities, they also battle a strong attraction towards one another.

I'm going to take a different approach reviewing this film and tell you what I didn't like right off the bat. The storyline for Batman Returns is extremely muddled. As a kid, it's easy to miss this and get caught up in all the action but as an adult the flaws are too glaring to ignore. Most of the relationships and their situations ring false. Sure the Batman and Catwoman relationship has its share of sex appeal but enough time isn't given to the attraction for it to make much of an impact. The attraction between Selena and Bruce is also a problem because it's even more underdeveloped than the aforementioned union. The scene where Bruce and Selena release each other's secret identies doesn't pack a real punch because I never really bought into Selena and Bruce as a couple. They want us to care about what this reveal might do to them but it really doesn't do much.

Another problem for me is The Penguin. It's my personal opinion that Tim Burton took a few liberties with this character because in some ways he can identify with being an outsider or misunderstood. Aspects of the character work, he is quite funny in an offbeat sort of way and you do feel a sense of pain for the character when his charade as the mayor is discovered but he's just not really likable. Yes, I know, he's a villain and we shouldn't really like him but there is something so grotesquely appalling about the character that just about every time he was on screen I would cringe. Oddly enough, this interpretation of the Penguin feels like a refugee from some other Tim Burton film like Edward Scissorhands or BeetleJuice. He just really feels out of place and for my money I prefer how he's portrayed on the Batman: Animated Series. I also never really bought him as much of a threat for Batman. He wasn't really smart of enough and not really physically imposing so I never doubted out hero would overcome him. There is more at stake with his battle involving Catwoman but since the Penguin is given the bulk of the screen time between the villains you're suppose to buy him as the real threat but he never really is.

That brings me to another thing, I think it's a huge mistake to put two villains in a film like this. 9 times out of 10 one of them is going to short changed and it leaves the viewer feeling cheated. In Batman Forever, Two-Face got short changed for The Riddler. In Batman & Robin Poison Ivy got short changed for Mr. Freeze. This wasn't really an issue in Batman Begins since that film dealt more with the evolution of the character rather than the villains. You can even use other comic book films as examples: Spider-Man 3 flatlined because it included both Sandman and Venom and the X-Men: The Last Stand couldn't utilize The Dark Phoenix because of other villains as well. In this film, for my money, Catwoman is more interesting than the Penguin but the Penguin dominates this film which leaves the conflict with Catwoman a bit underdeveloped. The fact of the matter is, I think you lose a bit of the conflict when you have to focus on two villains.

Then we have Batman himself. Since the first film didn't explain much about him we don't really learn anything new here. He's even more of a blank slate this time around and his personality hasn't really evolved. Bruce Wayne is allowed to show more of a sense of humor this time around but for the most part if you can't really root for the hero and the main villain isn't likable to root for then whose side are you supposed to be on?

For all the film's mistakes, I think the one universal problem that most people seem to complain about, is a bit off base. When the film was released in 1992, since it was marketed to a lot of kids through various toy tie ins, many people complained about how dark the film was. This is a true statement for this is a rather bleak motion picture and even more dark than the original but this most definitely isn't a problem in my opinion. This film is very Tim Burton, more so than the first film, and I for one am a fan of Burton's style. I actually think between the two films, this feels like this has more of his stamp on it. Take out Batman related elements and it almost feels like you're in a more dark version of Edward Scissorhands. The film is extremely atmospheric and he once again gets Gotham City right.

Then we have Danny Elfman's score, which was a highlight of the first film, and is another highlight this time around. He has expanded on the main theme of the first film and makes it just as exciting. We also get a few themes for Catwoman and The Penguin that represent a beautiful piece of music. The score used for the scene when the Penguin raises out of the water during the closing moments of the film, is a true musical highlight. Say what you will, but Elfman can compose some damn good music.

The acting is also pretty on the mark. Michael Keaton once again portraying Batman, even if the character isn't developed. He seems even more comfortable this time around and he truly shines in his scenes under the cowl. Even more impressive this time around is his portrayal of Bruce Wayne. I still didn't buy him as a millionaire playboy but he seems to be having more fun with Wayne this time around. He has lightened up a bit and this is a big improvement.

Danny Devito is good even though I can't really stand the character. It's funny because Danny Devito was nominated for a Razzie Award for his portrayal of this character but it's definitely not bad. He really embodies the part and completely disappears into him. You can tell he had fun playing the part and it really comes across on screen.

Unless Christopher Nolan decides to do his spin on the Catwoman character in future films, I think Michelle Pfeiffer will always be the definitive Catwoman. She deserves credit for making an underwritten character truly pop on screen. I bought her as the nerdy and shy Selena Kyle and I definitely bought her as the sex kitten Catwoman. Despite her relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman being sloppily written, she still has great chemistry with Keaton. Her scenes with Batman, even though they end before they should, truly sizzle and scorch. Is it fair to call her Catwoman performance iconic? I think so.

New addition, Christopher Walken is welcomed because he makes the more annoying scenes with The Penguin more bearable. Walken knows how to steal scenes and he does so a few times in this film.

What would a Batman film be without action? There aren't as many memorable action sequences when compared to the first film but the action is still top notch. The fights between Batman and Catwoman are exciting to watch and the attacks on Gotham by Penguins circus henchmen provide action fans with a lot to take in.

I know it sounds like I sent this film into the flames but I still think it's entertaining in its own right. The action is good, it never bores the audience and Burton's style is hard to ignore. However, when judging the narrative, the film lacks a lot of substance. Some of this was rectified with Batman Forever but I truly don't think we got Batman right until 2005 when Batman Begins was released. This is a good effort though and no matter how much I judge it, it's hard not to go back to 1992 in my mind and remember how excited I was to see it.

B-

Trivia:

Danny DeVito was forbidden to describe the Penguin's makeup to anyone, including his family.

Annette Bening was cast as Catwoman, but was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer when she became pregnant. Pfeiffer's $3 million salary was $2 million more than was offered to Bening.

The primary antagonist is named Maximillian Shreck. In addition to the fact that "schreck" is the German word meaning "terror," the actor Max Schreck played the first-ever vampire depicted on film in the silent-era classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).

Sean Young very much wanted the role of The Catwoman. During preproduction she arrived at the studio in a Catwoman costume to confront the makers of the movie. She used other people scouting the studio grounds, using walkie-talkies to communicate, to track down the producers. Tim Burton hid behind his desk so as to avoid seeing her. See also Batman (1989).

Composer Danny Elfman was one of the off-screen tomato and lettuce throwers during the Penguin's botched speech.

Christopher Walken, remembering a film he'd seen previously, requested from director Tim Burton cuff-links made from human molars for his character, Max Shreck. The movie in question is The Great Gatsby (1974), in which an unsavory friend of the title character, who had been involved in the 1919 World Series Black Sox scandal, sports a pair of molar cuff-links.

Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger from Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) reunite briefly at the beginning of the film as The Penguin's father and mother.

The Batman costume weighed 55 lbs.

The first film made in Dolby Digital.

Neither Tim Burton nor Michael Keaton had been signed up in advance for a sequel; Burton came on board only after the script met all his demands (he hadn't been entirely happy with the first film's screenplay), whilst Keaton only agreed to do the second film after a serious hike in salary.

Sam Hamm's original screenplay draft had the Penguin and Catwoman going after hidden treasure. Dissatisfied with that, Tim Burton brought in Daniel Waters, writer of Heathers (1989), who came up with the concept of an evil business mogul backing a bid for the Mayor's office by the Penguin.

At least 50% of the Warner Brothers lot was taken up with Gotham City sets.

The set for the Penguin's decrepit underground lair at the abandoned Gotham City Zoo was filled with a half-million gallons of water and a simulated ice floe island.

Danny DeVito spent two hours a day in make-up.

The massive Gotham City sets were all constructed to be mobile, and were often shifted between days of filming. Michelle Pfeiffer routinely got lost on her way to filming each day.

The crew had a hard time getting the shot where the monkey delivers the letter from Batman to the Penguin. Evidently, Danny DeVito's make-up terrified the animal.

Security was so tight on the production that even Kevin Costner was refused permission to visit the set. Warner Brothers employed a private investigator firm when some shots of Danny DeVito in costume made it into the tabloids.

Michelle Pfeiffer got through 60 catsuits during the 6 month shoot, at a cost of $1,000 a time.

The production wanted to use King Penguins but the only tame ones in captivity were at a bird sanctuary in the Cotswolds deep in the English countryside. So the birds were flown over to the States in the refrigerated hold of a plane, they were given their own refrigerated trailer, their own swimming pool with half a ton of fresh ice every day, and had fresh fish delivered daily straight from the docks. Even though the temperature outside frequently topped 100 degrees, the entire set was refrigerated down to 35 degrees. The birds also had a round-the-clock bodyguard. Clearly the birds enjoyed the experience as, following their stint in Hollywood, most of them had mated and produced eggs - the sure sign of a contented penguin.

In the US, McDonald's were forced to cancel a Happy Meals promotion with the film, after parents protested about its violent and sexual nature being inappropriate for young children. But Diet Coke continued its promotional run.

It made $47.7 million in its first 3 days, a record at the time.

Batman Returns opened in the United States on June 19, 1992 and surpassed its predecessor's record for the most successful three-day opening in history, with receipts totaling $47.7 million; it would eventually gross $266 million worldwide, $145 million less than the original.

Batman Returns is currently the fourth highest grossing Batman film to date (when not adjusted for inflation) and was also the third highest grossing film of 1992 (behind Aladdin and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York).

B+

I'm guessing the summer of 1989 was pretty similar to this summer. The excitement surrounding The Dark Knight is of epic proportions and in 1989 audiences were also eagerly anticipating the first big screen adaptation of DC's most popular character (I guess you could count the 60's film starring Adam West and company but this would be the first film to take the character seriously).

The original Batman broke a few records back in 1989 which may seem pretty small today. It's $40 Million opening weekend was a record at the time and it was the first film to earn $100 million in its first ten days of release. Tim Burton's dark interpretation of the comic book character became a huge crowd pleaser and of course numerous sequels were produced.

As for me, I did see this film when I was younger and it lived with me as I grew older. I once thought that this was the pinnacle of comic book films and also believed it was the best Batman film of the bunch.

Then a little film called Batman Begins was released and my views of the original Batman began to change. I still thought Batman was a nice piece of solid entertainment but when compared to Begins, I thought it lacked the essentials as an origin story. Batman Begins is very much about the hero while Batman puts nearly all the focus on The Joker. Don't get me wrong, The Joker is a very good creation in this film but when a film is called Batman I would've liked to learn more about him and not so much about the villain he is facing. There are other issues and concerns in the original Batman as well that I think bring it down a bit from being the masterpiece I thought it was when I was younger.

Like many comic book-to-movie adaptations, Batman is an "origin" story - only the origin being presented isn't that of the title character, but of the chief villain, The Joker. In fact, the entire movie belongs to The Joker, and, if there was a truth-in-titling policy in Hollywood, this picture would have been named after him. The character of Batman exists solely as a foil for The Joker. The film's hero (as essayed by Michael Keaton) is woefully underdeveloped. Beyond certain bare-bones facts, we learn little about him, and his "love affair" with reporter Vicki Vale (played by Kim Basinger) is so childishly presented as to be absurd. Actually, there's not much character development where The Joker is concerned, either, but Jack Nicholson's over-the-top performance is so enjoyable that it hardly matters. This isn't great acting on Nicholson's part, but it is a lot of fun to watch. Like Marlon Brando in Superman, he was getting a lot of money to bring a top name to the marquee; unlike Brando, Nicholson approaches his work with gusto and seems to be in it for more than just the hefty paycheck

We don't see how Batman became Batman in Batman. That's mostly irrelevant (although we do see the shooting of his parents during a brief flashback). The first time we encounter the Dark Knight, he's scaring the living daylights out of a couple of robbers. Gotham City is abuzz with rumors of a man-sized bat who can't be killed, and crack reporter Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl), aided by photographer Vicki Vale, is determined to get to the bottom of the story. But everyone who knows anything, including Commissioner Gordon (Pat Hingle) and D.A. Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams), is keeping quiet. In her attempts to get an inside scoop, Vicki ends up romancing millionaire Bruce Wayne, who's on friendly terms with everyone in power in Gotham. Unbeknownst to her, Wayne and Batman are one and the same. She and Bruce fall for each other, much to the delight of Alfred (Michael Gough), the faithful butler, but Bruce is reluctant to reveal the truth.

Meanwhile, the crime scene is heating up. Mob boss Carl Grisson (Jack Palance, not doing any push-ups) has decided to eliminate his right-hand man, Jack Napier (Nicholson), by sending him on a mission then tipping off the cops. Napier is cornered by Batman, and ends up falling into a vat of acid. He escapes alive, but is horribly maimed, both mentally and physically. A plastic surgeon re-constructs his features, but botches the job, leaving Napier with green hair, white skin, and a permanent leer. Thus is born The Joker, who quickly dispatches Boss Grissom, takes over his territory, and begins a reign of terror.

Lets start with the positives. Tim Burton has always been more about style over substance and his style is at the forefront of this film. Despite my love of Batman Begins, I think his interpretation of Gotham City is still the best. This is an extremely dark place and I prefer his gothic take on the city over Nolan's more gritty and dungy take on it in Batman Begins. When you watch Batman you get the impression that this is the world that Batman would inhabit. There is a scene later in the film when the Batmobile is racing back to the Batcave with Viki Vale and the surrounding areas look so rich with the darkness that it's hard to take your eyes off of the screen. It's truly a mesmerizing sight.

There are also many great action set pieces in the film. The museum attack is still one of my favorite scenes from any film. It's a highly entertaining spectacle that remains exciting till this day. That scene makes me feel like a kid again as I watch it because I get truly caught up in how "cool" the whole thing is. The chemical plant attack, in which the Joker is created, is also fun to watch and provides a few iconic moments. I love the little back punch moment as one of the gangsters is running away firing his gun. Batman does it so smoothly and it makes it hard to laugh and also think that this guy is a major bad ass. Finally there is the bell tower scenes which conclude the film. It's a very excitement climax that begins with a thrilling introduction for the Batwing and ends with a fun final fight between Batman and the Joker.

None of these scenes would work as well as they do without Danny Elfman's iconic score. This is something that Batman Begins did not top. I think Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's score for the new films is epic in its scope, but it does not evoke the same feelings as Elfman's score. Elfman's music is both dark and heroic and the moment you hear it, there is no denying its power. The music provided by Prince is fun and it suits the Joker well but Prince being included here is more a product of his popularity at the time and not really a necessity for the film.

The acting is generally top notch. Michael Keaton got a lot of flack when he was initially cast because he was known primarily for comedic performances but he shocked many people when he did a credible job. For awhile I considered him the best Batman but then Christian Bale did something that I don't think any of the actors could do: play Bruce Wayne and Batman at equal levels. I always felt that Keaton's Bruce Wayne was a little subpar but I believed he truly shined when he played the Batman persona. His Bruce Wayne lacks much energy or depth and I really didn't quite buy him as a millionaire playboy. However, as Batman he truly captures the darkness of the role and he makes the character his own. He would continue this trend in Batman Returns, but in that film he was able to give a slightly better performance as Bruce Wayne.

Jack Nicholson is another beast entirely. He's highly entertaining in the role and plays the comedic elements more than the maniacal nature of the role. From what I've seen of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight trailers, it would appear that his take is a bit more dark than Nicholson's. This doesn't take anything away from him as an actor because Nicholson truly steals every scene he is in. An actor of his caliber isn't just going to fade to the background so whenever he's on screen he dominates the other actors. The script gives him more to do than Batman, which is actually a flaw in my opinion because it pushes Batman to the background and the Joker doesn't necessarily move the plot forward. It's still an iconic performance that has its place in film history.

Kim Basinger is touch and go as Vicki Vale. She is adequate but she adopts the same shrieking annoyance that accompanies many damsels in distress. This girl is truly helpless and isn't really a strong personality. She has decent chemistry with Keaton but their relationship isn't really developed so it's hard to invest in. Basinger actually plays off of Nicholson better. Her scenes with him at the museum, her apartment, and the bell tower are all well played. You can tell he was bringing something out of her that wasn't there in other scenes she was featured in.

There has always been a couple of scenes that truly bothered me. The scene where Vicki Vale just walks into the Batcave and finds out that Bruce Wayne is indeed Batman. The scene is just sloppily written and it lacks any real punch whatsoever. I'm not sure if Burton was in a hurry or if the scene was written at the last minute but it's a huge mistake. A reveal like that should make more of an impact and it just falls flat. The moment where Rachel Dawes figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman in Batman Begins is a nice example on how to reveal this big secret. It was subtle but very powerful. Every time I see this scene in Batman I cringe.

Then there is the change in comic book history that shows us that Jack Napier aka The Joker actually killed Bruce Wayne's parents. I suppose it works for the purposes of the film but I don't think it was a necessary change. Batman and Joker should be connected because the Joker represents this evil that will make him up his game when it comes to taking him down. He doesn't need this backstory to justify his connection to Batman. It's a personal gripe but it is one that has always bothered me.

In the end, Batman remains a solid yet flawed piece of entertainment. I get some flack for jumping on the Batman Begins bandwagon but it's hard not to. Batman Begins develops the hero and allows you to root for him. In Batman, you're only rooting for him because he is Batman. He shouldn't play second fiddle in his own film. Despite this crucial flaw, Batman is still pretty iconic and definitely the best of the original bunch.

B+

Trivia:

The first draft of this movie was written in 1980 by Superman (1978) co-writer Tom Mankiewicz and told the story of Batman's and Robin's origins. The villains were The Joker and The Penguin, and Rupert Thorne and Barbara Gordon were also to appear. At the end Robin was to appear in costume (much like Batman Forever (1995)). It was going to be released in 1985 with a budget of $20 million, but with producers Michael E. Uslan and Benjamin Melniker booted off the production, the project was shelved until Jon Peters and Peter Guber picked it up. In 1985, after the surprise success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the studio offered the job to Tim Burton. Unsatisfied with the Mankiewicz script, Burton and his then girlfriend Julie Hickson wrote a 30-page treatment of the project. This treatment was approved by both the producers and studio. In 1986 Burton met Sam Hamm, who had just received a two-year contract with Warner Brothers, and gave him the job of writing a screenplay based on Burton's and Hickson's treatment. However, the writing process stretched too long and Hamm couldn't write further drafts of the script because of the writers strike. In his place, Burton got Beetle Juice (1988) co-writer Warren Skaaren to continue writing. Nearly three years after working on the project Burton didn't get the film green-lit until the box-office result of Beetle Juice (1988). Batman (1989) began filming in October and it only took 12 weeks to shoot


It made an estimated additional $750 million in merchandising alone.

The plastic surgeon's weird surgical tools are originally from another Warner Brothers production, Little Shop of Horrors (1986). They were the dentist tools owned by Orin Scrivello.

The Batman costume weighed 70 lbs.

The Batman symbol on the costume in this film is slightly different than the version seen in the comic books. It has two extra "points" on the bottom of the black bat emblem. However, the teaser poster and other such promotional materials for the film depict the logo just as it appears in the comics, for copyright purposes (because that specific look for the logo is what DC comics had copyrighted). The Batman costume was slightly modified for Batman Returns (1992) and sported the comic version of the symbol.

Corto Maltese (where Vicki had been taking pictures) is the name of a popular European comic character, starring in the adventure comic books of Italian Hugo Pratt.

Heavy security surrounded The Joker's makeup.

The throne that the Joker sits on when he spreads money over the citizens of Gotham is a copy of the "Silver Throne", the Royal Throne of Sweden which the King of Sweden used until 1974 at the opening of the Swedish Parliament. The replica was made for the film Queen Christina (1933).

Robin Williams was considered for the role of The Joker; he would later be considered for The Riddler as well. Jack Nicholson got the role of The Joker but demanded top-billing and a lucrative deal that gave him royalties on all merchandise.

Billy Dee Williams appears as Harvey Dent, who in the comics became Two-Face. Williams took the role with the expectation that he would be brought back to play Two-Face and reportedly had a contract clause added reserving the role for him. During casting for Batman Forever (1995) Warner Bros. decided they would prefer Tommy Lee Jones and bought out Williams' contract.

This was the first film to ever get a "12" rating in Great Britain. The rating was created to prevent young children from seeing the film. It had been in place up until 2002, where it was updated to "12A" for Spider-Man (2002)

Kim Basinger is only a few inches shorter than Michael Keaton. To make Keaton appear taller, she wears flat heels or is in stocking feet in all the scenes in which they are standing next to each other.

Alec Baldwin, 'Charlie Sheen' , Bill Murray, Pierce Brosnan and Tom Selleck were considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Mel Gibson was the original choice for Bruce Wayne/Batman but was forced to turn down the role due to his commitment with Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).

In the Globe office, a reporter hands Knox a drawing of a bat dressed like a man, poking fun at his belief in Batman. The drawing is signed "'Bob Kane'".

Alfred's story of how Bruce sprained his ankle while horseback-riding is a reference to Sean Young's accident when she was preparing for the film. It also refers to a deleted scene from the script which had Bruce on horseback chasing the Joker.

Michael Jackson was asked to write and perform the songs for the movie, but he had to turn it down due to his concert commitments.

Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office took home around $60 million. As of 2003 it is still the single-movie record for actor's salary.

The flag of Gotham City closely resembles the state flag of Indiana. It can be seen briefly in Harvey Dent's office.

When the Tom Mankiewicz script was in development, the directors associated with the project included Joe Dante and Ivan Reitman. Producers wanted an unknown to play Batman and the cast wish-list included William Holden as Commissioner Gordon and David Niven as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's faithful butler.

The movie's "Vicki Vale" is actually based on 1970s Bruce Wayne girlfriend Silver St. Cloud, a name deemed too silly for a movie character. However, in the comics there was a character named Vicki Vale, who was a reporter and appeared in the comics throughout the '40s and '60s.

In the original script, the paper Knox and Vicki worked for was the Gotham Gazette, not the Gotham Globe.

The original script featured a bitter rivalry between Bruce Wayne and Knox over Vicki.

According to Pat Hingle (Commisioner Gordon) in an interview on the Batman Special Edition DVD, there was supposed to be a scene in which it would be revealed that Gordon was the officer who consoled young Bruce Wayne in the wake of his parents' murder. Thereby revealing the bond between Batman and Gordon. A portion of this evidence exists in the scene where Vicki and Alex view the newspaper headline of the murder and the photo of the young Bruce Wayne being held by a police officer who's supposed to be a young Jim Gordon. While the actual scene was never filmed (or never included in the final cut), the idea was revived for Batman Begins (2005) with Gary Oldman as Gordon consoling young Wayne. Originally in the first Batman comics, no such bond existed between the two (Wayne/Batamn and Gordon). The idea came later through the evolving incarnations of the Batman comics through the years.

In the original script, Bruce Wayne was described as a man with "muscles on top of muscles and scarred from nightly combat".

When Alfred receives Vicki Vale's message a portrait of Thomas Wayne can be seen in the background.

It has been reported that Tim Burton had an uncredited cameo as one of The Joker's goons in the Museum scene.

In the original script with Robin included, the Flying Graysons (John, Mary, and Dick) are introduced at the parade scene. The Joker shoots the trapeze artists sending John and Mary to their deaths and leaving Dick to survive. Dick later becomes Robin in full costume at the end.

For its first video release, the film was graded slightly lighter as cinema audiences had complained that it was filmed so darkly that they could hardly see what was going on.

Anton Furst's designs for Gotham City were incorporated into the comics during the early '90s. The design was removed during the "No Man's Land" arc.

In a newsroom scene, Vicki Vale and Alexander Knox examine a map of Gotham City which has been marked with Batman sightings. The map is actually a map of Vancouver, British Columbia.

In order to combat negative rumors about the production, a theatrical trailer was hastily assembled to be distributed to theaters. To test its effectiveness, Warner Bros. executives showed it at a theater in Westwood, California to an unsuspecting audience. The ninety-second trailer received a standing ovation. Later, it would become a popular bootleg at comic book conventions, and theater owners would report patrons paying full price for movie tickets just to have an opportunity to see the trailer, and leaving before the feature began.

The Batmobile was built on the chassis of a Chevy Impala.

Corto Maltese is also an island country in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, one of Tim Burton's inspirations for Batman.

The design of Gotham City is based on the work of architects Antoni Gaudi, Otto Wagner, Shia Takamatsu and Louis H. Sullivan.

The painting that the Joker spares during his vandalism spree is Francis Bacon's "Figure with Meat."

During filming, a young Tim Burton was having trouble shooting a scene with Jack Palance. An irritated Palance asked Burton, "I've made more than a hundred films, how many have you made?" Burton said, years later, that it was a "whiteout" experience he would never forget.

When the production design team arrived at Pinewood Studios in England to build the sets, they discovered the atmosphere processor set from Aliens (1986) in one of the sound stages, with most of the Aliens' nest and eggs still intact.

The handwriting on the note that accompanies the gas mask in the museum is that of director Tim Burton.

At one point, Warner Bros. considered doing the film as a big-budget comedy in the vein of the popular television series, with Bill Murray considered to play Batman, and Eddie Murphy considered to play Robin.

Although this film played a large part in creating the '12' certificate for UK Cinema releases, the BBFC chose not to use it for video releases until 1994. Therefore, when this film was released to video in 1990, the certificate was upgraded to '15'. It has remained unchanged ever since. See also: Batman Returns (1992).

The face of the Joker was initially inspired to Bob Kane and Bill Finger by Conrad Veidt as The Man Who Laughs (1928).

The Joker's line "Take thy beak from out my heart" (said at Vale's apartment) is from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". The full line is 'Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' (the "beak" being of the raven)

The theatrical trailer for Batman includes not only sequences presented without music, but there are also some alternate takes used in the trailer that were not used in the movie. Specifically: (1) The Joker shoots his television after saying "I have given a name to my pain." Nicholson loads his gun while speaking this line - in the film, he reveals the gun after speaking the line, and the explosion is also a different take. A wide shot was used in the finished film, but in the trailer, a close-up is used for Nicholson's line. (2) Michael Keaton's line "My life is really...complex" is shown here as a close-up which is a different take than the one used in the film. Additionally, in the movie, the take used is from a different camera position. (3) Robert Wuhl is seen asking the question, "Lieutenant, is there a six foot bat in Gotham City?" In the movie, a different take was used, with different things occurring in the background. Regarding this trailer, on the special edition DVD, Warner Bros. has removed the final screen card which originally indicated the film's release date in North America: June 23 (1989).

Jack Nicholson said of his role, "The thing I like about The Joker is that his sense of humor is completely tasteless."

Anton Furst and set decorator Peter Young won Best Art Direction at the 62nd Academy Awards. Nicholson was nominated for Best Actor--Musical or Comedy at the 47th Golden Globe Awards. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominated Batman in six categories (Production Design, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound and Actor in a Supporting Role for Nicholson), but it won none of them.Nicholson, Basigner, the make-up department and costume designer Bob Ringwood all received nominations at the Saturn Awards. Batman was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

The success of Batman prompted Warner Bros. Animation to create Batman: The Animated Series. Series co-creator Bruce Timm stated the television show's Art Deco design was inspired from the film. Timm commented, "our show would never have gotten made if it hadn't been for that first Batman movie.

Batman opened on June 23, 1989, grossing $40.49 million in 2,194 theaters during its opening weekend. That would be equal to $72.41 million today. The film would eventually gross $251.2 million in North America and $160,160,000 in foreign countries, coming at a total of $411.35 million.Batman was the first film to earn $100 million in its first ten days of release. Batman is the highest grossing film based on a DC comic book series, and 42nd highest ever in North American ranks. Although Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade made the most money worldwide in 1989, Batman was able to beat The Last Crusade in North America, and made a further $150 million in home video sales

*Just want to point out that I'm going to make a big effort to consistently write in this thing on a regular basis. Been pretty busy lately but finally finding time to fit this in. Hope you all enjoy once again*



C+

I popped Fear into my DVD player because on a whim I decided to get it on Netflix. I had not seen the film in awhile but I do remember seeing it quite a bit when the film was released in 1996. It's one of those films that really remains me of the sort of teen movement that began to dominate cinema in the mid-late 90's.

Watching the film now, I can see all its fatal flaws but there is no denying that Fear is entertaining, albeit in a guilty pleasure sort of way. If anything it's interesting to see Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg before they really hit it big in films. This was way before her $20 million paycheck for Sweet Home Alabama and her Oscar win for Walk the Line and a little before Mr. Wahlberg really hit it big with Boogie Nights. They are now both huge movie stars in their own right, but it's always fun to see the humble beginnings.

Fear actually begins things on the right foot. The set up is effective and from a technical standpoint, this film looks much better than any thriller of this nature should. The set up is something we've all seen before: One night, Nicole and her best friend, Margo (Alyssa Milano), are at a rave. There, Nicole meets the gentle, handsome David McCall (Mark Wahlberg). He speaks sweet nothings, doesn't pressure her into sex, and does all the right things. Nicole falls head-over-heels for him, and, when he meets her family, only Steve is unsettled. That is, until David starts showing flashes of his genuine, brutal personality, and Nicole comes home from school with a black eye.

Looking at this film now, I was reminded of the vastly inferior Swimfan. That film didn't take its characters or the premise seriously so the movie fell flat on its face. Fear actually does a significant job developing all of the main characters. We get to know each and every one of them and we ultimately care when they feel threatened. The family dynamic is well established and for the most part, the characters don't really give in to the cliches of the genre (at least until the last 15 minutes when things begin to fall apart). Even David isn't portrayed as a one note villain. When he does begin to show signs of a darker side, he avoids the usual foaming at the mouth that is typical in films like this. David is actually quite chilling because there is a sense of innocence in his face, even as he begins to grow more and more frightening.

The acting is actually pretty top notch. Reese Witherspoon, even then, showed immense likability and raw talent. She is completely natural in the role and even though the character acts out at times, you completely buy that she is truly more innocent then she would like to be. This is a huge credit to Witherspoon who does what a lot of young actors simply can't do which is make a credible teen performance. Mark Wahlberg has clearly grown a lot since this film because this is isn't his best performance, BUT that doesn't mean he does bad work here. He underplays the role which works for the film. You immediately know that there is something up with him but the character is so charming you almost forget you're supposed to hate him. There is a nice scene early in the film when Margo bends over in front of Nicole's father while she's talking to him and David notices it. Walhberg gives the dad this truly devilish yet innocent grin that works wonders for the scene. It's a small moment but proof of how effective he is at not going too far over the top. He does lose some of that ground during the final 15 minutes but I don't blame him since the whole film begins to go out auto pilot at that point. Alyssa Milano is suitably sexy and sassy as the best friend and William Peterson along with Amy Brenneman do fine work as Nicole's parents.

The film begins to lose itself, as i said earlier, during the final 15 minutes. The home invasion angle is way overdone. I found it entertaining in a so bad it's good kind of way but it really kills any sense of credibility that the film had made for itself. It also feels extremely tacked on, as if they couldn't quite figure out how to end the film with a bang. Something more simple would've worked better in my opinion, but instead they went for the big Hollywood climax. The characters also begin to do really stupid things which is disappointing because the films sets them up as being fairly smart in the beginning. Fatal Attraction made a similar misstep when it collapsed on itself during the final moments as well.

Despite this, Fear is still fairly entertaining and probably much better than it should be. It's not a perfect film but it does what it can with what it's given. If anything it's a nice piece of 90's nostalgia so sit back and enjoy

C+

*Another interesting note, the music score by Carter Burwell is very good. The beginning score and ending score represents a beautiful piece of music. The soundtrack is also pretty decent as well. I think we all remember that classic cover of Wild Horses from the rollercoaster scene.

A

Mariah Carey is a classic example of how people like to bring you down and then build you back up again. In 2001 she was the butt of everyone's joke after the dismal failure of the Glitter film and soundtrack. Then by 2005 the media and her fans were celebrating her Emancipation after the release of her comeback record, The Emancipation of Mimi. That album flipped the script on the failure that was Glitter (and even her follow up to Glitter, Charmbracelet). The Emancipation of Mimi was the highest selling record of 2005 and it went on to sell 6 million copies domestically. It also spawned several hit singles, with We Belong Together taking the crown of the biggest song of 2005. I guess you can't keep a good Diva down, huh?

Mariah Carey has decided to follow up Emancipation with a sequel of sorts. The title, E=MC2 would suggest that this is a follow up to her previous record but on a more powerful level. For those of you who don't know why it's called E=MC2 Mariah describes it as Emancipation=Mariah to the second power. This album is a perfect representation of the notion if it isn't broke, don't fix it. She goes down the same route that Emancipation went down but this record is more thought out and it contains tracks that simply can not be skipped. This is a near perfect record for R&B fans and this is easily her best record since Butterfly.

The album's first single is the playful Touch My Body which recently became her 18th 1 single, putting her second only to The Beatles with the most number one hits in the rock era. The single isn't ground breaking but it will certainly be remembered for that feat. The thing that is truly likable about the song is how it sort of pokes fun at her image. This is very evident in the music video which has a nerdy character fantasizing about Mariah like she's some kind of goddess. Many people say she's a diva and she takes herself too seriously but this record proves that she may be in on the joke and is willing to run with it. The song itself is insanely catchy but it certainly isn't the highlight on the album.

The album begins and ends much like The Emancipation of Mimi. That album began in the club ("It's Like That") and ended in a church ("Fly Like A Bird"). For this record, the opening club banger is Migrate featuring T-Pain. If her label smart they will release this song during the summer as a single. It was made to dominate the clubs and I can see this being a huge summer hit for her. Her and T-Pain compliment each other and Mariah filtering some of her vocals through auto-tune is actually a nice touch.

The church song on this record is I Wish You Well which is just Mariah's voice and a piano. If you're looking for a spiritual awakening, this is it. The song proves that this girl's voice is still in top form and the song's message is truly powerful. She even manages to spout off Bible verses during the song without making it sound remotely cheesy. In a perfect, non-radio friendly world this would be a huge hit but I doubt the label will consider releasing it.

The problem I had with the Emancipation of Mimi, even though I liked it, was that some of the songs felt like filler (I didn't particularly care for "Get Your Number" or To The Floor). E=MC2 has what would be considered filler tracks but they all work and manage to be highly enjoyable. Even when Mariah adopts a Jamaican accent for Cruise Control, she manages to make it work. Cruise Control is a breezy song that could also find some love on the radio. Another filler track, O.O.C. (out of control) works because of the good production values of the song. She uses her lower register a lot too during the song which recalls some tracks from her "Rainbow" days.

Since this essentially a sequel to Emancipation you might be wondering if there is a We Belong Together potential hit on the record? There are two in fact, one of them has already been released as a single. Bye Bye is a slow grove record about losing loved ones that could give her a 19th number one hit. The song is produced by stargate who gave Beyonce the biggest hit of her career with irreplaceable and gave Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown top ten and top 5 singles with Tattoo and With You. The song is easy to relate to and I think it has huge crossover appeal. The second song is I Stay In Love which essentially another version of We Belong Together that could also prove to be a huge hit with the romantics if it's released.

Mariah is always at her best though when she gets personal. Close My Eyes, from her Butterfly album, is probably one of her best tracks simply because of the raw intensity of the lyrics. On this album, the most personal song is not some piano heavy ballad. It's actually an uptempo hip-hop track called Side Effects. At first listen it's easy to dismiss it as a typical featured rapper track but the lyrics, which are about her very public marriage and divorce from Tommy Mottolla, are especially telling. This is probably the closest we'll get to knowing the "abuse" she went through while married to him and not only is the song poignant, but it could also be a big hit in the clubs. How many other artists can make songs like this?

As a whole, E=MC2 is one of her best albums. For R&B fans this is one of the best releases in awhile (As I Am from Alicia Keys is a close second). This is a nice mix of radio friendly jams, poignant ballads, and classic Mariah. Looks like her comeback wasn't a fluke after all.

Download This: Migrate, Side Effects, I Wish You Well, Bye Bye, I Stay In Love

This goes out to you and you and you
You know who you are

Hmm hmm hmm
When glory days turn to stormy nights
You must have been so petrified
Didn't you, didn't you feel so cold
You against the world in a losing fight
Captive of your demons inside

So you sought an enemy
(I'm not your enemy. He lives in you, you know it's true)
Like times before to mock ignorantly
(But the Lord said love, love your enemy so just...)
Take heed to the Word it's time
Check Proverbs 19:29
Don't cry

I wish you well
I wish you well
I wish you well

I truly wanted solidarity
Still wearing my blinders back then
(So much I didn't see)
I weep for what I dreamed we all could be
I'll keep you in prayer till the end

Still bruised, still walk on eggshells
Same frightened child, hide to protect myself
(Can't believe I still need to protect myself from you)
But you can't manipulate me like before
Examine first John chapter 4 verse 4

And
I wish you well
I wish you well
I wish you well

Be strong in the Lord and power of His might

If my shows of gratitude are miniscule
Inside your mind, sorry
(I'm so sorry, please forgive me)
There's only so much I can do I love you and did all that I could

Maybe when you're cursing me
You don't feel so incomplete
But we've all made mistakes
Felt the guilt and self-hate

I know you've been there for me plenty
Maybe still got love for me
But let him without sin cast the first stone brethren
But who remains standing then
Not you not I see Phillipians 4:9
(Put it into practice and the God of Peace will be with you)

So
I wish you well
I wish you well
I wish you well

(He who the Son sets free is free indeed)
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
Surely God is my salvation
I will trust and not be afraid
The Lord, the Lord is my salvation
I will trust in Him
Yes, I know that I know that I know that I know

But I have had God's help to this very day
And so I stand here and testify
To small and great alike
So the more you curse me
The more you're blessing me
The Word said it
Love your enemies

Do good to those who curse you
Pray for those who mistreat you
Psalms 129:2
They have greatly oppressed me from my youth
But they have not gained victory over me
(In Jesus' name)

I wish you well

He that keeps his mind state on the Lord
He will keep them in perfect peace

(Lyrics by Mariah Carey)

Heard the song. Read the lyrics and it made me feel much better about losing certain people in my life. whether that means not being as close to certain friends anymore or even family. I heard this and gained a nice perspective on all of it and it makes me feel so much better

1. FOOL'S GOLD WARNER BROS. 3,125 7,579,000 2,425 n/a 7,579,000
2. WELCOME HOME, ROSCOE JENKINS UNIVERSAL 2,386 4,915,000 2,060 n/a 4,915,000
3. HANNAH MONTANA/MILEY CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT TOUR BVI 687 2,825,000 4,112 -67% 45,706,646
4. EYE, THE LIONS GATE 2,470 2,074,000 840 -58% 16,964,681
5. 27 DRESSES 20TH CENTURY FOX 2,841 1,677,000 590 -39% 61,345,790
6. JUNO FOX SEARCHLIGHT 2,321 1,588,000 684 -27% 113,492,958
7. BUCKET LIST, THE WARNER BROS. 2,753 1,473,000 535 -28% 71,191,013
8. RAMBO LIONS GATE 2,717 1,154,000 425 -49% 33,548,478
9. MEET THE SPARTANS 20TH CENTURY FOX 2,446 1,130,000 462 -53% 30,970,289
10. THERE WILL BE BLOOD PARAMOUNT 1,620 1,079,000 666 -23% 23,788,283
Percentage change refers to same day last week.

Hosted By: Gaius Bolling
When: Saturday Feb 16, 2008
at 8:30 PM
Where: My House
2117 Nelson Ave B
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
United States
Description:
Gaius Bolling

Click Here To View Event

C+

Despite the grade I'm giving The Eye, I think that it's a technically well made ghost story. I've never seen the 2002 film on which this on is based, but the basic ideas here are intriguing and it's a visually strong film. The film suffers from a lackluster script and a very absurd climax. This is what prevents The Eye from being a truly good film but at least it's not as bad as it could be.

For Sydney Wells (Alba), renowned concert violinist and all-around nice girl, every day is to be treasured, even if she can't see the world around her. Blind since the age of five, she has learned to live through her other senses. But that's about to change. Her sister, Helen (Parker Posey), who feels responsible all these years later for Sydney's infirmity, has arranged for a cornea transplant. So Sydney goes into the hospital blind and emerges sighted. But, although all the tests are normal, Sydney is convinced something has gone wrong. She is suffering from Haley Joel Osment syndrome: she can see dead people. And the better her sight becomes, the more horrific her visions are. Her apartment changes before her eyes. Voldemort look-alikes hiss at her in the street. She stares in the mirror and sees another face. And restaurants she visits aren't serving the living any longer.

Ever since The Ring, updating Asian horror has been all the rage. I'm guessing a large part of this is financial but from a filmmaking stand point I think the visual liberties must be interesting to work with. Visually, The Eye has more in common with Dark Water rather than the Ring and like that film, atmosphere is its biggest asset. The first hour of The Eye is actually quite effective as we adjust to see images as Sydney sees them. The filmmakers do a good job of making the audience see things through her eyes. This technique makes for some effective boo moments that genuinely work. I won't lie, there was a jump moment in a restaurant that made me jump out of my seat. The film uses a lot of cold and dank colors, that work well for the material. The film loses some of its visual flair once Sydney's vision begins to improve but for the most part the films atmosphere offers a few genuinely frightening moments.

The last 20 minutes are extremely problematic. It's so bad that it nearly derails the whole film. Once The Eye shifts locations to Mexico, it loses its footing. It's as if I began watching a totally different film. The first hour is dark and moody while the last half an hour becomes a generic by the numbers thriller. The climax is so disappointing becomes the first hour promises something so much more but it doesn't live up to that promise.

This is Jessica Alba's film. She has to carry it on her shoulders and for the most part she does well. Because of how she looks, she is known more for being a pretty face rather than for whatever talent she may possess. I will say that this is the first effective dramatic performance she has given as an actress. She plays paranoia and panic very well but she still has some issues convincingly delivering long lines of dramatic dialogue. There are times when her performance is incredibly convincing (the scene in the Asian restaurant) and there are times when the script makes her utter some incredibly awful dialogue that makes it seem like she needs more acting classes (the last 20 minutes of the film). I'm going to say that she does bring it for the most part and presents a very likable character that we ultimately feel sorry for when she's in danger. Her co-stars are another story. Parker Posey clearly did this for the pay check because she's not even trying to be good (she looks great though). Alessandro Nivola is also as bland as they come. It's safe to say that Jessica Alba outacts them all.

In the end, The Eye is an intriguing premise that ultimately collapses when it needs to explain itself. I will give the film credit for it's fairly strong first hour but unfortunately it can't maintain that momentum. However, there are some aspects to respect so I'm giving a slight recommendation based on those merits.

C+

Trivia:

It is a remake of The Eye, a 2002 Hong Kong-Singaporean-Thai film.

Remake rights to the Pang Brothers' original 2002 Hong Kong film, The Eye, were purchased by Cruise/Wagner Productions, and their remake follows Naina, a Hindi movie released in 2005, that is also based on the Pang Brothers' film.

The film received generally negative reviews from critics. As of February 3, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 25% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 28 reviews.

The film opened in second place at the box office with $13 million dollars, placing behind Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert which brought in $29 million dollars.

At one point Renée Zellweger was cast as the lead.

Title Feb 1 - 3 Jan 25 - 27 % Chg. Theaters Weeks AVG Cumulative Distributor
1 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus $ 29,000,000 683 1 $ 42,460 $ 29,000,000 Buena Vista
2 The Eye 13,050,000 2,436 1 5,357 13,050,000 Lionsgate
3 27 Dresses 8,400,000 13,360,535 -37.1 2,976 3 2,823 57,115,000 Fox
4 Juno 7,450,000 10,151,100 -26.6 2,475 9 3,010 110,263,000 Fox Searchlight
5 Meet the Spartans 7,125,000 18,505,530 -61.5 2,643 2 2,696 28,332,000 Fox
6 Rambo 7,007,000 18,203,876 -61.5 2,764 2 2,535 29,805,000 Lionsgate
7 The Bucket List 6,850,000 10,532,406 -35.0 2,915 6 2,350 67,671,000 Warner Bros.
8 Untraceable 5,400,000 11,354,069 -52.4 2,368 2 2,280 19,451,000 Sony
9 Cloverfield 4,900,000 12,712,134 -61.5 3,007 3 1,630 71,974,000 Paramount
10 There Will Be Blood 4,761,000 4,869,383 -2.2 1,507 6 3,159 21,146,000 Par. Vantage
Top 5 $ 65,025,000 $ 74,136,144 -12.3
Top 10 93,943,000 109,183,558 -14.0
Top 10 vs. 2007 93,943,000 66,102,966 42.1
Top 10 vs. 2006 93,943,000 76,272,593 23.2
Below the Top 10:
Over Her Dead Body 4,600,000 1,977 1 2,327 4,600,000 New Line
National Treasure: BOS 3,054,000 4,916,131 -37.9 1,733 7 1,762 209,883,000 Buena Vista
Strange Wilderness 3,050,000 1,208 1 2,525 3,050,000 Par. Classics
Atonement 3,023,000 3,918,160 -22.8 1,367 9 2,211 42,206,000 Focus
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2,750,000 4,512,318 -39.1 1,958 8 1,404 207,589,000 Fox
No Country For Old Men 2,184,000 2,423,409 -9.9 1,273 13 1,716 55,131,000 Miramax
Mad Money 2,000,000 4,578,394 -56.3 1,665 3 1,201 18,552,000 Overture
First Sunday 1,500,000 3,305,950 -54.6 1,015 4 1,478 36,615,000 Sony
How She Move 1,474,000 3,957,471 -62.8 1,461 2 1,009 6,085,000 Par. Vantage
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 443,000 397,842 11.4 205 10 2,161 3,723,000 Miramax
The Savages 400,000 438,027 -8.7 201 10 1,990 4,755,000 Fox Searchlight

Well I guess Hannah Montana is more popular than I realized since her concert was able to gross almost $30 Million on only over 600 screens.

The Eye opened decently proving that guys still love seeing Alba even though they're mad she's pregnant and engaged haha

Cloverfield dropped another 61% which really blows my mind.

Meet The Spartans and Rambo also see huge drops