Did anyone see 1989's movie in theaters?

[OutRiddled]

I was 8 years old when I saw Batman in the theatre. Only scene I can remember is Joker's first reveal - "As you can see, I'm a lot happier".

Also saw Batman Returns and Batman Forever. Batman Forever made me a huge fan, I collected the whole set of movie trading cards.

Never saw Batman and Robin, probably because of the bad reviews.

[Ponyboy]

Originally Posted by TruerToTheCore

Agreed.

Of course, the camp-fest Batman Returns was even worse.

You are such a troll.

Anyway, I didn't see the film when it first came out I saw it re-released at a one-night only screening. I was 12 at the time it came out and my mom and dad were arguing over whether to let me go see it as it was "too dark"... I planned on skipping class with some friends but never could scrounge up the money for a ticket.

[bullets]

My best friend's family offered to take me along with them to see it but because my brother couldn't go my mother wouldn't allow me to go either. I hated her until Christmas when they got it on vhs. I got some of the action figures for my birthday that year as well.

My dad took us to see Batman Returns. Before the movie we went to burger king and he got me a penguin promo cup. It was a great time for me but my Dad had this "wtf did I just watch " expression leaving the theater.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I have a long story about my experience ill try to post later. I saw 89 opening night at the drive in and then a week later in the theater at the age of 5, made me who I am today.

[Assassin32]

I'm told it was the first film I ever saw in theatres. I was barely a year old and have absolutely no recollection of the experience.

[Mister Meddle]

I actually got into Batman because of the animated series and the Batman Returns merchandise. I remember getting the Returns tent and sleeping bag for Christmas of 1992. Then it was the action figures and shortly after I watched both Batman and Batman Returns on VHS sometime in 1993. When I was 8 years old my interest completely died out when I went to see "the film we do not speak of" at the movies. I got back into the game in 2004 when a buddy showed me the Batman Begins microsite that had the stills and the teaser trailer.

[Ponyboy]

Originally Posted by Mister Meddle

I actually got into Batman because of the animated series and the Batman Returns merchandise.

I still remember the BTAS premiere.

[Cagefighterkip]

I got to see B89 in a theater back in '04 (I was almsot 15).

A local independent theater, each summer, played great movies. I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman The Movie, Terminator 2, Goonies, ET, and so many others there that summer... for 3 bucks a ticket, me, my dad, my then GF, or my sisters would go see all the movies. Good memories and seeing B89 was good fun.

[GREEN =w= DAY]

i was 4 years old when B'89 came out and was one of the lucky ones to see it in theaters when it came out. saw it 3 times actually

1st time i saw it with my dad. 2nd time i saw it with my aunt. and the 3rd time i went with both my parents.

such a great year for Bat fans

[Ponyboy]

Originally Posted by GREEN =w= DAY

i was 4 years old when B'89 came out and was one of the lucky ones to see it in theaters when it came out. saw it 3 times actually

thats amazing... i cant really recall much of anything prior to being 6 or 7.

[OutRiddled]

I don't remember much of seeing the actual movie, but I do remember the massive hype. I think I may have even collected some of the bubblegum trading cards.

[actionavenue]

I saw Batman 89 as a video rental at first. Thought it was so good, I went and saw Batman Returns in the theater. The 1989 Batman remains as one of my favorite movies, because both Keaton and Nicholson were at the top of their game in this movie (not to say that either one has slipped, because they're both fine actors). We're fortunate to be living in an era when a lot of great super hero movies are being released and we can attribute to this one right here. Nothing against the Superman movies starring Reeve, but there seemed to be a large gap of quality super hero movies that were released after Superman II. In comparison, I think the Batman movies were all good, even the weakest entry....Batman, George Clooney style.

[AnneFan]

After years with the VHS/DVD and now Blu-ray, I finally got the chance to see B89 at the cinemas about two years ago.

I really want to do the same with BR. Hopefully with the cinema's air conditioners on full blast, to enhance the atmosphere.

[Irony-Man]

You can't understand the hype about the film without referencing the casting controversy. Warner Brothers had had Batman in development for so long - like Spider-man long - and this was to be their flagship franchise after the implosion of Superman. Finally, we had an announcement of the movie going ahead with the wrong director - Tim Burton, who at that time was known only for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and "Beetlejuice" - and the wrong star - "pudgy, half-balding, runt" (to paraphrase some dearly departed members of the Hype) Michael Keaton who was known as a lightweight comedic actor. Now remember kids this was before the internet was in wide use so we had to get our news from the mainstream media, fanzines, or in my case, the guy who ran my local comic book store. When we wanted to talk about the movie we had to actually get together over coffee - normal coffee, not a Grande half-fat mocha latte - or a beer -again from a mainstream brewery like Labatt's, the most exotic beer we had available was Foster's from Australia, "Gee, Uncle Irony, how did you ever survive?" or we could call each other on an actual telephone that was connected to the wall with a wire and may even had had dials rather than buttons. I'll give you a minute to get that horrible image out of your mind.

Anyways, a couple of things started to happen. Keaton appeared in a movie called the "Dream Team" that showed a dramatic, psychotic edge. Burton started to talk about how he wanted to explore the psychological fracture of the character and how he wanted to show Gotham as a gloomy, Gothic character in the movie. Jack Nicholson was cast as the Joker. Then, WB released a trailer featuring the fight scene between Batman and the Joker's goons and the momentum started to swing.

Suddenly everything was Bat related. People started to get excited about the movie. Our fears that the casting of Keaton had meant a return to the 60"s camp version of Batman receded as we saw the trailer and heard Burton and Keaton discuss the movie seriously.

Then the movie came out. And whether you ended up liking it or not, whether you felt that Keaton was miscast or not, whether you thought that it concentrated too much on the Joker at the expense of Bruce Wayne, you had to admit that they had treated the material with respect, seriously and in with a depth that was usually missing when you discussed a "comic book movie". Comic books and comic book movies would never be the same.

[ALP]

I can only imagine the outrage at the time. A relatively small guy best known as a comedian was going to be cast as Batman and the film was directed by a 29 year old who's only credits included 2 silly PG comedy films. That sounds like a total disaster

[GothamAlleys]

The enormous shift in tone that Batman received in mass media and the hytpe for Batman in 89 isnt something that can be explained in words. It was massive, and dont forget the only Batman mass media had ever seen before was the blue guardian with ever present Robin. B89 was such a massive shift. Just imagine after only knowing blue batman from cartoons and the show, or even - visually-from comic books at the time, to see for the first time an all black, body armored Batman surrounded by mist and dark 1940s version of NYC. Wrote briefly about that - http://gothamalleys.blogspot.com/201...of-batman.html

[Lead Cenobite]

Originally Posted by ALP

Wow, are you serious?



S:TM is campier than anything in Batman'89.

It may be, but it's still better. Is that really so hard to imagine?

[El Payaso]

Originally Posted by Lead Cenobite

It may be, but it's still better. Is that really so hard to imagine?

It's more like an oxymoron.

[Spider-Aziz]

Nope, I did see Returns in theaters, but was too young on this one

My favorite movie is this 89 movie

[conan69]

Yes.

Read the novel about a week prior, which made the film all the more disappointing.

I never liked the 89 film. I thought Returns was a bit better, but not much, and Forever and that other one dont even exist in my mind.

[TwilightPro101]

I was at five, when I first saw Batman '89 in theaters.

[kingcobra85]

I was 4 years old when Batman came out, and my family was visiting my uncle and his family out near Richmond, VA. It was the first movie I ever remember watching, and I loved every second of it. Well, what I got to see anyways, right around the scene where Batman has saved Vicki Vale and they're driving in the Batmobile on the road to the Batcave, and there's all kinds of leaves on the road, my baby cousin (who was like a month or so old, yeah go figure why my aunt brought her lol) started crying, and my aunt took her out to the lobby, and my mom made me and my brother leave too, for fear it would scare us.

I had nightmares of The Joker that night, and many nights afterwards, but then once I realized he was not real, my dreams turned to me and my brother as Batman and Robin and we kicked Jokers ass! lol This, and my 5th birthday party the following July of 1990, cemented me as a lifelong Batman fan! We had a Batman themed party (my brother and I are twins), and he got the Batmobile, I got the Batplane, and we both got the Batcave as a present for both of us. Man, I miss those good ol days! lol

[Lead Cenobite]

Originally Posted by El Payaso

It's more like an oxymoron.

BS. Being grim and serious does not make a movie better automatically. Back to the Future has some camp, but can you think of an action adventure movie that has a better reputation? Seriously, go on imdb, it's just about the only movie of it's type that nobody talks crap about on there.

[CConn]

I was too young to see B89 in theaters, but I did see BR when I was 4 in theaters.

I still remember sitting in the theater thinking "okay...black stuff coming out of his mouth? I don't know whether to be scared or not."

[CConn]

Originally Posted by Lead Cenobite

BS. Being grim and serious does not make a movie better automatically. Back to the Future has some camp, but can you think of an action adventure movie that has a better reputation? Seriously, go on imdb, it's just about the only movie of it's type that nobody talks crap about on there.

You're comparing apples to lawnmowers.