Garm Bel Iblis
Commodore
So I tivoed the batman movie from 1966. Good god. I loved it as a kid. I dont know what to think of it at 28... i know it was intentionally cheesie, but wow...it's so hammy...
Batman!
- Thread starter Garm Bel Iblis
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Absolutely agreed. Lee Meriwether was OK, but damn, that movie would be a modern classic if Julie Newmar had played the part.
Not me. Julie Newmar was good as Catwoman, yes, but I always liked Lee Merriwether better. That goes for their Star Trek episodes too. But in that case, it was more of a writing thing.
And I still love the Batman movie, and the series. A fun comedy show.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
A local channel reruns the series weekdays here, but it seems like the picture quality isn't as good as I remember.
Yesterday it was FALSE FACE! (Who somehow has the right clothes and mask for every occassion.)
Yesterday it was FALSE FACE! (Who somehow has the right clothes and mask for every occassion.)
The 1966 Batman movie is a camp classic. The bomb scene is the best. I also love how Bruce Wayne gets to kick ass dressed in a tux, no less!
The 60s Batman series and movie were a lot of fun. I really loved those villains they came up with, King Tut in particular. I was really amused recently when I saw a DVD of the movie with a "dark, moody" cover trying to imitate the look of the current Batman films!
Yeah, I don't see why it would be hard to enjoy this movie as an adult, as long as you don't take it seriously and think of it as simply a comedy or live action cartoon. I think I was at least 20 the first time I saw it, and I loved it. Since childhood, I've always loved superhero cartoons where a big group of villains team up and it was just as fun to see that happen in this live action movie.
I watched it with a friend and we couldn't get enough of the wacky antics of the villains. Think about them logically and you'll crack up. For example, why does Penguin continue quacking when he's supposedly in disguise? I especially love how The Riddler keeps insisting on giving clues and The Joker gets mad at him because he'll give away where they're hiding and The Riddler is like, "I can't help it, it's my only joy in life!". Obviously it's ridiculous, but there's some nice pathos going on there.
Another wonderful running gag is how The Riddler's riddles are the most batshit (pun intended) insane impossible to ever solve surreal abstract questions, and Batman and Robin figure them out as if they're completely logical. Other priceless bits are the aforementioned bomb scene (the ducks in the pond was a brilliant idea), the 'shark repellent' and the obviously rubber shark, and the fact that every time The Riddler launched a 'missile', we were clearly looking at stock footage of a rocket launching.
I watched it with a friend and we couldn't get enough of the wacky antics of the villains. Think about them logically and you'll crack up. For example, why does Penguin continue quacking when he's supposedly in disguise?
I especially love how The Riddler keeps insisting on giving clues and The Joker gets mad at him because he'll give away where they're hiding and The Riddler is like, "I can't help it, it's my only joy in life!". Obviously it's ridiculous, but there's some nice pathos going on there. Another wonderful running gag is how The Riddler's riddles are the most batshit (pun intended) insane impossible to ever solve surreal abstract questions, and Batman and Robin figure them out as if they're completely logical. Other priceless bits are the aforementioned bomb scene (the ducks in the pond was a brilliant idea), the 'shark repellent' and the obviously rubber shark, and the fact that every time The Riddler launched a 'missile', we were clearly looking at stock footage of a rocket launching.
Basically, there are three phases of the Adam West Batman experience as one goes through life. As a kid, you take it seriously and eat it up as an adventure show. Once you get older, you begin to realize how silly it is and you walk away from it. Then, if you're lucky, you come back to it when you're older and wiser and realize it was a sitcom all along, a deliberately over-the-top exercise in deadpan parody, and you love it again.
She just couldn't do crazy like Newmar, however.
She was better at the catlike behavior than Newmar.
Hmm... "all Catwomen" would include not just Newmar, Meriwether, Kitt, Pfeiffer, and Berry, but the animated Catwomen as well: Melendy Britt ('70s Filmation cartoon), Adrienne Barbeau (DCAU), Gina Gershon (The Batman), and Nika Futterman (Batman: The Brave and the Bold).
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
The episode the local channel ran today was a Julie Newmar Catwoman one.
One part where the commissioner asks Batman if he needs police back-up and Batman declines in a manner that almost suggests he thinks Gotham City's PD is useless.
There was a great scene:
"Buckle up, Robin."
"But, Batman, we are only going a couple of blocks."
"Robin, you'll soon be old enough to have a driver's license..."
Haw!
One part where the commissioner asks Batman if he needs police back-up and Batman declines in a manner that almost suggests he thinks Gotham City's PD is useless.
There was a great scene:
"Buckle up, Robin."
"But, Batman, we are only going a couple of blocks."
"Robin, you'll soon be old enough to have a driver's license..."
Haw!
No love for Eartha Kitt?
Much... but not so much as Catwoman.
besides, for Kitt it was a lark in a great career. For Newmar, it's her enduring claim to fame.
And Newmar really did do crazy like no one else. Interesting portrayal.
I seem to remember that when I was a kid I loved it as an adventure show and knew it was meant to be silly. Which made it all the better. And I never did walk away from it - I've loved that show since the day I first saw it.
Funnily enough, my favourite Batman eras are the West/Ward and Bale ones - the 80's/90's stuff didn't really appeal to me much. Full-on 60's camp sillyness or full-on serious works best for me.
Oh - and Newmar FTW! Rowr!
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