This is very true. Even the Joker of BTAS has a ton of the Jack Nicholson Joker in him (particularly when you see the bits from '89 with the Joker's "commercials"). Rare example of taking something and successfully translating into another medium for a separate demographic. The scope of that success on that tightrope is hard to overstate.
Hello Jordan! Three things! 1. I was just taking a break from marking, and this was a really nice surprise! Welcome back! 2. Your Greek mythology card game looks incredible! Thank you for putting so much effort into it. You're making it really difficult for me to resist the Demigod: Panomachea Deluxe Box. 3. Love when you cover one of my favourite comic books or movies. This was a real treat. If you ever create a video about anything related to Swamp Thing, I'll be over the moon. That being said, your natural passion for your own interests is infectious, and I look forward to whatever you cover next. Cheers!
Incredibly kind comments all around. Thank you so much for that. I should definitely do a video about Bernie Wrightson, and that would cover Swamp Thing in part. Incredible artist.
7:23, and that is a HUGE lesson to impart on anyone serious about creativity, art or art history. Nice little mic drop in the midst of the essay, but its truly worthy of its own unpacking.
I cant believe this 🤯! I agree and have thought (not to such an extent,) about everything you said, and agree. This is one of the best video essays ive seen in awhile. Im glad i found your channel because the rest of your videos are the type of stuff i was looking for!
Batman 89 has aged like fine wine, compared to the more recent Batman films and actors. I think its because of the art style which makes it timeless in a way.
Great video, thanks for making it! When the Batman Logo popped up everywhere 1989, I wasn't so familiar with the Logo and I always seen it negative and asked myself what on earth this mouth with 6 shiny teeth should represent, and it took me a whole while to realize later it's Batman and I should look at the black form :D
I’ve never heard nor read anyone describe with such eloquent sophistication, what art is. It’s not that it’s doctrine (Chesterton shares the same views), but rather that it gives weight to the joy of the experience. I share the reasons why Batman is your favorite character, but there are a myriad other reasons for me. One of the greater ones is the way comic book writers have evolved into telling it from Batman’s thoughts and mind. Though not unique, his higher purpose seems authentic and yet insurmountable without it being futile. The way it is universal, even though he’s wrongly perceived and misunderstood. But the best part of Batman to me is the mystery of his identity , and this could be a whole subject matter in itself. Whether this was planned or not, but the ubiquitous gargoyles in Batman has got to be the most brilliant piece of symbolism. I wonder what your view is in the evolution of Batman in the comic books v movies/tv. There’s at least 3 more episodes dedicated to Batman hehe. As always, your videos are gold.
Great video! I always talk about how this movie's gadgets feel so believable, as opposted to Nolan's. People always call those movies "realistic", but I can never buy that what looks like a handgun contains yards of cable. But in this movie, when he shoots the grapnel gun, you can see exactly how it works and that, coupled with what you said about the consistency of the aesthetics, and I never for once doubt that it works the way it does.
Joel Schumacher went on and on and on about Greek statues when developing his sequels. That was his entire design aesthetic. So many print articles about this exist already.
I really enjoy this video and the use of the Greco-Roman "super" or perfect human as inspiration. I also find it entertaining that the use of human anatomy was noticed in creating the Batmobile, however, the story behind that might be a little beyond what RU-vid censors want to mention but still gets me every time I read/hear Burton talking about how he wanted to articulate how it should look. I also love the texture of this suit, and until it was pointed out in your video, I don't think I could have specifically stated why this one is so much better than any that have followed, but I do think you hit that correctly, and I'm unsure anyone in other costume departments have had the want/direction to have a similar look despite how much it fits his character (and other superheroes). This definitely gets a subscribe. Looking forward to new videos from you soon.
I liked the video. Absolutely agree on the costume, glad to hear someone talk about it! Batman has never seemed more creature-like than in Batman 89. The only thing that comes close is the fear-hallucination scene in Begins when Scarecrow sees Batman as a literal demon. For me at the very least Batman is Tim Burton's magnum opus. It's wild in retrospect to see how he and his team bridged the gap between OG gothic Batman from the comics and the only modern screen Batman we'd had at the time, the Pop Art 60s show (which.... am I gross for wishing for an update of that concept? 😂). But that alone is just a stroke of genius.
@@jholtillusYes! I feel like he struck upon the realization you could bridge the gap with the German Expressionism / film noir styles he loved so much. Which makes sense as how Batman came out of that era in the first place. Makes me want to go back with a more critical visual eye and see what little design ideas those 40s serial films employed if any 🤔 (sorry, I'm chatty today)
I got carried away and ended up writing an essay below, so I apologize in advance. Just wanted to say at the top that I love the video. Your work remains stellar, and thank you for sharing your insight. Also, thanks for nearly making me spit a mouthful of almonds all over my monitor with Master Samwise's potato bit. I giggled for five solid minutes at that. I wish more modern "creatives" could get that point about the human body as an artistic ideal. I spend more time than I should being salty over the state of entertainment today and its insistence on homogenizing characters to the most inoffensive of low standards. Most people would agree, I think. The establishment counters with a straw-man accusation of, "Oh, you just want to see half-naked women with unrealistic proportions everywhere." Sure, some people do want that. But I think we all simply crave human beauty ideals. There's a reason it has resonated throughout history, even if the particulars of those standards have shifted somewhat over the ages. I want characters who inspire me to greatness, who tug at my heart on a primal level, who make me marvel at the divinity of human potential both in visual aesthetics and the genius of artists who are able to raise the bar by depicting figures that surpass reality's limitations. Batman is a perfect example of how this can be implemented without being gratuitous or overtly sexualized. 99% of him is covered in dense rubber, for crying out loud. But he's still an obvious masculine ideal, both in form and action. Indeed, his heroism serves to combat the deliberate choice to fashion himself into a demon. There's such depth to the character, which you covered wonderfully. But imagine a modern take on the Bat: he's (excuse me, "they" are) pudgy, gender-ambiguous, bitter, cynical, mean-spirited, and disdainful of all things normal. I can't see this character fighting crime and being a symbol of hope. I can't fathom "them" being at odds with the Joker. Unless the Joker were recast as a classically-attractive man who embodied tradition and normalcy. In my opinion, the genius of Batman is that he isn't normal. He doesn't fit in. He has every excuse to become one of those spiteful mutants who rail against the norm and drowns in self pity. But he doesn't. He knows he isn't one of the normies, but he fights for them all the same. Because he understands the value and importance of that normal world, even if he can never be a part of it. Instead of using his influence to bend the world to his will and force them to accept him, he chooses to stand apart, using his unique perspective and position as a bulwark against the tide of his fellow weirdos. He has more in common with the villains -- with the demons -- but he chooses to be a hero. His aesthetic perfectly mirrors his soul. The Joker, on the other hand, is the opposite. The most colorful presence in the film. A veritable rainbow of flamboyant fun. He presents himself to the people as a ray of sunshine in their dismal lives, while Batman hides in the shadows. But the Joker despises the world around him and won't rest until he sees it all burn. He and Batman are both demons of Gotham's creation, but their perspectives and paths couldn't be more different. It's a beautiful contrast in every way, and that's why it's a classic. But there's one contrast that doesn't fly so well these days, and that's the visual. Batman (and Bruce Wayne) is a masculine ideal -- handsome, athletic, competent, and skilled. Even with his demon visage, he looks like a sculpted statue. He's attractive. The Joker is hideous. Modern critics might say this is an outdated trope, where you can tell who's good or bad based on how attractive they are. But there's a reason this has always worked so well. It's because we all value the ideal, even if it's subconscious and our bitterness makes us want to destroy it. Just like the Joker. The brilliance of Batman is that even his attractiveness is twisted and broken in some ways. It has demonic aspects. By all rights, he should be a villain, where that beauty and form is deceptive. After all, everything else about the Bruce Wayne persona is. So we're presented with a series of inversions in the Bat character that make him endlessly complex and interesting. But I don't believe any of it would work without the classic beauty standards as a base. Audiences get their first impressions of characters based on what they see, after all. After that, competent storytellers can weave a tapestry that either supports or subverts this foundation as the characters are developed. That foundational impression is a critical baseline, even if we wish it weren't so. I don't believe these characters would work if they were given the modern treatment. I did not intend to ramble for this long, so I'll cut it off here. If you read all of this, thanks again for the video and for inspiring all this thought in at least one individual.
I read the essay! And I think you're right. What inspires you about Batman, and how you perceive him, mirrors my own perception. And in a fascinating way, I understood it long before I could say it. Batman just inspired me when I was a kid. And now that I CAN articulate it, it's not in contrast to that childlike perception, it's just an exposition of what already existed which I appreciate all the more. That's the power of an idealistic character.
@@jholtillus That's a great way to put it. Iconic characters have something for everyone, children to seasoned scholars. Every level builds upon the previous. At some point, the character becomes downright archetypal.
Good insights, thank you. I can't help when listening to you speak, not think that this is a you of the future - and there is a shared elephant theme. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z1tKWCj6jMM.htmlfeature=shared (go to 1:30 mark).
