Released: 1989
Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: Bob Kane, Sam Hamm, Warren Skaaren
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Runtime: 126 minutes
The other day, I was having an in depth conversation with a client about movies and how if a film doesn’t gross enough money, it’s not “good’ by Hollywood standards. This prompted me to ask him if he knew anything about the deal Jack Nicholson negotiated when he signed on to play the Joker in Batman.
In the late 80s’, when Tim Burton shot BATMAN, comic book movies were not quite the enterprise that they are today. Warner Bros wanted to hook the story with some major star power to mitigate any and all risks. Michael Keaton (as BATMAN) was their first cast and he remains my favorite Batman to date. Additionally, the studio wanted Jack Nicholson to play the villain role as Joker. Based on what I have researched, Nicholson’s fee (at that time) was $10 million /per film. He also had a shit ton of star power. He used that power to drive a brilliantly negotiated contract.
Nicholson, agreed to play the role for a much lower fee than he was usually commissioned for. He complied to this with the understanding that he would get a piece of all future Batman earnings, regardless if he was in them or not! This doesn’t’ translate to just box office sales; we’re talking Batman toys, memorabilia and oh… the Chris Nolan Batmans…
Fuck, I purchased this film on iTunes the other day. I paid Jack!
I LOVE action movies, especially when they involve a sexy Michael Keaton in a cape, running around, saving the world and hooking up with women. Action is always a good diversion for me.
Every time I watch BATMAN, I immediately become immersed with the world that is Gotham City. Even as I view it now (I’ve probably seen it 100 times), I might be sitting in my bed, but feel as if I am not in my bed; I am transplanted into an alternate universe. Props to the production design on this film.
In the world that is Gotham City, we watch a character dual between Batman, who represents all that is good verse The Joker who is evil and nasty. We also understand the back story on each character. We get why Batman fights so hard to keep the peace. As a child, he saw his parents murdered. Joker, a not so great man before he became super evil, was pushed into a pool of poisonous chemicals. He did, however, become the Joker against his free will.
I think I cared more about the relationship between BATMAN and The Joker than I did about Bruce Wayne and Vicky Vale (Kim Bassinger). She was great and it was fun to watch them (even with minimal chemistry) however, when it comes to watching connections, I need more emotion; more sex!
And emotion there was when it came to Batman verse the joker or to simplify this; good verse evil. This got me to thinking. Maybe everyone has a Batman and a Joker within. It correlates to the very image of the angel one one shoulder and the devil on another. How often do we give into our bad side over our good?
Yoga Pose: {Svarga Dvijasana} Birds of Paradise
To achieve this pose, the balance between the opposites is achieved.
The challenge is to balance the rooted strength of your standing leg with a blossoming openness in your torso and extended leg.