CATWOMAN’S REVENGE: MY FRIDAY NIGHT WITH BATMAN
The original BATMAN is a touchstone of my childhood.
It is my favourite BATMAN movie by a wide margin. I saw it several times during its first run release when I was only a tiny lass.
It was one of the very first motion pictures that I ever viewed in a cinema that wasn’t animated.
It left a life long impression on me.
Last night I saw BATMAN in the theatre for the first time since I was in elementary school. It was the ultimate experience. Precisely what I had hoped for.
Yes, I am fully cognizant of the fact that CATWOMAN does not appear in this film.
But as much as I adore BATMAN, CATWOMAN has always been the character that I identified with most.
BATMAN has a dark, poetic soul. His tragic childhood has left a mark that will never disappear.
But CATWOMAN is dangerous…
She’s one of the most memorable villains in popular culture. She’s also a savagely untamed goddess of magnificent proportions.
CATWOMAN is flamboyant, wicked, ruthless. She’s glamorous as hell and possesses an extraordinarily lethal feline grace.
Mortal men don’t stand a chance against her allure.
She must have her way. Resistance is futile.
CATWOMAN knows what she wants. She’s also aware of exactly how to get it.
There must be endless amounts of little girls who dreamed of growing up to be a woman like that. If you take the time to extract the evil from the equation, I was fortunate enough to make that cut.
My whole life I’ve wanted to play her. I know I’m not an actor with a recognizable name at this particular juncture. But I understand this character like no one else on this planet…and I could give a perfornance that would leave people in awe.
I know CHRISTOPHER NOLAN said that he wasn’t going to include CATWOMAN in any of the upcoming films.
If he ever changes his mind, I can be reached at the site. I’ll read for it any time. Anywhere.
But I digress…
Though it has been two decades, BATMAN has lost none of its iconic appeal. It’s a modern miracle.
ANTON FURST’S sets are absolutely amazing. DANNY ELFMAN produced a classic score along with PRINCE’S provocative songs.
I dig CHRISTIAN BALE as BATMAN. But MICHAEL KEATON tops them all. I love his brooding black Irish melancholy. He’s far from an obvious choice. But his subtle underplaying provides a perfect counterpoint to JACK NICHOLSON’S bold, incendiary, blackly humorous JOKER.
JACK is crazed and unpredictable. But he never goes off the rails. In a long, legendary career filled with incredible performances, this one is at the very top of the list.
My girl KIM BASINGER is an exceptional VICKI VALE. She’s a gorgeous, intrepid photojournalist whose work has taken her to every corner of the globe.
She’s had to weather some serious situations. But she never counted on falling for BRUCE WAYNE.
And, if I may say so, her wardrobe in this flick is beyond compare. She has all of these fabulous clothes – especially the gracefully flowing pure white coat and dress that she wears to her Batcave excursion.
My only complaint has nothing to do with KIM’S stellar acting. But the screenwriters should have made VICKI a little tougher. I would’ve kicked the JOKER’S ass in the bell tower and made him beg for mercy.
BATMAN could have taken over from there…
But it was really fantastic to see this movie with two hundred other patrons who adore it just as much as I do.
Screams all over the theatre at the first glimpse of the Batmobile. People obviously waiting for their favourite scenes and lines of dialogue. Lots of clapping and good natured shout outs along with tons of applause and cheering at the end.
It was immensely cool. So that was my Friday evening until about 10 PM.
The rest of the night…? Well, you’ll just have to use your precious little imaginations.
I’ll take the fifth.
