The Michael Keaton Appreciation Thread

[DocLathropBrown]

Originally Posted by DCW

One of his best pictures. The man just LOOKS like Batman. His facial features are actually complimentary to the mask and to the Batman look as a whole.

I also find him to be a perfect Bruce Wayne, though sans the playboy element, which was not explored. I mean, really. He's got all of the right stats for Bruce Wayne except height. Black hair, blue eyes, and to top it off, he's just got a deep look to him, exactly like any picture of Bruce Wayne brooding or thinking. Keaton could have given us the playboy side of Bruce if he'd been asked to, he shows that side in Johnny Dangerously. He's dashing, handsom but he has a touch of class, of regality: like a rich guy. Although his aloofness adds to his mystique.

Honestly, when I look at a drawing of Batman, I can see Keaton in it. That's how perfect (albiet unexpectedly) he was for the role. Not the casting decision I would have come up with on my own, but a stroke of brilliance anyway. One of those casting coups that you never expect. He melds so perfectly with the role that he really doesn't need "memory fabric" or a "Nomex survival suit for advanced infantry" to be believeable. Realistic? Maybe. But believeable? Keaton just sells it, through and through. It saddens me because Bale's more than capable, he could have sold the film/character in the same way Keaton did, but Nolan went a direction I felt was ultimately detrimental and unbecoming/unnecessary to the character as a whole. Rarely have we been privy to how his stuff works in the comics, it's not necessary. And we haven't seen where every detail of his stuff comes from. When he appears in costume the first time in Year One, we don't explain where he got the fabric for the suit, etc.... It's not that important.

[Palpadious]

Bale played Batman

Keaton is Batman

[Bruce_Wayne29]

Originally Posted by Palpadious

Bale played Batman

Keaton is Batman

I think that sums it all.

[SHADOWBAT69]

meh. He's doing the same thing over in the "most memorable" thread because I said I wasnt as into Begins as the other ones. Theres always going to be the ones who feel Begins is the end all of Batman films and it should be tops for all of us.


Heres another Keaton pic:

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by Palpadious

Bale played Batman

Keaton is Batman

Nicely put

[DCW]

This is just an appreciation thread. I posted in here earlier, despite the fact that I love Batman Begins and Bale's Batman best of all the Bat movies, because I loved Keaton's Batman and Burton's Bat movies. I grew up with those movies and they will always have a soft spot inside of me. Is it so wrong to like both of them?

[SHADOWBAT69]

Obviously it is because it seems that according to a group of SHH members your either a Batman Begins lover or you just dont matter on these boards. You cant like any other versions. The thing that irritates me is that the SHH mods let all this crap continue. We just can not have a focused thread on one particular version of Batman without it and the posters of that thread being attacked.


Heres another Keaton pic:

[Redwoods Wolf]

Originally Posted by SHADOWBAT69

Obviously it is because it seems that according to a group of SHH members your either a Batman Begins lover or you just dont matter on these boards. You cant like any other versions. The thing that irritates me is that the SHH mods let all this crap continue. We just can not have a focused thread on one particular version of Batman without it and the posters of that thread being attacked.


Heres another Keaton pic:

I love that picture. Everything about it is cool.

although...he does look like there's a fly hovering right in front of his face and he wants to swat it but he's in the middle of a photo shoot and can't.

I wish the suit from Returns had the texture that the B89 suit did. The 89 suit actually looks like it could stop bullets/knives, etc. The returns design is cool and I like that it fits him a bit better, but it just looks flimsy. (Especially when Catwoman's claw-thimbles keep piercing him...)

[Superman Prime]

Originally Posted by Doc Ock

Nicely put

I concur.

[DocLathropBrown]

Originally Posted by mister Lennon

At first: i dont know who erased my lasts posts in this thread, but i find it very unfair because i only defended an opinion, and express my opinion about an unfair atack that is getting very usual in these forums.

Because your posts end up causing fights!

Here's a message to everyone who's ever come into a pro-Keaton party and tried to break it up....

Answer me this. Why does it matter that we like Keaton, that we're pro-Keaton and anti-Nolan. WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Does it hurt you? Do you HAVE to interject? If you think so little of us that we need to be set straight, LET US WOLLOW IN OUR IDIOCY!

I want you to take this comment seriously. Don't take it as a fight declaration or anything. Honestly think about it, see the point of my words: Do you see me going into pro-Bale/pro-Begins threads and saying how wrong the other people are?

So: Why should you? Why should anyone do the same HERE? In what is obviously a thread that you obviously don't belong in (first of all) and second of all, why care what other people say? If it's not a direct insult at you.... let it go! Let people alone!

If we want to enjoy Keaton and say what we didn't like about Bale, why does it matter to you? Why should it matter to you? I mean, haven't you noticed your words are wasted on us anyway?

Honestly, think about it. That's the only problem I've ever had with you people, is because you do this: you go into a thread where your opinion (first) wouldn't be welcome in the discussion and (second) you only end up causing fights as a result. Again I reiterate: You don't see the Burtonites (Not counting idiots like Batwing6655) spamming up the pro-Bale/pro-BB threads pointing out what's wrong with the posters, do you?

Many of you DO do that here.

Please, think about it. I'm begging you. I could care less that people hate Keaton, as long as they aren't being unreasonable in their criticism (Hating just for the sake of hating), I dont care. I don't care that they think Bale's better.

So why should you care on ther other end? Just let it go. Live and let die (as Paul McCartney said).

[Darkest Knight]

The point is, you're saying let it go... yet you're continuing to talk about Christian Bale in a thread you created, specifically to talk about Michael Keaton. The strictly Tim Burton / Michael Keaton Batman fans obviously feel threatned in having to bring up Bale in a thread completely un-related to him or his work on Batman.

It just goes to show you feel insecure in your 'favorite version' when instead of strictly talking about Keaton and his performance, that you have to keep comparing it to Bale and Nolan's vision of Batman. It's because you know damn well Bale did a great job, and that because he gets high praise from much of the true meaningful fans of the character, you feel the obligation to keep bringing him up and comparing Bale to Keaton, and saying why you think Keaton is better.

If this is a Keaton thread, talk about Keaton. Bale has nothing to do with it. You hater.

[DocLathropBrown]

Originally Posted by Darkest Knight

The point is, you're saying let it go... yet you're continuing to talk about Christian Bale in a thread you created, specifically to talk about Michael Keaton.

I've never denied it. Does it hurt you?

The strictly Tim Burton / Michael Keaton Batman fans obviously feel threatned in having to bring up Bale in a thread completely un-related to him or his work on Batman.

No, we're not "threatened". Think what you want, because I know you're just going to continue thinking you're right anyway, but the only guy who can rival Keaton is Bale, obviously. The others weren't even in the league for consideration. Kilmer might have been, but he had outside problems ruining his chance. Second of all, I didn't bring up Bale in this thread, others did. I ran with it, but if you actually READ my posts (odd idea, I know) I'm not outright bashing Bale like others have been.

And I can pull up about a dozen examples now of Bale fans bringing up (and bashing!) Keaton. Back with BB came out (when I was actually a BB supporter, so I'm not biased) it was all Keaton/Burton bashing, all of the time. And anyone who said otherwise was viciously attacked. So it's happened on both sides, buddy. People want to act like it's only one-way. Sorry, it's not.

It just goes to show you feel insecure in your 'favorite version' when instead of strictly talking about Keaton and his performance, that you have to keep comparing it to Bale and Nolan's vision of Batman.

Because he's the only comparision. If there was no one to compare it to, then there wouldn't be any comparing. It's perfectly logical, just like when Bale fans bring up (and commonly bash as well!) Keaton to compare how great Bale was. IT'S THE SAME ON BOTH SIDES.

It's because you know damn well Bale did a great job, and that because he gets high praise from much of the true meaningful fans of the character, you feel the obligation to keep bringing him up and comparing Bale to Keaton, and saying why you think Keaton is better.

It's called an opinion. Why does it matter so much to you? Bale doesn't need defending. If our words hurt him, let him come speak for himself, you know? If you think he's so great, you shouldn't even have to say anything because we're obviously so wrong. Why not just let us be stupid in our OWN thread, where we just want to have our discussion without being rudely inturrupted. Would you like me spamming a pro-Bale thread by telling everyone how wrong and "insecure" they are? Just because you think it's an undeniable fact of the universe that Bale is perfect, doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way, and it doesn't mean your complaining is going to make us change our minds.

And it sure as HELL doesn't mean we're any less of a fan of the character than anyone pro-Bale. I've said before that Bale is techincally the one I should love, but I just don't. What's it to you?

If this is a Keaton thread, talk about Keaton. Bale has nothing to do with it. You hater.

We are talking about Keaton. Yes, there are comparisions to Bale, but if you actually take the time to read them, hardly any of it is outright bashing, just statements that amount to "Bale didn't do it for me". A hater hates just for the sake of hating. We're "Prefurring". Not "Hating".

Pointing out how balding/skinny/trollish Keaton is is hating, because it's obviously an attempt to pester Keatonites. And it's not even a fact anyway, an overinflation of facts to form insults. You don't see us dogging anything about Bale. All we say is "I just didn't like him."

Come on, try again. I know you want to.

I'm getting sick of the Burtonites getting no peace. It's rediculous, the doble-standard with Batfans. If I don't like Bale, I'm not allowed to say anything about it, not even a muttering that "I just don't like him". If I do, I have to be challenged. But the Bale fans can say "Keaton sucks because ___ and Bale rules because he's the opposite of that" and nobody complains, WE just let it go. Am I wrong or something? Isn't it that way, because it sure seems that way to me!

Add to that these questions: If I really hated Bale as much as people want to claim I do: Why would I own a copy of Batman Begins? Why would it be on the shelf right next to BATMAN and Batman Returns (and in mint-but-opened-and-watched condition, before anyone can assume otherwise)? Why would I still be planning to see The Dark Knight and further sequels (Although not optimistically)?

And I'd like to know how my preference of Keaton makes me any less of a Batman fan, since I own every Batman film ever made, religiously read the comics, know everything about the character and love the shows (even The Batman)? I'm not Batwing6655. I'm not a Burton fan who hates any non-Burton Batman. I'm a Batman diehard, and so are the other Burtonites here.

In fact, I submit to you this idea, that may dig my own grave: Nolanites might be even LESS "true" Batman fans than I, since (A) Villains like Clayface are okay to skip over for films (Because they're "Unrealistic".... that's a poor reason to skip great villains and to alter Ra's Al Ghul's immortality), (B) They hate Robin (An integral part of the Batman mythos) and don't want him in the films and (C) think it's okay for someone playing The Joker to stay away from the source material for inspiration (Sounds to me like a complete disrespection of the source material and unbefitting of a comic book film role).

And that doesn't even tie-in the reasons I feel the Nolan franchise is inferior anyway from just the first installment. If you ask me (and this IS just my opinion) outside of a LITTLE tinkering, altering or ignoring parts of the comic books is totally unacceptable. Acting like the source material was poor in any way is wrong. It's that material that we fell in love with! It CAN work on screen, don't buy into that bull. Any director worth a damn can make the comics work.

So why Burton and not Nolan? Because at least Burton was open to things like Robin and Clayface, he captured the mood for Batman as a whole (for me) better than Nolan did. To that end, the Burton films get more right than wrong. It's my opinion and my preference, and just because it isn't everyone else's doesn't make it wrong.

[C. Lee]

Originally Posted by Darkest Knight

The point is, you're saying let it go... yet you're continuing to talk about Christian Bale in a thread you created, specifically to talk about Michael Keaton. The strictly Tim Burton / Michael Keaton Batman fans obviously feel threatned in having to bring up Bale in a thread completely un-related to him or his work on Batman.

It just goes to show you feel insecure in your 'favorite version' when instead of strictly talking about Keaton and his performance, that you have to keep comparing it to Bale and Nolan's vision of Batman. It's because you know damn well Bale did a great job, and that because he gets high praise from much of the true meaningful fans of the character, you feel the obligation to keep bringing him up and comparing Bale to Keaton, and saying why you think Keaton is better.

If this is a Keaton thread, talk about Keaton. Bale has nothing to do with it. You hater.

This is the MISC. BATMAN FILMS forum.....and this thread is for THE APPRECIATION OF MICHAEL KEATON......so for you to keep comeing in here and complaining about what he says about Bale, makes you look like the insecure one.

You have the Batman Begins movie and sequels forum to sing the praises of Bale.....others have this forum to sing the praises of Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, and West.....quit stirring up trouble please.

[dude love]

Originally Posted by Palpadious

Bale played Batman

Keaton is Batman

Well, that about sums up the past 70 years of Batman history.

[El Payaso]

Keaton was the bestest.

[Bat Attack]

I was just watching Batman and I never realized how awesome the lighting in the Axis Chemical Plant scene is. There are so many awesome shadows. Keaton was great in that scene.

[Bat Attack]

David Letterman's a Keaton Batman fan. I know they are both good friends in real life. And Dr. Phil likes Keaton too because he was on his show once and he introduced him as "Everyone's favorite Batman!".

[Dark Guardian]

Originally Posted by Batattack

I was just watching Batman and I never realized how awesome the lighting in the Axis Chemical Plant scene is. There are so many awesome shadows. Keaton was great in that scene.

I love that one like ten second piece where Jack Napier is looking down these stairs for a few seconds and then turns to keep climbing, and behind him glides Batman. Its so perfect, its a pure Batman moment because he is completely silent as he just walks in behind him from out of the shadows.

[Bat Attack]

I thought that was kind of creepy.

[Redwoods Wolf]

Originally Posted by Dark Guardian

I love that one like ten second piece where Jack Napier is looking down these stairs for a few seconds and then turns to keep climbing, and behind him glides Batman. Its so perfect, its a pure Batman moment because he is completely silent as he just walks in behind him from out of the shadows.

I love the backhand he gives to that one crook.
And then driving the car in to blow it up...

[DocLathropBrown]

Originally Posted by mister Lennon

Nothing more, from now , i leave these particular forums about the past batman films. continues with your stuff and have a good day.

Lennon, it's my opinion, I have the right to express it how I want, and I only dog people who bash Keaton for the sake of bashing. I know you know that by now.

I won't yield to your words. If you don't like it, put me on your ignore list. It's about time you did, wouldn't you say? If you honestly hate how I express myself so much, do something about it that will work, because I just never seem to listen to your words, do I?

On a lighter note: I saw B89 in a local theater today for a flashback screening. A real 35mm print.... I won't recount my full feelings here (Wayyyyy too much to say), but I can tell you I nearly died of enjoyment. That says it all. Keaton, more than ever, made me believe in Batman. My hero was brought completely to life. This was my first time seeing it on the big screen, and my first good live-action theatrical Batman experience. My last too I think, at the rate the new films are going....

[Bat Attack]

I wish a local theater would show Batman again where i live. I've never had the experience of seeing it in a theater.

[Bat Attack]

Originally Posted by DocLathropBrown

On a lighter note: I saw B89 in a local theater today for a flashback screening. A real 35mm print.... I won't recount my full feelings here (Wayyyyy too much to say), but I can tell you I nearly died of enjoyment. That says it all. Keaton, more than ever, made me believe in Batman. My hero was brought completely to life. This was my first time seeing it on the big screen, and my first good live-action theatrical Batman experience. My last too I think, at the rate the new films are going....

How many people showed up?

[Bruce_Wayne29]

Originally Posted by DocLathropBrown

On a lighter note: I saw B89 in a local theater today for a flashback screening. A real 35mm print.... I won't recount my full feelings here (Wayyyyy too much to say), but I can tell you I nearly died of enjoyment. That says it all. Keaton, more than ever, made me believe in Batman. My hero was brought completely to life. This was my first time seeing it on the big screen, and my first good live-action theatrical Batman experience. My last too I think, at the rate the new films are going....

That's what I felt when I saw the movie for the first time. You captured my sentiments exactly. And damn I was pissed off because due to my lift being late I missed the first 10, 15m of the movie. But I did went to another screening to catch up with what I missed. Anyway what a magic feeling it was to see that movie on the big screen. I'm glad you had fun as well.

[SHADOWBAT69]

Originally Posted by DocLathropBrown

On a lighter note: I saw B89 in a local theater today for a flashback screening. A real 35mm print.... I won't recount my full feelings here (Wayyyyy too much to say), but I can tell you I nearly died of enjoyment. That says it all. Keaton, more than ever, made me believe in Batman. My hero was brought completely to life. This was my first time seeing it on the big screen, and my first good live-action theatrical Batman experience. My last too I think, at the rate the new films are going....

very cool. I would love to see 89 in the theatre again. It was my most memorable movie experience.