"WHO ARE YOU?!?" "I'm the Batman DVD collection"

[Michael Allred]

Warner Home Video has finally announced the DVD release of Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997 on 10/18 (SRP $79.92). The box set will contain new 2-disc special editions of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin (each 2-disc set will also be available separately for SRP $26.99). All four films on disc will feature new digital transfers (anamorphic widescreen video, of course), with audio in BOTH Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround sound. All four films are the original theatrical cuts. English and French audio options will be available, with English, French and Spanish subtitles (feature film only). Overall, the box set will include more than 18 hours of new bonus material. Let's run down the extras, film by film...

The Batman: Special Edition will feature audio commentary by director Tim Burton, 4 documentaries (some multi-part) including On the Set with Bob Kane, Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman, Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight (featuring Part 1 - The Road to Gotham City, Part 2 - The Gathering Storm and Part 3 - The Legend Reborn) and Beyond Batman (featuring Visualizing Gotham: The Production Design of Batman, Building the Batmobile, Those Wonderful Toys: The Props and Gadgets of Batman, Designing the Batsuit, From Jack to the Joker and Nocturnal Overtures: The Music of Batman), 3 Prince music videos (for Batdance, Partyman and Scandalous), 2 profile galleries (The Heroes and The Villains), the Batman: The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence featurette, and the film's theatrical trailer.

The Batman Returns: Special Edition will feature audio commentary by director Tim Burton, 3 documentaries (some multi-part) including The Bat, the Cat and the Penguin, Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight (featuring Part 4 - The Dark Side of the Knight) and Beyond Batman (featuring Gotham City Revisited: The Production Design of Batman Returns, Sleek, Sexy and Sinister: The Costumes of Batman Returns, Making up the Penguin, Assembling the Arctic Army, Bats and Mattes and Dark Nights: The Visual Effects of Batman), Siouxsie and the Banshees' Face to Face music video, 2 more profile galleries (The Heroes and The Villains), and the film's theatrical trailer.

The Batman Forever: Special Edition will feature audio commentary by director Joel Schumacher, deleted scenes, 3 documentaries (some multi-part) including Riddle Me This: Why is Batman Forever?, Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight (featuring Part 5 - Reinventing a Hero) and Beyond Batman (featuring Out of the Shadows: The Production Design of Batman Forever, The Many Faces of Gotham City, Knight Moves: The Stunts of Batman Forever, Imaging Forever: The Visual Effects of Batman Forever and Scoring Forever: The Music of Batman Forever), Seal's Kiss from a Rose music video, 2 more profile galleries (The Heroes and The Villains), and the film's theatrical trailer.

Finally, the Batman & Robin: Special Edition will feature audio commentary by director Joel Schumacher, a deleted scene (Alfred's Lost Love), 2 documentaries (both multi-part) including Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight (featuring Part 6 - Batman Unbound) and Beyond Batman (featuring Bigger, Bolder, Brighter: The Production Design of Batman & Robin, Maximum Overdrive: The Vehicles of Batman & Robin, Dressed to Thrill: The Costumes of Batman & Robin, Frozen Freaks and Femme Fatales: The Makeup of Batman & Robin and Freeze Frame: The Visual Effects of Batman & Robin), 4 music videos (for the Smashing Pumpkins' The End is the Beginning is the End, Jewel's Foolish Games, R. Kelly's Gotham City and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Look into My Eyes), 2 more profile galleries (The Heroes and The Villains), and the film's theatrical trailer.

"Batman Begins" is expected to be released as a 2 DVD set on the same date (has not been officially announced yet.)

[KronoRed]

Batman YES
Batman Returns YES
Batman Forever NO WAY
Batman & Robin HAHAHAHAHA..oh wait they did make that movie

[ghettochild]

[GIK]

I'm with Krono.

[KronoRed]

I have to pick up the Adam West version as well

[savafan]

Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!

[RFS62]

I'm with Krono.

Me too, although Michael Keaton isn't Batman. Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice.

[GAC]

I've got a VHS copy of the old Batman movie w/ Adam West.

The only one I liked was the very first one with Keaton. The second one was OK; but after that?..... YECH!

[Johnny Footstool]

I've got a VHS copy of the old Batman movie w/ Adam West.

I found the DVD in the Wal-Mart Bargain Bin for $5. Sweet!

When I was little, before we had a VCR or cable TV, one of the local stations would sometimes run the old Batman movie late at night. I remember begging and begging my parents to let me stay up and watch it, but they never did.

[KronoRed]

[pahster]

The first one was ok. They got progressivley worse after that. The new one is by far the best. I do loves me some campy Adam West Batman, though.

[RedsBaron]

I've got a VHS copy of the old Batman movie w/ Adam West.

The only one I liked was the very first one with Keaton. The second one was OK; but after that?..... YECH!

Michelle Pfeiffer looked awfully good in the Catwoman outfit.

[KronoRed]

Michelle Pfeiffer looked awfully good in the Catwoman outfit.

Indeed

[Sweetstop]

Along with a weekly classic film and cartoon, The Kentucky Theater in Lex. is showing a 15 chapter, 1943 Columbia Pictures serial called "The Batman." Talk about a cheap and cheesily funny production! Ed Wood-bad is a good description. An actor named Lewis Wilson plays Batman and a young curly-haired kid w/ skinny legs named Douglas Croft is Robin. J. Carroll Naish plays the Japanese spy, Daka. Racism abounds, of course, as this was made during WWII. I've seen Chap. 10 (Flying Spies) and Chap. 11 (A Nipponese Trap). They certainly made the cartoons and classic movies that followed look that much better.

[REDREAD]

I guesss I'm in the minority, but I really didn't like any of the Batman movies (haven't seen the latest). I saw the two Keaton movies, and that was enough.

I know the first Keaton batman movie was popular, but to me, it just didn't make sense. No character development and the "plot" about the joker poisoning makeup or whatever was pretty weak. I guess it was ok if you only wanted to see the Batmobile drop bombs and the BatWing airplane thing silhouetted against the moon, but I just didn't think it was that great.