Drew goes into more detail about the far superior "Schumacher Cut"

In a follow-up to this post from June, Drew Griffin is back to talk more about the Schumacher Cut that he was fortunate to have seen at a secret screening.

Lots of interesting topics and thoughts in this video such as: why the Warner Brothers sent a cease and desist and stopped the Cinefile screening and what it will take to make this version of the film releasable. 

Tomasz Zaglewski's book Neon Knight Forever now out in paperback

For those of you who didn't buy the excellent book Neon Knight Forever: The Legacy of Joel Schumacher's Batman Duology by Tomasz Żaglewski back when it was first released in December 2023 (possibly due to the high price of the hardcover edition) I'm pleased to say it's now been released in both paperback and kindle format.

Here are the links for Amazon UK and Amazon US

The cost for the UK paperback actually has a discount going right now so it's only £23.99

The US paperback is $39.95

I should say I'm not getting payment to promote the book, I'm just a fan of it! My only bias is that I and this website do get a quick mention on one of the pages towards the end.

If you didn't see my previous review of it - check that out here. I will probably do a short video review of it in the coming weeks as I re-read the book.

Also, Tomasz reached out to me recently to let me know some awesome news. 

Back in March, he curated an exhibition at the Zamek Cultural Center in Poznań called Nineties Forever! - which looked back at pop culture and memorabilia from the 1990s in Poland. As part of this there were some film screenings and he not only included Batman Forever but also managed to get the Bat symbol projected on the castle tower.

A look back at the Batman Unmasked exhibition

Another different type of video this week - a look back at the temporary Batman Unmasked exhibition that was in Covent Garden in London from September to December 2024 (and also Manchester before that).

I meant to get this edited last year when I actually went to the exhibition as a way to show people what it was like before they went. Unfortunately I ended up not getting around to editing it until this year, after the exhibition had closed. Oops. Oh well I guess at least I didn't spoil all the surprises.

Anyway, hope this is of interest. It was really great to see all these old Schumacher Batman movie costumes and props up close - the actual things that the actors used and wore. You could see all the scuffs and marks on them and paint was visibly peeling off some bits. There was a little bit from all the Batman movies from the last 35 years but the Schumacher stuff was what stuck out. The costumes and props from those two films are so colourful and over the top. It's probably what got me so interested in making props recently. 

When you see this stuff up close you realise how important all the camera work and lighting and effects are - because the reality is that lots of this stuff looks kinda cheap when you're eyes are inches from it. It was never built to be poured over like this or last as long as it has.

The exhibition was a little pricey and short for what you got but I'm still glad I went. I appreciate the theatricality that went into it. It certain made it feel a little grander than it actually was. 

Neon Knight Forever audiobook - read by Drew Griffin

Once again Drew Griffin has provided us with another audiobook. This it's time it's Tomasz Zaglewski's Neon Knight Forever book that charts the evolution of how Joel Schumacher's Batman duology has been perceived by fans and critics over the last 30 years. 

Check out my review here.

Also if you enjoy this recording, I'm excited to say Tomasz's book is coming out in paperback in June 2025 - just in time for the 30th anniversary of Batman Forever. 

Pre-order your copy here for UK or here for US.

News: Akiva Goldsman is trying to get the Schumacher Cut released

More news from this year's San Diego Comic Con. 

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman was speaking at the "Producers on Producing Panel", hosted by Steve Weintraub, and was asked about the Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever.

He revealed that he has been trying, since Joel Schumacher's death in 2020, to get Warner Brothers interested in doing a polished version of "Batman Forever: Preview One" (presumably a very early test screening cut of the film - the exact contents of this cut are still unknown).

He has mentioned this "Preview One" cut before but it is unknown if this is the same cut as the one Kevin Smith screened last year at his Smodcastle Cinema. 

Akiva was very good friends with Joel and wants to revisit the film as a tribute to him.

Unfortunately the hold up is that Warner Brothers keeps changing management which resets the project back to the start. He mentioned "one administration ago" the project was close to being approved.

In terms of what need doing, Akiva said: "There’s some visual effects that need to be finished. There would be some music that would have to be if not re-scored or rewritten. The whole soup to nuts was about a million bucks. They were on the verge of doing it and then Warner got sold again. There’s a-whole-nother DC."

This is fantastic news as it sounds like Goldsman is not only keen to see this cut released but also willing to keep pushing and actually oversee it's creation! 

I know for some this will be seem like a non-story but I think the fact that someone with Akiva's clout (remember, he's not just a screenwriter but a highly successful TV and film producer too) is willing to see this through, gives it much more of a chance of happening.

It sounds like Akiva is bidding his time, waiting for the new DCU to start up, and will then pursue the project with Warner Brothers and DC again.

Read the full Collider article here:-

https://collider.com/batman-forever-directors-cut-joel-schumacher/

Book Review: Neon Knight Forever: The Legacy of Joel Schumacher’s Batman Duology by Tomasz Zaglewski

Review by Neil Rickatson

I have to preface this review and state that I am acknowledged twice within the text of this book. I will do my best to stay as impartial as possible. 

In today’s world everyone is very quick to compartmentalise every aspect of their life. Turn everything into a binary 0 or 1. Nothing is immune. I can’t throw a virtual rock on the internet without hitting “That’s the worst movie I ever saw” or “That’s the best movie I ever saw.” There is little room for any sort of nuance. And inevitably we end up with a handful of great movies that everyone universally agrees are great, and the rest go in a pile to the side to be left untouched. 

Logic dictates that only this first pile of great movies should be written about when actually I find much more satisfaction in looking at the other pile. For years, the Schumacher Batman movies have been dragged through the mud. On release Batman Forever was seen as a slick but empty exercise in commercial filmmaking. Batman & Robin by contrast was seen as an excessive, noisy, exhausting hollow product. Comic book fans, in particular, turned to the internet and railed against both films for multiple reasons: their deviation from the comics, their humorous take on the material and their style choices. 

And here’s the thing that bothered me. They didn’t let up. At all. No one was allowed to get a word in edgeways. So the narrative has been the Schumacher movies sucked, they have zero value and they should be talked about as briefly as possible. 

Thankfully time is a healer. After almost 30 years, Professor Tomasz Żaglewski (from the Institute of Cultural Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland) has taken the task of looking at both films and trying to find what their legacy is. To be clear this is not a book about the making of the films (though a little bit of that is covered here and there) but a book that examines how people thought about Schumacher’s Batman duology then and how they think about them now. 

Here is a quick overview of the topics covered:- 

Part 1 talks about the place of the Schumacher films in Batman fandom. How they are seen as being “wrong” because they did not have a dark and serious tone. How they were also out of step with where the character was in the comics at the time. It also talks about how difficult it is to pin down any kind of definitive Batman portrayal (very true) and looks at some of the various versions of Batman over the years. Some were familiar to me such as Dark Knight and Camp Knight. Others were new terms I hadn’t seen before Cute Knight, Toy Knight, Dad Knight! 

Part 2 looks in more detail at the elements around the movie. Joel Schumacher (often seen as a generic journeyman director) is viewed with a fresh lens. Seen as a director who kept coming back to “trespasser” characters and stories. There is also a look at the shift from Burton's version of Batman to Schumacher's version. Were they their own thing or was Schumacher attempting to tie both universes together? 

Part 3 looks at some of the talking points around the films. The figures (which some people thought were disappointing because you couldn't get a figure that looked like they did in the film). The video games which are not beloved due to their frustratingly clunky controls. And finally… the bat nipples that featured in both films and what an overblown fuss they caused. 

The final part looks at how the duology has shifted in terms of public perception over the years. How the films were not well reviewed at the time and B&R, in particular, had a disappointing (but not disastrous) box office. To today where the films enjoy a small and loyal fandom (this is where I come in - which was surreal to read). And finally ends by talking about the online push for an extended cut of Batman Forever. 

All in all, this is a great, very knowledgeable book with a fantastic grasp of the subject. Tomasz is – I believe from the introduction – sympathetic to Schumacher’s aims and picks through both Batman movies, finding all sorts of interesting and varied subject matter. He draws on all areas of prior Batman expertise – such as Will Brooker, William Uricchio and Roberta E. Pearson. 

I must confess the whole book even made me look at both Batman Forever and Batman & Robin with renewed respect. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the book which dealt with Joel. I recently have been going through all of Schumacher’s filmography and was delighted to be shown this idea in Neon Knight Forever that there is this unified “trespasser” theme that runs through many of his films (one of his last movies was even called Trespass – how did I miss that). There’s this thinking that Tim Burton was “the artist”, and Joel was a “studio shill” but the book makes great pains to remind us that Joel did have thematic elements that interested him and with these two Batman films he did have a vision – to make a “living comic book”. It might not have been beloved by everyone but there was thought put behind it all. He was not the toy and cartoon and merchandise-obsessed man that a lot of people think he was. 

The book also reminded me of various little moments that I’d filed away and forgotten or outright missed. Such as how, even though the continuity is sketchy at best, Batman & Robin is designed to be a progression from the Burton films. Joel wanted to evolve the character of Bruce Wayne to be in a different place from the beginning of the franchise. I also chuckled at some of the old reviews and comments about both films. Gene Siskel’s review of B&R as a “a sniggering, exhausting, overproduced extravaganza that has virtually all of the humanity pounded out of it in the name of an endless parade of stunt sequences”. In some ways he’s not wrong, there’s times I watch and feel the same way (other times I just go with it and enjoy the "extravaganza" and "endless parade of stunt sequences"). 

The book also compares - or rather brings up comparisons of - Batman & Robin to recent films such as Thor: Love and Thunder and Birds of Prey. The former (which I haven’t seen yet) is an interesting comparison because the Marvel Cinematic Universe for many years has been a success juggernaut yet even I was aware that online fans had roundly eviscerated the fourth Thor movie in similar ways to B&R. Criticising it’s campy, playful, comedic tone. Neon Knight Forever begins by citing MCU boss Kevin Feige talking (in 2009) about B&R being a watermark that “demanded a new way of doing things. It created the opportunity to do X-Men and Spider-Man, adaptations that respected the source material and adaptations that were not campy.” Interesting to see that 14 years later Feige is producing a new campy, comedic superhero movie that goes against these earlier words. Perhaps camp is a necessary outlet that must be brought out every few years – a sort of cyclical event – if nothing else for a bit of variety. Perhaps there is a limit to the public’s appetite for dark, serious superhero movies. Maybe we can't keep telling the same story, with the same tone over and over again.

There really isn’t much I can criticise the book about. I would have loved for it to be a little bit longer. I also would have loved to have seen the book cover a little more on the online reaction to Batman & Robin circa 1997 - I feel it was a watershed moment when the internet started to become infinitely more important in terms of film criticism than newspapers/journals/TV. It democratised film criticism for better and for worse. Ain’t It Cool News’ review of Batman & Robin which drew comparisons of the audience feeling like “survivors of Hiroshima” was - I feel - a lightning rod for comic book fans and set the tone for the next few decades of online film reviews. 

But maybe that’s for part 2. I certainly feel there’s more to be discussed about both these films. And hopefully now Tomasz has broken the seal, others will come forward to give Schumacher’s duology their own analysis. 

I thank Tomasz for writing such an eloquent book, it has given me much to think about and I urge anyone with a passing interest in Batman Forever and/or Batman & Robin to buy a copy.

Click here for a link to Neon Knight Forever

New book on Schumacher's Batman movies "Neon Knight Forever" to be released in December

Tomasz Żaglewski - a professor in film and audiovisual culture - has written a NEW book that analyses both of Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies titled “Neon Knight Forever”. 

I'm really looking forward to reading this (and will no doubt be reviewing it when it comes out). As far as I know Schumacher's Batman movies have never really been written about in this way - deconstructed, analysed, and talked about in an academic fashion. 

Let's face it, for the last two decades most of what has been written about Batman Forever and Batman & Robin has been negative online comments by irate comic nerds mad about nipples or campy acting. It's nice that someone wants to talk about it in a balanced way. 

Here's a preview of the chapter headings:-

Introduction: 'Can I persuade you to take a sandwich with you, sir?' 

1. Neon Knight Begins: The Not-So-Dark Knight as an Element in Batman's Transmedia Multiverse 

1.1. Into the Bat-verse: From the Multiverse of Stories to the Multiverse of Readings 

1.2. Camp Knight, Dad Knight or Cute Knight? Exploring the Foundations of the Neon Knight 

2. The Neon Knight Unchained: Questionable Choices and the Ice-Catching Spectacle in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin 

2.1. Who's Afraid of the Big, Black Bat? Joel Schumacher as a Cinematic Trespasser 

2.2. Tim Burton's Noir-tmare before Christmas vs. Joel Schumacher's Camp Noir: Embracing a Living Comic Book as a Visual Thriller 

2.3. The Lite Knight Rises: The Troubling Case of the Plastic Figures, Virtual Grappling Hooks, and Rubber Nipples 

3. The Neon Knight Triumphant: Modern Perception of Joel Schumacher's Batman Duology 

3.1. 'It's So Bad, It's Almost Good': Fandom's Online Discourse Following Joel Schumacher's Passing 

3.2. Schumacher was right': Social Media Appreciation for the Neon Knight Closing Remarks or 'We're going to need a bigger cave'

The book is due for release in December 2023, you can pre-order now by following the link:- https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/neon-knight-forever-9798765100608/

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Batarang Batman figure from Kenner

I'm getting pretty close now to having a complete set of the Batman Forever Kenner figures. This one took a while to track down. Had to get a boxed version as you don't see many loose ones about. It's also a bit of a nightmare to search for being that it's called 'Batarang Batman'. Wish they'd have come up with a more unique title there Kenner.

Anyway, the figure itself is kind of neat. The transculent green on the arms and legs add a dash of vibrant colour and I've got to give the designer points for not doing just another backpack/missile accessory. The twisting Batarang is kind of cool and works well for knocking over bad guy figures. As I say in the video I'm sure this is borrowed from the Scarecrow figures from the BTAS and Legend of the Dark Knight lines.

This is definitely one of the better figures in the Batman Forever line. The only thing that lets it down a bit is the flat purple chest.

Magazine Article: Sci Fi Universe July 1995

The second issue of Sci Fi Universe that covered Batman Forever is a lovely in-depth series of articles about various aspects of the film. One of the interesting things to note in this article is that there's an honesty to how rushed the production was. I know I already knew the budget but it bears repeating - this movie was made for $70 million!

There's also some interesting little bits of info like Joel talking about how they wrestled with coming up with the movie's title.

And Pat Hingle also gives lots of interesting insights. He even gives a gist of what the Marlon Wayans version of Robin was meant to be in Batman Returns (he must have had a great memory to remember that considering none of it was shot or in the final script).

Magazine Article: Sci Fi Universe June 1995

One of two issues of Sci Fi Universe that covered Batman Forever. This one is just really a primer with Joel Schumacher explaining the film and how it differs from the Tim Burton ones. I do love that he says Bob Kane approved of everything except Dick's earring and the nipples on the suit.

Riddle Me This - A brief follow up about the Schumacher Cut

Today is June 16th (the twenty sixth anniversary of the Batman Forever's release). 

There’s a big push to get the hashtag #ReleaseTheSchumacherCut trending on twitter to see if Warner Brothers will consider releasing an extended cut of Batman Forever. Following on from last week's video about the contents of the "Schumacher Cut" here's a few corrections and clarifications.  

If you want to see the stuff I talk about in these videos, go to twitter and let @ATT @hbomax @jasonkilar know that you want them to #ReleaseTheSchumacherCut

Riddle Me This - What is the Schumacher Cut (and what does it contain)?

 Okay here's something I've been working on for a while. Back in March 2021 a twitter user @MinddKidzag released three awesome scanned pieces of paper work from Batman Forever. 

1) First up, a copy of the shooting script (previously there was only the Batchler's original Batman 3 script and one of Akiva Goldsman's drafts). This scan appears to be what they actually shot and contains scenes and lines not featured in the film. Some of this tallies with the deleted scenes on the DVD and Blu-rays but some does not.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14J_KaRP1zR3SOoG2us24dsE5z6LkBfor/view

2) A comprehensive film schedule detailing the order that everything was filmed. Again there are a couple of bits not featured in any script (featuring Nygma purchasing and developing Claw Island).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-gi2Uf1ZOetsRuoTI-K9Do3q8O4WQLD/view

3) A list of scenes to complete (ie. small insert shots needed after principal photography was completed). Some of these were done and some seemingly were abandoned (like the helicopter ride to Wayne Enterprises).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1omDrt9X2JP1QPc2NQBtNvXdaI7lbLcxg/view

There’s a big push to get the hashtag #ReleaseTheSchumacherCut trending on twitter on 16th June (the twenty sixth anniversary of the film's release). As such I thought it would be a good idea to go through the script and pull out the missing stuff because I believe it ultimately tells us what the Schumacher Cut includes.

So if you want to see the stuff I talk about in the video, go online on 16th June and let @ATT @hbomax @jasonkilar know that you want them to #ReleaseTheSchumacherCut

And please follow @CutSchumacher on Twitter.

Miscellaneous content: Scanned Batman Forever script by Akiva Goldsman

A user on twitter Mindd Kidzag has scanned a copy of the Batman Forever script. Unlike the two scripts that have been available previously which dated from late 1993 and early 1994 this is new one is specifically dated 13th October 1994. 

Interestingly the part where Dick steals the Batmobile and confronts the Neon Gang has handwritten dates at the top 13th February 1995(!) - suggesting this scene was rewritten towards the end of shooting.

This is really exciting because it tallies with the shooting period of 24th September 1994 to 2nd March 1995 and gives us the closest view as to what exactly was filmed. With the Snyder Cut of Justice League having just been released a lot of Batman fans are turning their attention to the Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever. In my view, this script is the best record of what that Schumacher Cut is/would be.

I'm going to be doing an in-depth video analysis of it soon but in the meantime, have a read by clicking here.

Batman Forever Press Kit - Part 4

Here is the final part of the Press Kit. Just a reminder if you want to see the whole thing as a PDF click here.

Batman Forever Press Kit - Part 3

And here's part 3 of the Press Kit. Here we move into biog territory.