He he. I got to pick Batman's name out of a box.
Tim Burton really hates Christmas. Why is Batman Returns set during these festivities? No one knows, but hey, it's gives his version of Gotham City an extra gothic, snowy twinkle.
Batman Returns may seem like a left field choice for this list. Admittedly, it was debatable for me too. But as this was a challenge, I thought it would be too easy to just go for sentimental American comedies and musicals, so I decided to go for an ultra dark Superhero movie that used to scare the crap out of me as a child. Not a lot has changed. If anything I just understand the weirdness more.
First of all, if you thought Christopher Nolan's Batman films were intense, there's some bits of this freakshow that will full on haunt your nightmares. I knew there was a reason I used to fast forward Selina Kyle's death and transformation into Catwoman. Cos it's bloody terrifying. That and the moment when the Penguin bites deeply into a man's nose. Sweet Jesus, Burton, what used to happen to you during December?
Now that I'm older some of the more adult elements of Batman Returns comes out. Selina Kyle, post Catwoman transformation, is portrayed as a quirky female Woody Allen type neurotic, which is surprisingly funny. As is her awkward courtship with Bruce Wayne. Also Michael Keaton is really the geek's Batman. Christian Bale was all testosterone, but Keaton is a dweeb who's good at fighting. Shame he didn't get given more a chance to be Batman, he could have given us blogging film geeks some hope.
Then there's Danny DeVito's Penguin. I always remembered him as a snarling grotesque, but I certainly don't remember him being a hideous pervert. In one moment, he gropes a women's breast and his innuendo laden exchanges with Catwoman are creepy to say the least.
Whether the film is anti-Christmas is another matter. It certainly delights in trashing Christmas imagery, like when a glamorous supermodel is dumped from a high height onto a christmas box or when a bunch of sinister black and white clowns (yep, this film is that freaky) jump out of a large Christmas present.
I don't know if next Christmas, I'll be watching Batman Returns. I'm possibly falling into a depressive slump.
No comments:
Post a Comment