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Batman Returns writer on how Batman 89 "sucks"

posted a year ago by bozo_500 (13150)
7 replies | jump to latest

https://www.darkhorizons.com/waters-batman-sucks-catwoman-details/

Whilst Richard Donner’s “Superman” was arguably the first major superhero film, filmmaker Tim Burton’s “Batman” film in 1989 is what really introduced the world to the concept of the superhero film as a marketing machine.

That’s partly why 1992’s follow-up “Batman Returns”, with its dark and subversive tone drew some divisiveness at the time even as it has critically aged better than its more commercial predecessor.

Daniel Waters, the “Heathers” scribe who wrote the screenplay for “Batman Returns,” recently told Indiewire he’s not a fan of the first Burton “Batman” film, saying that it “sucks”.

In a separate interview with World of Reel, he goes on to explain how it wasn’t just him who had issues with it – even Burton did as well:

“[Tim Burton] was not crazy about Batman. And I wasn’t crazy about it either. It had great production design and all that, but I didn’t like the movie…That scene where Jack [Nicholson’s] going up the stairs to a s— Prince song, spray painting art is the height of anti-entertainment.”

https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/batman-returns-catwoman-spinoff-black-and-white-1234938822/

Waters said the original draft of the “Batman Returns” screenplay contained multiple digs at the first Burton “Batman” film, a merchandising juggernaut in 1989 and a film Waters thinks “sucks.” “Batman Returns” was originally set to open on the Batman logo, which would pan out to reveal an in-universe merchandise store, with Batman making several references to exploitative merchandising during the film. However, film star Michael Keaton convinced Waters to cut the digs from the movie.

“[Michael] Keaton said, ‘This is very clever. Cut it,'” Waters recalled.

[–] pjl69 (2647) a year ago

"Daniel Waters, the “Heathers” scribe who wrote the screenplay for “Batman Returns,” recently told Indiewire he’s not a fan of the first Burton “Batman” film, saying that it “sucks”."

Well, I agree with him. There were one or two good scenes in it (driving to the batcave, for one) and of course Danny Elfman's score.

[–] BKB (10077) a year ago

Oh well. Moviegoers such as myself felt otherwise in 1989 and that the movie was flat out a Phenonmeon that made a shit ton of $$$$ and was more of a Phenomenon at the time than the Nolan BATMAN movies

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8755) a year ago

It was definitely a phenomenon. Movies just don't get big like that anymore. Batman stuff was everywhere and everyone was talking about it.

I rewatched it a few years ago and it didn't hold up as well as I hoped that it would but I definitely think it's a more enjoyable film than Returns. Returns is just too dark and dour. The only scene I really like is the Catwoman transformation scene.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14196) a year ago

Although I enjoyed Batman when it first came out as the more serious take that so many of us had been waiting for (much as I loved Adam West), it's by no means a perfect movie. But Keaton, Nicholson, Palance, Gough, plus those fantastic sets and Elfman's score were all fantastic. I've always preferred Batman Returns, which for me is top tier.

[–] TheEndIsNigh (409) 2 months ago

One of the writers on Batman Returns where

Penguin has an army of Penguins with missiles on their backs, which Batman knows how to take care of despite the fact that he wouldn't actually know about it because Penguin only just planned it

where said penguins "drag" Penguin's dead body away

where Batman just watches as the Ice Princess falls to her death and then literally a couple of minutes later produces wings and flies which means he could've tried to save her after all

where someone blames Batman for the Ice Princess' death even though it's too dark and Batman is too far away on the roof of the building to have possibly been identified

where citizens of Gotham all magically produce vegetables to throw at Penguin

where the police are after Batman for murder one moment and then for the rest of the film they're not

where Batman literally punches a hole through the floor of the Batmobile

where Batman says to Max Shrek "You're going to jail" even though from Batman's perspective (not ours) he hasn't done anything that could possibly convict him....

thinks Batman 89 sucks😂

[–] Tam87 (1257) 2 months ago

Well said. Batman Returns was a bitter disappointment. It killed the franchise, and led to garbage like Forever and Robin.

That guy is a terrible writer.

[–] DevonteHuntley (273) 2 months ago

Yet remains the most respected Batman sequel ever that did financially well at box office. It didn't kill anything really so try again. Still a step up from its following sequels and we only got them due to this movie's darkness, not it's plot inconsistencies.