The Bat Summer of '97

[CFE]

Just for the sake of completing it; THAT and I have a feeling no one else dare to make this thread to finish the "Summer of" series lol...

I do however have a good story for this summer which I'll write up later.

CFE

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

Thanks for your sacrifice CFE, in completing the "the bat summer of" loop! lol
of course I was a kid, so I wasn't aware of the legendary instantaneous and logical public bashing B&R received.

But I can say this : with the theater loud sound and effects, Mr. Freeze looked scarier than Two-Face make-up! BTW, I watched it in a foreign language, so the voice looked creepy and imposing instead of...austrich and COOLAH. But Freeze was less freaky scary than Penguin and Catwoman of course. I was 7 years old in 1997, so now the post makes sense. I enjoyed it as a kid, but even then not as much as the first or Forever.

 

[K.B.]

LMAO kinda creepy cuz me and my friend Sam were JUST talking about this on sat at a celebration of life party we were having for a friend....

We were in 8th grade when this came out and grade 8's got the afternoon off so the girls could get ready for the grade 8 prom, me and my buddy decided we would go to the mall and B and R even though we knew it was gonna be bad.

To this day I still have my ticket stub (I save them all)

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

^^Cool! I only have the Begins one...but at least the Begins ticket is a must
I hope you have safely covered the 1989 ticket, because with age it will be hard to keep a clean and fresh look.

 

[Symbiotic]

I remember the promotion for B&R. The happy meals, (yeah, I got a few) got a toy of the single-seat batmobile too. I saw the movie on opening weekend (that Saturday) and loved it at the time.

 

[K.B.]

Nope..unfortantaly my tickets for B89 and BR (among other ticket stubs of the past) are long gone.

 

[ShaneHelms]

I still have a stub from Batman 89. I have it stuck in the movie adaptation novel.

 

[SHADOWBAT69]

For this story, i will post in "ROBIN REDlol


Information was a bit easier to get by this time. I wasnt big on Schumachers "look" for the Batman universe so I wasnt real hyped over this installment. However, you cant deny the WB Hype Machine. It was there, and it has the power to capture you. I remember all the casting rumors and finally reading the final cast. I couldnt imagine Arnie as Freeze. I was excited about Clooney as Batman, Ill admit it. I like Clooney, and after seeing From Dusk Till Dawn, I thought he was gonna bring back a harder, darker, Batman. Live and learn, huh? Anyway, i remember about 3 months before the movie came out, my wife and I walked into Wal Mart and I saw this huge red and black display with all the Batman and Robin toys. I looked at my wife and said, you gotta be kidding me? Already? There were still Forever figs being released! Well, I ended up buying the Batmobile and the closest to the basic figs I could find. The marketing had started, and I was once again, caight up in it. I also remember driving down the road and my wife yelled at me, "Eric, look at taco Bell!" Batman was plastered all over the building. I told her on the way back thats where we were gonna eat.lol Another long Taco Bell summer, and tons of cups. Batman and Robin may have been a let down, but the merchandise was cool. Another thing was when they showed the trailer on Entertainment Tonight, I still have it on vhs, I sat there all excited, and when it was over, I just sorta sat there for a couple of minutes. I looked back at my wife and she had the same expression on her face. Oh boy. I was on the phone to a couple of my friends and were discussing what we had just seen, replaying it to make sure it was real. I still maintained a certain degree of hope tho. Then, when we went to see the movie opening day, all hope went out the window. I didnt like it at all. It wasnt what I had hoped for, at all. We all know the story, theres no sense in going on about it. I did however enjoy hunting for the toys and miscellaneous merchandise. I remember the 3 day QVC show. dropped alot of money there.lol. It was still another summer of big bat hype, and I eally hope we can get that again.

 

[chief103182]

Let's see..... I was 8 years old that summer. I do remember all the toys and me and my cousin having insane Bat-Fever. His older brother took us to the movie one cloudy, windy day (which was AWESOME because it enhanced the mood with Mr. Freeze). But, and I remember this so clearly, at the scene where Mr. Freeze is carving a little ice sculpture, we were warned that a huge storm (possibly a tornado) was blowing into town, so we had to leave the theater and get home.

I was so angry. Me and my friend were so obsessed with Batman that we'd rather die in the theater watching the movie than leave in the middle of it. Loved it back then, but I really don't enjoy the movie now.

 

[CFE]

I remember this summer so vividly, it's one of my fondest, Bat-related memories.

I was sent to stay with my great grandmother for a week in Oklahoma, and it would be the longest time I was ever away from home and my mom. I was so horribly homesick for the first two days; the only things that got me through were a handfull of random back issue Batman comics, my collection of Marvel action figures and a "Batman&Robin" Movie Edition of Disney Adventures magazine I had all brought with me.

In the middle of the week, my great grandma took me to see "Wild America," the Jonathan Taylor Thomas flick. It was okay. But I was more interested in the "B&R" posters around the theatre.

As it turned out, "Batman & Robin" was going to be released on the last day I was visiting.

So the day before, my great grandma took me on a shopping spree.

I got the basic action figures, along with both the Batmobile and Bat-Hammer, along with a box of the "B&R" Pop Tarts (the Batman and Robin White/Red ones) I still remember the add for those had the Pop-Tart eaten into the form of a Bat Logo.

She even bought me a little "B&R" kiddy pool so i could swim during my visit.

That morning I ate my Pop Tarts while watching a morning news cast talk about the film. Then I read my Disney Adventures mag over again on the way to the theatre so I knew my stuff for the movie.

My great grandma and I saw "Batman & Robin" together, and being a child I absolutely LOVED seeing the caped crusader on the big screen one more time! Fighting Mr. Freeze oooo what a villain!

Growing up, like every other fan I came to realize the film's shortcomings. But I don't care...that week was also, ironically, the last time I ever spent with my great grandmother before she passed away.

I will always take that with me. Looking back on it, it honestly makes me cry a little. Yes it was sad that that was the last I ever saw my great grandmother alive, but they're also tears of joy for knowing that it would be a fond, Batman-related memory that I would never forget.

CFE

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

I remember seeing it at the Mann's Chinese Hollywood theater on opening day, only a few months back Wizard magazine had published an article that B&R was to be more family friendly, I got a little scared.

Entertainment Tonight previewed the trailer once again incorporating Danny Elfman's music, I don't know what I hated more, Arnold as Freeze or Mary Hart's annoying perkiness.

The film came and went just like that, the critics mostly hated the film but there were still hopes of a Batman 5 with Jeff Goldblum or Howard Stern as Scarecrow.

 

[DocLathropBrown]

The summer in '97?


Children screaming in agony from the double-whammy of Steel and Batman and Robin.

 

[Joker]

I was 11...I didnt see it in theaters, cause I thought the preveiws looked awful, even at that age...bought a few of the figs though (the Bane figure was awesome)...eventually saw it at a friends house on VHS, thought it was bad, went home and watched my copy of Batman 89...

 

[Blade90]

Like some of the others, I was kid that went to see B&R at the time and loved it. I never really heard of anyone bashing it until 2002, I didn't get the figures or the VHS though.

 

[Nepenthes]

our group had trouble paying attention to this one. we were throwing popcorn around, went to the carpark for some 'ciggarettes' and never returned. highlight of the night - the candy attendant gave us a GARBAGE BAG stuffed full of popcorn. she was gonna throw it out. munchies, score

 

[Genosha]

This was a tough one to take. I was in college at the time and was still unhappy that Keaton and Burton were gone.

After watching Batman Forever I had totally given up on the Batman franchise.

But I did go see this opening weekend anyway because I love the character no matter what anyway.

It became one of only about 4 or 5 movies that I almost physically left before the end of the movie.

The opening scene just destroyed any hope that I had. And actually began my dislike for Clooney as an actor until he regained it back with O' Brother Where Art Thou and he still continues to give good performances in his recent films.

I do remember liking Poison Ivy though. I've only seen the film that once, so I'm trying to remember things in the movie. I thought Uma Thurman was a good casting choice. Everything else was just pure crap.

These are great ideas for threads. They have been great reminders at how the Batman films really are a great reminder of where one was in their lives at that time.

 

[Rockbottom]

Lol this is the only Bat film ive ever seen in the cinema, saw it with my Mum and Dad, i think i was about 6 or 7, thought it was cool (just because it was Batman) but knew it wasn't as good as Forever. Of course ive come to hate it now im old enough to comprehend.

 

[Cain]

Another thing was when they showed the trailer on Entertainment Tonight, I still have it on vhs, I sat there all excited, and when it was over, I just sorta sat there for a couple of minutes.

Funny cause I taped that episode for that trailer and it was what actually got me hyped for the film. Schumacher scared me when they asked about the nipples and he said "It's a Joel Schumacher film EVERYBODY has nipples". But then the trailer came on and I thought it was alright. It was the inclusion of Elfman's music and the way some scenes were edited in that made think that it would just be more of what we got with Batman Forever. Boy was I wrong but up to that point I was pissed that Batman got recast again I was mad when Keaton was out but ended up liking Kilmer and I only knew Clooney from From Dusk Till Dawn and ER so I didn't think he was as experienced as the previous actors. So that trailer quelled a lot of my initial negativity towards this project.

My favorite scene was Bane lifting the Bat signal I talked about it for months and swore up and down that the movie ended like this and set up a 5th one. I wasn't as involved with the kids themed merchandise like before because I was 14 but I managed to get the batmobile that Bruce Wayne/Batman figure and a cool Mr. Freeze figure that had a weird ass gun. I remember going to the movies the last week of 9th grade my best friend cut class with me so we could go see the new Batman. When the credits roled it was like the love of my life had to told me that she slept with my brother and gave me an STD. It was a really bad feeling I didn't think the franchise would get killed though especially since the parents and kids in my theatres enjoyed it. But thankfully I wasn't the only one that realized what an insult it was to fans of the modern Batman comics and the animated series.

 

[Symbiotic]

Like some of the others, I was kid that went to see B&R at the time and loved it. I never really heard of anyone bashing it until 2002, I didn't get the figures or the VHS though.

Sounds like me. It wasn't until around 2000 or 2001 that I became aware of the bad reputation.

 

[Symbiotic]

Funny cause I taped that episode for that trailer and it was what actually got me hyped for the film. Schumacher scared me when they asked about the nipples and he said "It's a Joel Schumacher film EVERYBODY has nipples". But then the trailer came on and I thought it was alright. It was the inclusion of Elfman's music and the way some scenes were edited in that made think that it would just be more of what we got with Batman Forever. Boy was I wrong but up to that point I was pissed that Batman got recast again I was mad when Keaton was out but ended up liking Kilmer and I only knew Clooney from From Dusk Till Dawn and ER so I didn't think he was as experienced as the previous actors. So that trailer quelled a lot of my initial negativity towards this project.

My favorite scene was Bane lifting the Bat signal I talked about it for months and swore up and down that the movie ended like this and set up a 5th one. I wasn't as involved with the kids themed merchandise like before because I was 14 but I managed to get the batmobile that Bruce Wayne/Batman figure and a cool Mr. Freeze figure that had a weird ass gun. I remember going to the movies the last week of 9th grade my best friend cut class with me so we could go see the new Batman. When the credits roled it was like the love of my life had to told me that she slept with my brother and gave me an STD. It was a really bad feeling I didn't think the franchise would get killed though especially since the parents and kids in my theatres enjoyed it. But thankfully I wasn't the only one that realized what an insult it was to fans of the modern Batman comics and the animated series.

All to the tune of the smashing pumpkins.t:

 

[Excel]

for real...men in black stole all of batmans thunder even before it was known it sucked

 

[Penismightier]

If it was any good Men In Black wouldn't have totally destroyed it at the box office.

 

[Lienlien]

Strength. Courage. Honor. And loyalty. On June 20, it ALL comes together...

 

[Rockbottom]

If it was any good Men In Black wouldn't have totally destroyed it at the box office.

But it wasn't, so all is well.

 

[Blade90]

Gay Butt Shots. Rubber Nipples. Horrible Acting. And Stupid Ice Puns. On June 20, it ALL comes together...

Fixed.t: