Gone for a Burton: Batman Forever

Having watched the first two Tim Burton Batman movies again, on DVD, I've been basking in late 80's - early 90's bat-glow.

And then I watched Batman Forever. Oh dear! 

I can't believe it's a Tim Burton movie too! What was he thinking? Somewhere between Returns and Forever Tim lost his Mojo. Maybe he just ran out of steam and not having Keaton carrying on must have been a blow.

There was no subtle beginning, no introduction, just a messy, loud string if explosions and chases with Two Face chuckling throughout. There appeared to be no story until Wayne met Nigma.

I just feel the casting was all wrong. Val Kilmer is just too darn good looking for his own good and never seems to get riled. Chris's Robin is just too annoying to even write much about. And Nicole Kidman as Meridian Chase just didn't do it, her performance was neither here nor there.

But I've saved the worst till last: Two Face.

 Tommy Lee Jones was not the actor for Harvey Dent's bifurcated character. It was wishy washy at best and the make-up and clothing looked daft. I can't think of a single memorable line they gave poor Tommy to say.

Jim Carey did OK as the Riddler, a sort of Mask dry-run, but being a funny guy he was well, funny. Too much funny ruins Batman for me I'm afraid. 

Michael Gough's Alfred kept things on the straight and narrow when he could, but overall the complete carnage and cacophony around him was all we could hear.

The whole film was a bit of a mess but I'm glad I've seen it again.

Have you seen it?

Next up, George Clooney's Batman and Robin!

Keaton's Batman: it's Gothic Best

 With streaming a dear do and nearly everything I want to watch on NOW, which we don't have or needing to be rented on Prime or Netflix, despite paying for them already, I've bought my first DVDs in years.

Second hand in a charity shop, £2 for a boxed set of the initial four Batman films 1989 to 1997. Basically, Keaton to Clooney.

Having watched the Bale era trilogy, Nolans Dark Knight saga, last month, I've gone back to the beginning,nowhere the bat first flew again on the big screen.

Tim Burton's late-1980's Batman was an important moment for me, a knight of passage. I was 28, a young Dad, in very reflective mood and all the childhood nostalgia I held was welling up inside me and seeking some outlet.

Batman provided it.

This one film gave a name to my new obsession: 

toys!

The shops were full of Keaton's gadgets and gizmos. The plastic batarang, the grapple hook, the batmobile. It was the Sixtie's Adam West all over again, only better!

I wuz amazed and slowly began to remember all the toys I'd had as a kid. It was a revelation and the springboard to a lifetime of collecting, selling, reading about and ultimately blogging madly over ..., toys!

I re-watched Batman last night. 

Me, Michael, Jack and Kim.

It's simply divine film-making, Burton's gothic milestone, which will never be beaten. 

So, as the leaves fly as the Batcar zooms by, next up is .... Returns!

Did you like the 1989 Batman movie?

Now That's a Big Batmobile

 I saw this massive plastic Jada Batmobile in a charity shop. The 12 inch figure was sat at the wheel, so you can imagine how big it is.

I was sorely tempted at £3.50. this thing is even bigger than the fabulously big Mego batmobile.

I resisted ,(the one pictured is on eBay) but was reminded of the film The Batman, which I've begun watching for the second time.

It's a tough watch, simply because it's 3 hours long and filmed largely at night-time.

I'm plodding through. Two hours to go! 

 It doesn't help that the new Batman has a non-descript face under the mask and looks like a depressed teenager without it, floppy dark hair and all. It's hardly Affleck and miles off Keaton.

The whole hard-boiled noirness has gone into overdrive and everyone is subsumed into a Nirvana-hooked darkness, literally. Characters are blurry shadows in an endless wet night. No-one stands out, not the Penguin, Catwoman or Gordon. Not even the Riddler, all drowning in spilled ink.

Maybe it's just me. After all this flick reached the Oscars and promises a whole new Bat franchise, the Penguin riffing in his own series already and The Batman 2 coming out in 2027.

I dunno. It's just not DC. Maybe it's too DC. Come back Tim Burton, Gotham needs you!

What do you think readers?

I've gone to bed.

There's No Escape Batman!

 Tracking down clones or origins of Sixties TV character toy guns is fun.

Here's another.

Lincoln's cool Batman Escape Gun.

And here are it's clones or maybe origins.

Do you have any of these? 

Larami Space Shooter. Presumably a later clone.

Unbranded Satellite and Rocket Pistol. Could these be older than Lincoln's gun?

Images: courtesy of Ebay

SHEFFIELD CITY SHUFFLE

 Tother week the Missus and me had a day in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield, known locally as Steel City and the home of the Master Cutler.

A beautiful place full of grand architecture and independent shops. Its gothic splendour is very atmospheric at night.

Alas, I shuffled round Sheffield with a limp on account of a terrible corn, which I'm please to say a wonderful podiatrist cut off today!

In daylight I spotted this fenced off pile, which screamed Hammer Horror to me! I could easily see Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee battling with stakes and crosses between the pillars!

Not sure what the building is.

It does remind me of the creepy mausoleum on the cover of Judas Priest's brilliant Sin after Sin LP!

In one of the many bigger shops I clocked this Batman Detective boxed Kit. I would have adored this as a kid. About 20 years ago I might have bought it as part of a growing Batman armoury collection I had but its since all been sold. Shame.

Do you like the look of this kit?

Its based on the latest BATMAN film post-Affleck, which alas, I've already forgotten. Come back Ben!

As part of my comics and radio rings research last month I spotted these in a small knick-knacks store, modern costume rings that were deadringers for Captain Planet rings!

In a cosplay shop I saw this Roam Sword, again a thing I would have loved as a nipper. I had a few plastic swords but I don't think I had a roman one. is is called a a Gladius or Clavius or similar?

Last but not least were these two old Barbie cars. Quite big to fit Babs, i think they're Golfs or Polo's.

I've never seen them before.

You?

PARKS BATMAN WATER PISTOL RE-IMAGINED

 Ever since seeing the old Parks Batman Water Pistol I've liked its sleek design.

Here's my re-imagined version of it using parts from two modern water pistols bought in a discount shop. I sawed, glued and filed and painted it black. Wotan Bill kindly sent me the fabulous decal.

Not quite Parks' smooth biff-bang design but it'll do for the cabinet.

If you can find any of the colours that Parks issued their water pistol in you could paint yours black too!

ARTO'S BATCOPTER!

 Arto recently got himself a cool carded Batcopter.

At first glance it looked like the Ahi - Azrak Hamway - version, seen below, but Arto's has a globe maker's mark! You can see it bottom left above. Is that a C wrapped round one side too? Anyone recognise it? It's from 1977.

The card art reminds me of Mego Comic Action Heroes or similar.

Anyways, here's the Ahi carded original from 1974.

and Ahi's later 1977 card

However, Arto's version has the same backing card as the 1979 UK version of the toy by Jotastar, seen here third from the left listed on an old Heritage Auctions auction.

Here's a closer look at the 1979 Jotastar.

The Jotastar Batcopter was available in 1978 as seen in this comic ad. It cost £1.15p!

There is at least one more version of this toy, this time adhering to Ahi's backing - the LHT or Len Hunter Trading toy seen below.

Len Hunter Trading is an Australian company and also re-issued the magnificent Ahi Batmobile and Batboat. Their address appears clearly on the side of its box.

In France it was Pin Pin Toys who got the Batcoptere in the shops.

Ahi themselves recycled their copter for many other Super heroes such as the Hulk and Spidey, seen below.

They also issued a different card and handle,

Not to be confused with their Batscout!

Have you any Copters readers?

*

[images courtesy of Ebay, Hakes, Heritage Auctions, Plaidstallions and Arto]

Major Bat Mason by MJ

https://youtube.com/shorts/f7SfHCaFHbY?si=j1EnMO8jKSgZczX2 

Enjoy!

MJ

Southcoast Base

It's Kapow TV!

https://youtu.be/vmVE_Z2aXJA?si=SOpXimkmAlkTf6XT

Holy Bat Channel!

MJ

Southcoast Base

2023 BATMOBILE 5-PACK BY HOT WHEELS

Here is an addition to my die-cast collection last year. The 2023 Batman 5-pack, which has a 2022 copyright date on the back of the box.

These 5-packs usually contain one or two real Bat vehicles, a Gotham City Police car, and two or three villain cars. This set is a little different, in that there are no villain cars. Instead, the extra vehicles are marked for Batman's main side-kicks - Robin and Batgirl.

Sometimes the Bat vehicles in these sets are also available individually on cards, or they may be unique to the set. The Gotham City Police cars, villain cars, and side-kick cars are only available in 5-packs, and never on their own. If you find one loose, it came from one of these sets.

In recent years Hot Wheels have taken to listing the vehicles in their sets on the back of the box, which is very helpful.

Muscle Bound is a red coupe, with yellow and black markings, depicting Robin.

'11 Dodge Charger R/T is a metallic blue Police car, with white trim.

'49 Merc is a light blue convertible, with a black plastic interior. The markings are mainly yellow and black, and depict Batgirl. Her name appearing on the rear wheel spats.

TV Series Batmobile is the classic 1960s TV car. Black, with maroon trim, and turquoise pinstripes.

The Bat is semi-matt black, with dark gunmetal grey pods, and a green tinted canopy. This model does not have wheels, and desperately needs a stand, but does not have one.

My favourite models in this pack are the Batmobile, and the Batgirl car. Poor Batgirl is one of the most over-looked characters in the Batman universe, so it is good to see her getting some attention here.

See what you think.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

PART OF MY BATMAN PHOTO ARCHIVE

I do love Batman. The toys, merchandise and games too. Some of these here I've owned at some point over the last 30 years and then sold on, especially when I had a vintage toy stall years ago. The rest were part of my photo archive for research such as the IDEAL and Sears sets.

Did you/ do you have any of these?

Have you had/ got any of these readers?

Batmobiles next!