http://www.play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/-/600/808/3-/ComingSoon.html?ob=date&cpage=7&fd=14%20Jul%202008&ld=27%20Jul%202008&source=9593


Released: 29/12/2008



Batman (1989) (Blu-ray)
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Batman Returns (Blu-ray)
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Batman Forever (Blu-ray)
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Batman And Robin (Blu-ray)
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Dec. 29th

NICE!! They'll probably release them all in the US as well once The dark knight hits blu-ray.

Seems I remember hearing at the beginning of the year that Warner planned to bring the Batman Anthology to Blu Ray this year sometime. Only makes sense it would happen when TDK comes out.

i like what they did with the cover art. Hope that makes its way into the final design

Great news! I'm in for the first 2 when they are available in the US.

Warner sold the remastered DVDs individually back in 2005, so hopefully they do the same for the BDs in the U.S. as I only want the first two movies, as well.

Hmmm. First two definitely, and maybe Forever if I see it cheaper.

Warner sold the remastered DVDs individually back in 2005, so hopefully they do the same for the BDs in the U.S. as I only want the first two movies, as well.

agreed.
I got the whole BatBoxSet last time and never watched the last 2 films. Don't need to upgrade those.
:)

Any word on audio?

Pass for me. After seeing Begins and Dark Knight these just don't hold up anymore, too campy/cheesy.

I guess the US boxset is coming in Nov. then.
The Burtons still have the best opening theme music over all the other films.

I'll buy the set because I love to collect stuff. That and any Uma in HD is good Uma. The cast the perfect actress then squander it. Ughhh.

Did anyone else notice that the Val Bat has like 6 times as many gadgets as any other bat? If the transfer is good the nipples should pop even more. Yay????

They'd better release a boxset in the USA because here in the UK at least 1 of the Batman movies was cut. :mad: (Unlike in America we can't have "unrated" versions of movies here. Although they do sometimes put "unrated" on the box somewhere, I guess for marketing reasons, if it's the version of a movie that was released as unrated in America but it still has to be rated by the BBFC here.)

Forever was heavily cut in the UK. That coverart on Play.com is temp, they've just used the DVD artwork.

Seems I remember hearing at the beginning of the year that Warner planned to bring the Batman Anthology to Blu Ray this year sometime. Only makes sense it would happen when TDK comes out.

I seem to recall it was annouced on dvdtown.com

That's awesome! Say whatever you want, but I like these movies (B&R and BF at least) so much more than Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. They're just pure comic book entertainment. These new ones try to be serious, and that's where they fail. My order of preference:

1. Batman and Robin
2. Batman Forever
3. Batman
4. the new series (BB so and so, TDK still digesting, but very underwhelmed)
4. Batman Returns

That's awesome! Say whatever you want, but I like these movies (B&R and BF at least) so much more than Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. They're just pure comic book entertainment. These new ones try to be serious, and that's where they fail. My order of preference:

1. Batman and Robin
2. Batman Forever
3. Batman
4. the new series (BB so and so, TDK still digesting, but very underwhelmed)
4. Batman Returns

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but I'm sorry, how on Earth can you put Batman And Robin at number 1???:eek: It deserves to be at the bottom of the list purely for what they did to Bane at least! It wasn't a total disaster, personally I thought Arnie was great as Mr. Freeze and made you feel sympathy for him despite becoming a villain, but overall the film was a disappointment. Also, what was wrong with Batman Returns?:confused:

...how on Earth can you put Batman And Robin at number 1???:eek: It deserves to be at the bottom...

....but it had Batman and Robin hockey wrestling.:D

I expected we'd disagree, but B&R is the one most played here, because I find it the most entertaining of the four. We do agree on both Bane and Mr. Freeze, though.

After posting here I just had to watch my favorite scenes from it -- good to have a media server. Anyway, highly anticipating the BD versions.

Wait until they get a load of me....

I might not be a fan of nolan's batman films.. they are a hell of alot better then forever and B&R.. they are both ****** movies. .don't get me started on the nipples either.

Jacob

They'd better release a boxset in the USA because here in the UK at least 1 of the Batman movies was cut. :mad: (Unlike in America we can't have "unrated" versions of movies here. Although they do sometimes put "unrated" on the box somewhere, I guess for marketing reasons, if it's the version of a movie that was released as unrated in America but it still has to be rated by the BBFC here.)

Batman Forever is now uncut in the UK after being re-classified for the special edition DVD's a few years back....Batman Returns is still cut because there is a scene which the censors say is imitable by young ( Putting a canister in a microwave and then the department store goes boom )

A lot of films are now re-classified uncut editions ever since James Ferman left the BBFC it became more liberal.....Now that the government have appointed new censors more to their liking who take over in October it might actually became like the old days again ( In which case i'll just import like i do now )

I can remember seeing Batman & Robin opening night with my parents at the dad's insistence. Wow, it seemed like the longest, most uneventful film ever made...and that's even with us leaving with a half an hour or so more to go... :o

I saw B+R on an overseas flight and almost walked out!

:eek:

I expected we'd disagree, but B&R is the one most played here, because I find it the most entertaining of the four. We do agree on both Bane and Mr. Freeze, though.

After posting here I just had to watch my favorite scenes from it -- good to have a media server. Anyway, highly anticipating the BD versions.

Thank God you agree with me about Bane, lol! And good on you for agreeing about Mr Freeze. :D I liked Batgirl too although she was the wrong person! :mad: (She's supposed to be Barbara Gordon, the Commissioner's daughter, not Barbara Wilson, Alfred's niece, lol!)

Batman Forever is now uncut in the UK after being re-classified for the special edition DVD's a few years back....Batman Returns is still cut because there is a scene which the censors say is imitable by young ( Putting a canister in a microwave and then the department store goes boom )

A lot of films are now re-classified uncut editions ever since James Ferman left the BBFC it became more liberal.....Now that the government have appointed new censors more to their liking who take over in October it might actually became like the old days again ( In which case i'll just import like i do now )

I heard that they're thinking of bringing back the whole "video nasty" thing and that this time you could be prosecuted just for owning any movies on the banned list, not just for selling them! :eek::mad: Somebody get rid of this insane government please? :(

Pass for me. After seeing Begins and Dark Knight these just don't hold up anymore, too campy/cheesy.


Took the words right out of my mouth. Just got done seeing TDK for the second time.

89 and Returns are still my top 2 Batman movies.

Must haves for me.

agreed.

I liked Batman: Forever.. Alot actually, although TDK blew all previous movies away. I don't know if any comic book movie could ever top those performances for me.

They are all supposed to be released in the US in Oct. Warner stated this at the beginning of the year.

I heard that they're thinking of bringing back the whole "video nasty" thing and that this time you could be prosecuted just for owning any movies on the banned list, not just for selling them! :eek::mad: Somebody get rid of this insane government please? :(

I know how you feel ( trouble is ALL the political parties will bring in tougher censorship as it's easier to blame movies for our crime than actually spend money on putting police onto the streets - So we are screwed no matter who's in government )

I suppose we should enjoy the honeymoon period ( 2001 to Oct 2008 ) while we can.

I feel like The Young Ones should chime in about now. One of Rick's rants against "Thatcher" and "fascism!" would be apt.

:)

I saw B+R on an overseas flight and almost walked out!

:eek:

LOL Good one.

Any word on the UK picture quality?

AND WHATS up with UK getting movies before in the states? Cant they all be released at the same time?

UK movies seem to get announced before the states a lot of time, but they come out at the same time or earlier usually.e

After all the talk of TDK coming in Dec, I was wondering if there's any new news on the 80's/90's movies?
Especially for any US releases.

I'de probably get the two Burton/Keaton flicks. Hopefully there's a better transfers in the works.

Amazon Uk has them up for pre-sale. 12/29

Hope they are released here simultaneously. Would be utterly moronic not to.

They should be region free. I've pre-ordered the Batman and Batman Returns Blu-rays from Amazon.co.uk. The US versions do not come out until later next year.

December 22nd on Amazon.co.uk

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z-8OnSzZL._SS500_.jpg

Import time...

I would get the first 3. I actually really liked Val Kilmer as Batman. Forever should look pretty nice in Blu with all of it's bold color use.

The big question is whether Returns will be cut as it always has been in the UK.

I'm waiting on this one.

As reported in the older thread for this topic, the re-release for Batman Returns was rated at 15. It use to be rated at 12, so I'm going to assume that it's the original, uncut version

I've pre ordered the Japanese Batman Anthology Boxset which comes out on 12/31. Thought about getting the UK versions but as long as I was going quadruple city on T2 with the Japanese Ultimate Edition I pre ordered the Anthology boxset at the same time from YesAsia.

I've pre ordered the Japanese Batman Anthology Boxset which comes out on 12/31. Thought about getting the UK versions but as long as I was going quadruple city on T2 with the Japanese Ultimate Edition I pre ordered the Anthology boxset at the same time from YesAsia.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but look at that release date on YesAsia again - 12/31/2009. 09, a year from now.

Not that I think the set will actually come out that late - but I bet that's YesAsia's way of saying that the release date (previously Feb. 11th, 2009 I believe) is no longer firm. The listing for this set has been completely pulled from Amazon.co.jp and HMV.co.jp, so I figure some release date reworking is in order.

BATMAN is on HDNet movies as I write this. just watched the first 20 minutes. I hope the BD looks better than this or maybe this is from an old master. looks very soft and smeary. And I don't think that's from the shooting style.

December 22nd on Amazon.co.uk

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z-8OnSzZL._SS500_.jpg

dvdreview has info from warner batman (1989) 3/31/09
on a BD25?? not a BD50, how much you wanna bet no True Dolby HD audio.

BATMAN is on HDNet movies...looks very soft and smeary that's HDNet's de-noising.

Some films on HDnet look fab though.
Once upon a time in America this week looked MUCH better. Not smeary at all.

dvdreview has info from warner batman (1989) 3/31/09
on a BD25?? not a BD50, how much you wanna bet no True Dolby HD audio.

Its listed as having TrueHD
http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/batman-on-blu-ray.html
Further Details:
Warner Home Video has announced the Blu-ray release of a series of Batman features for the 22nd of December, priced at around £19.99 apiece. Along with 1989's Batman, you'll find Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Details are still sketchy, but early indicators point to 1080p widescreen transfers and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio. A four-disc Batman Legacy boxed set will also be available for £49.99. We'll bring you more details as they are revealed, but in the meantime all available high resolution artwork can be found below.

BATMAN is on HDNet movies as I write this. just watched the first 20 minutes. I hope the BD looks better than this or maybe this is from an old master. looks very soft and smeary. And I don't think that's from the shooting style.

I recorded it last night and you're definitely right about the "soft and smeary" look. I don't think that's the fault of HDNet movies, though, as some of the stuff they show looks absolutely fantastic. :cool:

Yeah. I was a bit disappointed. Let's hope the BD looks better. If not, I ain't buying.

Its listed as having TrueHD
http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/batman-on-blu-ray.html

UK version having True Dolby HD is no guarantee the US version will:mad:

UK version having True Dolby HD is no guarantee the US version will:mad:

When has a Warner release been different in the UK than in the US?? They use the same discs worldwide.

So has anyone imported these yet, are they region free? I am gonna get rid of my DVD box set now since the price seems to be right...

So has anyone imported these yet, are they region free? I am gonna get rid of my DVD box set now since the price seems to be right...

They're still not out yet. Ask in a few days.

So has anyone imported these yet, are they region free? I am gonna get rid of my DVD box set now since the price seems to be right...

No I'm waiting for the release of the boxset in March.

I just got a notice from Amazon.co.uk that these shipped... crossing my fingers the quality is good!

If anyone has received , please help to confirm if region free or lock.

I just got a notice from Amazon.co.uk that these shipped... crossing my fingers the quality is good!

Lucky! Mine still says Dispatching Soon :(

I don;t think the movie will improve much on bluray. that is how it always has looked. batman returns is actually a better transfer.

Jacob

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but look at that release date on YesAsia again - 12/31/2009. 09, a year from now.

Not that I think the set will actually come out that late - but I bet that's YesAsia's way of saying that the release date (previously Feb. 11th, 2009 I believe) is no longer firm. The listing for this set has been completely pulled from Amazon.co.jp and HMV.co.jp, so I figure some release date reworking is in order.

Yep, Warner pulled it at the last minute so I canceled my Japan order and instead went for the UK Boxset in March.

IN STOCK NOW all 4 of the 80's and 90's Batman movies in stock at amazon.co.uk, does anyone know if they are Region All or not and can you let us know the picture quality thanks, i want to wait and make sure before i buy

I hope they release a complete Batman set ehre in the US with the latest 2 movies too since I don't own any of them on BR (just the DVD and HD-DVD versions of Batman Begins).

I just ordered all 4 flicks. I was having my doubts because I feel Warner will have these released soon. I couldn't resist though and pulled the trigger.

It was posted on HighDefDigest that these discs work in USA PS3's, so they're at least Region A, B

Ordered my Aussie 4 Blu-Rays to. Released 1st week of January.

warner never zoned any blu-ray they sell so there is little "hope" these will be zoned.

There is cover pics on Blu-ray.com forum and also some average digicam caps of the movie, one guy said PQ on Batman was pretty good though.

I'm also getting the Aussie releases in early January.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but I'm sorry, how on Earth can you put Batman And Robin at number 1???:eek: It deserves to be at the bottom of the list purely for what they did to Bane at least! It wasn't a total disaster, personally I thought Arnie was great as Mr. Freeze and made you feel sympathy for him despite becoming a villain, but overall the film was a disappointment. Also, what was wrong with Batman Returns?:confused:

WOW.

Such a universally panned piece of celluloid vomit. I guess now we know why these things get made: the studios certainly realize there is some audience out there to watch this... :D

89 and Returns are still my top 2 Batman movies.

Must haves for me.

Keaton > Bale. any time. He actually let the Joker DIE.

Yep. I like the Bale films but really don't like Bale as Wayne/Batman. And I like Bale as an actor in most other things. But in his Batfilms he literally only plays 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. gets monotonous and dull after awhile and his ridiculous batvoice...
Keaton deftly portrayed the dual identity and was alot more interesting to watch IMHO.

Completely agree with you mack.

It's too bad they can't use ADR and have Kevin Conroy do the voice whenever bale has the cowl on.;) Seriously, I wouldn't bat an eye if they did that in the films.
That and Bale never makes me feel that Batman is a genius, three most important aspects of Batman as a hero: 1, he has lots of money, which leads to 2, he has lots of free time so he's always in the gym and 3, the dude can invent his own tech and devise devious traps for criminals.

Man I want those first two, and the other just because they're Batman. Need a box though.:(

I hope someone can figure out a way to get some of Batman's more 'comic-y' villains to work in the world that Nolan created. If they can't, then he might have made just a tiny mistake(still love both of them though).

I'll copy myself from what I said over the AVforums.

Check them all 4. PQ is ok but I expected more of the last two films. Not as "bright-colorful" as I expected. Batman and returns are a good upgrade from the dvd's.

I'd give them all around 3.5-3.9 out of 5 on PQ.

As for the AQ, well the sound design specially of the first 2 films sounds dated, but still pretty good. However what kicks ass is the soundtrack. The score by elfman and goldentath (or however the heck his name is written) "complete" the audio spectre in a very good way. A nice improvment over the DTS tracks. however not mindblowing. A 3.5-4 out of 5 on AQ

Extras are the same as the dvd's, all in SD.

This is done with a quick check! so if you can grab them from amazon wich as a nice price, and also are able to sell your dvd's for a modest price, you're in for a good improvment (however not as good as blade runner or how te west was won, the best improvments done by Warner)

Keaton > Bale. any time. He actually let the Joker DIE.

That's probably the biggest problem I had with the Burton movies. One of the reasons why I like THE DARK KNIGHT so much is because, not only does Batman not kill people, but that issue is the driving force behind his relationship with the Joker. I think that's fascinating stuff.

Anyway, can anyone confirm that BATMAN RETURNS is uncut, with the microwave scene intact? Thanks.

For the last time...

BATMAN RETURNS IS UNCUT!!!!!!!!!

Thank you. Goodnight.

Anyone think there will be any differences in these and the ones to be released here?

Im a fan of the first two and am thinking of getting them instead of waiting...

For the last time...

BATMAN RETURNS IS UNCUT!!!!!!!!!

Thank you. Goodnight.

The BBFC website says the last classification was 2005 and it's still cut....Of course that website sometimes is slow to update with the latest news......Can i ask how you know it's now uncut ?

The BBFC website says the last classification was 2005 and it's still cut....Of course that website sometimes is slow to update with the latest news......Can i ask how you know it's now uncut ?

Because people have the disc, and have reported that the microwave scene is intact, as well as the director commentary that was previously removed because it didn't sync up with the cut version of the film.

Yep. I like the Bale films but really don't like Bale as Wayne/Batman. And I like Bale as an actor in most other things. But in his Batfilms he literally only plays 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. gets monotonous and dull after awhile and his ridiculous batvoice...
Keaton deftly portrayed the dual identity and was alot more interesting to watch IMHO.

yep. put Keaton in Nolan's films and you have tons of win.

That's probably the biggest problem I had with the Burton movies. One of the reasons why I like THE DARK KNIGHT so much is because, not only does Batman not kill people, but that issue is the driving force behind his relationship with the Joker. I think that's fascinating stuff.

Anyway, can anyone confirm that BATMAN RETURNS is uncut, with the microwave scene intact? Thanks.

both batman characters work for their respective films. Not like TDK batman would gain anything from killing some random psychopathic loser.

In the Keaton Batman, it became revenge. This Joker actually had a history--he killed Batman's parents. Bastard MUST DIE ;)

Have we confirmed TrueHD audio?

Have we confirmed TrueHD audio?

Just been reading up on all four films and they do indeed have Dolby True HD and all the extra's from the special edition DVD releases.

Batman Returns has been rated 15 certificate and is also now fully uncut as confirmed earlier in the thread. The old cut rating was a 12 certificate for the movie in the UK.

I just received an email from amazon UK saying it's been delayed : expected delivery : 08th of january instead of 30/31st dec. ...
now it's in stock but not direct from amazon.

The BBFC website says the last classification was 2005 and it's still cut....Of course that website sometimes is slow to update with the latest news......Can i ask how you know it's now uncut ?

OMG. Because several people across several forums already have the disc and have confirmed it.....several......times....

Watched the original film on HDNet Movies the other day and was amazed that what once was the bomb for me, now is a bore. My God, it is so stiff and lifeless compared to Batman Begins and Dark Knight. What the hell was I thinking all these years? I had considered it an all time favorite! :eek:

I won't even bother buying it on BD because 90% makes me want to fall asleep. :(

lol

yeah i watched it on hdnet awhile back. man jack nicholson walking around with a giant boombox blasting prince really had my wife and i rolling with how cheesy these were in comparison to batman begins and TDK

lol

yeah i watched it on hdnet awhile back. man jack nicholson walking around with a giant boombox blasting prince really had my wife and i rolling with how cheesy these were in comparison to batman begins and TDK

And that's how people looked at Batman: The Movie back in 1989. Obviously these movies aren't as slick and edgy as TDK or Begins but they do hold a great place in history as blockbusters. They are their own envisioning of batman and you can't constantly compare it to the next and newest version unless you like ruining it for yourself.

That and the Batmobile from those movies absolutely kicks ass.

i understand that, but i was like 7 when it came out and i saw it intheaters. it wasnt cheesy at all back then to me. now when i rewatch it i can see that its a completely different style of movie.

i still enjoy them all, well except batman and robin

just saying its a totally different route they took with the new movies

Tim Burton has grown so much as a director since that time. Today the film would be so much better. He has mastered action and pacing and knows how to keep control over the performers.

Now Danny Elfman's music is still amazing. That score is probably one of the all time best.

Tim Burton has grown so much as a director since that time. Today the film would be so much better. He has mastered action and pacing and knows how to keep control over the performers.

Now Danny Elfman's music is still amazing. That score is probably one of the all time best.

Elfman's score is MUCH more thematic than the ones for the new films. That's another plus over BB and TDK.

And I still think Keaton is a MUCH better Bruce Wayne.

lol

yeah i watched it on hdnet awhile back. man jack nicholson walking around with a giant boombox blasting prince really had my wife and i rolling with how cheesy these were in comparison to batman begins and TDK

+1

Saw it in theaters back in 89 and I hated it.
That year was a nightmare with Batman merchandise EVERYWHERE!
Dark times ;)

It could have been so much better if Tim didn´t go for total cheese and wierdness.

Though Batman Returns is pretty watchable.
That´s probably the only one in the series I´m gonna watch on BD.

Thank god for Batman begins that gave is the true dark Batman to the big screen.

OMG. Because several people across several forums already have the disc and have confirmed it.....several......times....

Calm down i was just asking a question and if you read a few posts down you will see i researched it anyways.

If you knew how bad our BBFC censors body used to be you wouldn't/shouldn't be surprised that i was asking the question.

Elfman's score is MUCH more thematic than the ones for the new films. That's another plus over BB and TDK.

And I still think Keaton is a MUCH better Bruce Wayne.

I agree about the score and the Batman mobile too. I didn't like the constant playing (nor selection) of music in TDK and it reminded me too much of a TV show/drama - certainly not a movie. I'm probably split on which Bruce Wayne I like better, but I can see where you're coming from. I also like the classical Joker look in Burton's movie. Burton's style, creativity, and surrealism make the first two movies unique in a way and have a certain classic feel.

Calm down i was just asking a question and if you read a few posts down you will see i researched it anyways.

If you knew how bad our BBFC censors body used to be you wouldn't/shouldn't be surprised that i was asking the question.

I'm well aware of it. I don't understand the terrorizing nature of a head-butt.

I'm not a fan of any type of censorship. It would have been easy to go region-free.

Elfman's score is MUCH more thematic than the ones for the new films. That's another plus over BB and TDK.

And I still think Keaton is a MUCH better Bruce Wayne.

Elfman's Batman theme easily tops Zimmer and Howard's, although the latter's score has grown on me. Elfman's music in Batman Returns is amazing though. Definitely the best score out of all the Batflicks(too bad the movie itself is only average).

I do appreciate what Zimmer and Howard did with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It's taken a few viewings, but both scores have grown on me. Some of the motifs are really subtle.

It's hard to compare Keaton's Bruce Wayne to Bale's. Bale is playing it more like what Christopher Reeve did with Clark Kent. The public persona of Wayne is that of a showboating, carefree womanizer. His serious Wayne is only known to a few people like Rachel, Alfred, and Lucius Fox. He's essentially playing three characters in effect(public Bruce, private Bruce, and Batman). Keaton on the other hand plays it straight as Bruce Wayne the entire time.

As for their respective Batmans, I prefer Keaton's although I don't like how he nonchalantly kills a bunch of people, especially in the first Burton film. Bale is also better at the scary Batman like when he confronts Flask and Maroni.

And that's how people looked at Batman: The Movie back in 1989. Obviously these movies aren't as slick and edgy as TDK or Begins but they do hold a great place in history as blockbusters. They are their own envisioning of batman and you can't constantly compare it to the next and newest version unless you like ruining it for yourself.

It's not a matter of how slick or edgy the newer incarnations are. It's a matter of how well written they are, more than anything else. If comparing the old versions of Batman to the new ones constitutes ruining them, then that means that the old ones weren't very good to begin with. And if that is the case (which I don't think it is), if further knowledge exposes a given piece of work's flaws, then wouldn't you rather ruin it than live in blissful ignorance? Sometimes, truth hurts.

It's not a matter of how slick or edgy the newer incarnations are. It's a matter of how well written they are, more than anything else. If comparing the old versions of Batman to the new ones constitutes ruining them, then that means that the old ones weren't very good to begin with. And if that is the case (which I don't think it is), if further knowledge exposes a given piece of work's flaws, then wouldn't you rather ruin it than live in blissful ignorance? Sometimes, truth hurts.

Just because something has flaws doesn't mean it's bad. There are flaws in LOTS of amazing movies.

In the case of Batman, it's a re-imaging and your preference towards different aspects of each.

Truth hurts? I'm no die-hard fan of TDK or BB. They both have major flaws as well. There is some atrocious acting in both...mainly by smaller characters.

But this thread shouldn't be a comparison of the films. Bottom line is that my parents ordered the first 3 for me from the UK for Christmas. True, I won't have them by then but I'll get them soon enough. :) And I sold my DVD boxed set for $80 so it's a definite win-win.

I'm well aware of it. I don't understand the terrorizing nature of a head-butt.

I'm not a fan of any type of censorship. It would have been easy to go region-free.

The head-butt is typically associated with football (soccer) hooligans in the BBFC eyes so they will give a film a 15 rating if it contains them. As most summer block busters will be aiming for a pg / 12 rating then they will cut these out for the UK release.

You only have to look at some of the Brosnan bond films where the US release will contain the odd head-butt which will be absent in the UK release, however the US version would typically have the sex scenes cut a bit short compared to the UK version, seems the bumping of heads is fine but the bumping and grinding of bodies is not when it comes to the MPAA.

IMO they should use seamless branching and a region dependent family setting on the blu-ray player to enable people to view films in the original and uncut version.

The head-butt is typically associated with football (soccer) hooligans in the BBFC eyes so they will give a film a 15 rating if it contains them. As most summer block busters will be aiming for a pg / 12 rating then they will cut these out for the UK release.

You only have to look at some of the Brosnan bond films where the US release will contain the odd head-butt which will be absent in the UK release, however the US version would typically have the sex scenes cut a bit short compared to the UK version, seems the bumping of heads is fine but the bumping and grinding of bodies is not when it comes to the MPAA.

IMO they should use seamless branching and a region dependent family setting on the blu-ray player to enable people to view films in the original and uncut version.

Yeah...don't get me started on this country and it's ridiculous puritanical views on sex and sexuality. It disgusts me.

man, that's when I love to live in a country where NO films is EVER cut, unless it comes that way from the source. There is no censorship here in spain, only for porn wich have their own cinemas, but as for the rest, you can watch a gore movie without any types of cuts here, or stuff some will consider offensive or dangerous for kids or stupid stuff like that, never happens in spain :D

Watched the original film on HDNet Movies the other day and was amazed that what once was the bomb for me, now is a bore. My God, it is so stiff and lifeless compared to Batman Begins and Dark Knight. What the hell was I thinking all these years? I had considered it an all time favorite! :eek:

I won't even bother buying it on BD because 90% makes me want to fall asleep. :(

Take a look back at Batman Begins and The Dark Knight a decade from now and see how badly the shaky-cam crap has dated them. :)

Have we confirmed TrueHD audio?

I have all Four batman releases. All movies are on a BD-50 Disk, have Dolby True HD audio and have all the extras found on the special edition DVDs.

Also for those who are asking about UK version of batman returns. It is uncut.

Any reviews anybody?

I have all Four batman releases. All movies are on a BD-50 Disk, have Dolby True HD audio and have all the extras found on the special edition DVDs.

Also for those who are asking about UK version of batman returns. It is uncut.


Are they Region locked?

Take a look back at Batman Begins and The Dark Knight a decade from now and see how badly the shaky-cam crap has dated them. :)

Fully agree.
Why bother choreographing a fight scene when you can just create all in editing?
During the fight scene in TDK where we first see the fake Batman wannabees, the scene was shot and edited so ineptly I had no idea what was going on or who was doing what.

Any reviews anybody?

I received Batman and Batman Returns from Amazon.uk on Saturday. I've only had a chance to watch the original and it's a definite improvement over the 2 disc SD DVD and the HDNet broadcast. I didn't notice any edge enhancement and it appears to only have a very mild amount of DNR; the 2 disc DVD set displayed this as well, so I believe that it's a master issue. The TrueHD track was also an improvement over the dts track. IMHO, it was well worth the upgrade. I'm going to try to watch Returns sometime this week; most likely Tuesday or Wednesday night.

Are they Region locked?

They are Region free.

Are they Region locked?

I will assume they will be region free like every other warner title out there. So far I have not found a warner title that uses region coding.

Awesome!

I received Batman and Batman Returns from Amazon.uk on Saturday. I've only had a chance to watch the original and it's a definite improvement over the 2 disc SD DVD and the HDNet broadcast. I didn't notice any edge enhancement and it appears to only have a very mild amount of DNR; the 2 disc DVD set displayed this as well, so I believe that it's a master issue. The TrueHD track was also an improvement over the dts track. IMHO, it was well worth the upgrade. I'm going to try to watch Returns sometime this week; most likely Tuesday or Wednesday night.



They are Region free.
When did your discs ship? Mine were suppose to ship today, but Amazon UK is being slow.

Would someone from the UK be so kind as to get these locally and ship them to me (California). I'll gladly pay a premium. Ordered all four from Amazon when they were released and they were all listed as in stock and shipping the next day. Got an email two days later that Batman was now unavailable with no new date and they were not shipping the other three until a week later on the 29th. Just looked again today and now none of them are due to ship for another week or two and several of them are now listed as unavailable!!!! Why list a title as "IN STOCK" if they have no intention of shipping it??

If someone is kind enough, please PM me.

How is the PQ on these? I'd like to pick up the first 2 films.

When did your discs ship? Mine were suppose to ship today, but Amazon UK is being slow.

I pre-ordered them on 26 Nov and they shipped on 21 Dec.

I pre-ordered them on 26 Nov and they shipped on 21 Dec.
Thanks, jdawg. You received them quick. I am hoping mine get sent tomorrow or Wednesday. My dispatch date did say today, but Amazon UK has been slow in going out before for me.

Mine shipped on the 20th and I got them today. :)

For any UK-ers (like me) who want to get them all, all 4 of the 'original' Batman movies (1989-) are available in Blockbuster video stores in their '2 for £25' deal. :)

Take a look back at Batman Begins and The Dark Knight a decade from now and see how badly the shaky-cam crap has dated them. :)

The "shaky-cam" style started so many years ago now I thought it would be dated by now. Yet people are still using it!

And as far as fight sequences go, I'm just amazed how so many film-makers fail to realise how uninteresting the jerky-cut "what did he just do to the guy?" style of fight editing is for us viewers.

I got Batman and Returns, and Returns finally has the commentary ! after the dvd was missing it
Batman is very soft in some scenes and returns is very inconsistant

Does anyone know if there are any vendors that have these in stock and will ship them to the US? Amazon UK only has the first BATMAN; they say that RETURNS and FOREVER are "currently unavailable". Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

Am I going to be beaten if I said I didn't see or hear much improvement on Batman? Haven't checked the other 2.

Am I going to be beaten if I said I didn't see or hear much improvement on Batman? Haven't checked the other 2.

I personally found the PQ and SQ improvements to be well worth the upgrade for Batman; the PQ in particular. The picture has some very mild DNR from time to time with a soft scene or two (the zoomed out shot of the bat cave comes to mind, but it's always been that way in all of the versions that I've watched), but overall it definitely has better picture than either the 2 disc DVD set or the HDNet broadcast.

Fully agree.
Why bother choreographing a fight scene when you can just create all in editing?
During the fight scene in TDK where we first see the fake Batman wannabees, the scene was shot and edited so ineptly I had no idea what was going on or who was doing what.

In the first movie, Nolan wanted to show the fight from the bad guys perspective, so its supposed to be confusing.

Its not really a fighting driven film.

Now is one of those times I really wish Xploited was still actively importing discs. Amazon is jerking my order around too.

I don't know why these weren't on my radar or I would have pre-ordered in November.

Now is one of those times I really wish Xploited was still actively importing discs. Amazon is jerking my order around too.

I don't know why these weren't on my radar or I would have pre-ordered in November.
I talked to an customer rep at Amazon UK today. I guess the way it works is what shipping method you choose and what movies you are ordering. I ordered all four, but Batman Returns and Forever became unavailable and I chose grouping my shipment together because it was alot cheaper. If any of your movies become unavailable then your shipment gets delayed.

Returns looks great. Not 10/10 but they did a damn good job and it's well worth buying.

I talked to an customer rep at Amazon UK today. I guess the way it works is what shipping method you choose and what movies you are ordering. I ordered all four, but Batman Returns and Forever became unavailable and I chose grouping my shipment together because it was alot cheaper. If any of your movies become unavailable then your shipment gets delayed.

That's understandable, but as others have said, all 4 were showing as In Stock when I placed the order.

I just hope they are holding what they do have. I really don't want them piecemeal. I would love to hear a US announcement soon so I could cancel the order. But I just want these now! :)

Does anyone know if there are any vendors that have these in stock and will ship them to the US? Amazon UK only has the first BATMAN; they say that RETURNS and FOREVER are "currently unavailable". Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

try www.play.com, i guess they ship to US and titles should be available.

Am I going to be beaten if I said I didn't see or hear much improvement on Batman? Haven't checked the other 2.

What is your display size, resolution, and seating distance?

try www.play.com, i guess they ship to US and titles should be available.


Thanks for the info.

What is your display size, resolution, and seating distance?

56" Sammy plasma, 1080p...and...oh...i'd say 8-9 feet.

Thanks for the info.

The UK version of play does not ship to the US.

Check the import venders list on blu-ray.com. There are a bunch that ship to the US.

same thing happened to me on amazon i had Batman and Batman Returns ordered and it was delayed becuase Returns is unavailable so i canceled returns and now it shows that Batman the first one is shipping soon oh well at least i am getting the first one first lol

They sent me an email a minute ago saying Batman Forever isn't in stock, but they'll send it as soon as they get a copy...

They sent me an email a minute ago saying Batman Forever isn't in stock, but they'll send it as soon as they get a copy...

Yeah I got the same email about Returns and Forever. So much for them being "in stock". :rolleyes:

I had to scramble to cancel the order so I didn't get the other two shipped. I want all 4 at once or forget it. I guess I'll just wait for the boxset.

ya i would like all 4 at once too but at the moment i only see Batman and Batman And Robin in stock, i am just getting Batman for now, at least its the first of the 4.

In the first movie, Nolan wanted to show the fight from the bad guys perspective, so its supposed to be confusing.

Its not really a fighting driven film.

Hiya Movieswede! Happy New Year!
I meant in TDK, not the first movie.
And if you did mean TDK, I disagree. There is a way to "confuse" the audience as to which character is which but the first thing you learn in film school, (and I went, NYU...) is not to "break the axis" ... When you DO break the axis it should be something VERY important dramatically for a reason, not just back and forth randomly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule
You could easily keep the 180 rule while showing different Batmans to play up the scene and enhance confusion, misdirection but that's not what was done. In every action scene this was violated and they just become a bunch of noise after awhile. Stuff blows up, goes boom, moves fast. yawn...
I personally thought this myself but found an exact echo in a review I read here...


http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/48514/

"...if those truck crashes were any fun, but the tumult is spectacularly incoherent. Nolan appears to have no clue how to stage or shoot action. He got away with the chopped-up fights in Batman Begins because his hero was a barely glimpsed ninja, coming at villains from all angles in stroboscopic flashes. There are more variables here, which means more opportunities to say “What the f--- just happened?” I defy you to make spatial sense of the early scene in which Batman battles faux Batmen, gangsters, and the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy in a cameo that comes to nothing). If you can, move on to Level 2, diagramming the “Bat-tank versus Joker-truck versus cop car” chase. Then, finally, take the Ultimate Challenge: following the climax with Batman, the Joker, decoy hostages dressed as clowns, a SWAT team, and Morgan Freeman’s Lucius with some kind of sonar monitoring gizmo that tracks all the parties on video screens. Actually, Freeman looks like he knows what’s going on. Maybe the sequence plays well in sonar..."

(Before I went back into music, I was seriously considering becoming a film editor after NYU. But I found that I didn't enjoy doing it unless I shot the footage myself. I still dabble and freelance occasionally btw, industrials etc...)

TDK is a textbook example of really bad action editing IMHO. Wanna see a well edited action scene? Watch believe it or not a Spielberg film, or Walter Hill. That's film language....

On the subject of bad action editing -- Quantum Of Solace had the worst I've EVER seen by FAR.

I hear ya. Lee. Haven't seen it yet but read the reviews. The shakycam stuff in the "Bourne" films is almost too much for me. In the second one there is a scene in an empty house which was hideous...
To me, (old school, I know) an edit is like an accent, a change in perspective. Like a cymbal by a drummer in a rock song. If you bash the cymbal at the end of every measure, it loses it's power and meaning. Just like if you have an edit every second and a 1/2. Eventually it means nothing.
Remember the scene in "Goodfellas" where Ray Liotta's character finds out that the neighbor across the street from his girlfriend, (before she was his wife in the film) was messing with her and he walked across the street and in ONE shot, takes out his gun and beats him in the face until the guy is crumpled on the ground? Why that scene was IMHO SO effective? Because the action was in just ONE shot. Editing is VERY easy. Setting up a continuous tracking shot like that, a long take takes ALOT of time to choreograph and rehearse and shoot to get just right. When it works, it blows away the edit every one and a 1/2 secong school of modern filmmaking.

but i'm an old fart so what do I know...?


;)

TDK is a textbook example of really bad action editing IMHO. Wanna see a well edited action scene? Watch believe it or not a Spielberg film, or Walter Hill. That's film language....
I think part of that was because of the limitations of the IMAX cameras. The extras said something about double cutting it was something like "We double cut, but in a way that hopefully the audience doesn't know it", that was prefaced by saying they tried not to though.

Best action filmed sequences in the past few years are in Children of Men, they're very long tracking shots without cuts(there are some occasionally , but there are few). The whole movie feels very Spielbergien too.

I think the long takes add more drama, and tend to look a little prettier. But I gotta hand it to Nolan for doing practical effects where ever he could(that's half the battle that most action films get wrong). They should probably look into getting a stronger 2nd Unit director that can take over the action bits from Nolan. But as far a a crime drama goes, Nolan mostly nailed it.

But yeah Mack I agree with you on those fast cuts getting tiresome fast. There was a little doc about film editing on Encore that covered the history of those cuts and some of the editors and directors gave there opinions, it was good stuff. Wish I remembered the name of it. People should definitely check out the doc that I can't remember the title of.

How is the PQ on these? I'd like to pick up the first 2 films.
Not too bad (http://www.hundland.org/hd/b/b.htm#batmanreturns). It might be better than TDK. ;)

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/6818/thedarkknight243dr6.jpg (http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/2619/thedarkknight243ct9.jpg)

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6345/batmanreturns15ld1.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5857/batmanreturns15dp1.jpg)

I think part of that was because of the limitations of the IMAX cameras. The extras said something about double cutting it was something like "We double cut, but in a way that hopefully the audience doesn't know it", that was prefaced by saying they tried not to though.

Best action filmed sequences in the past few years are in Children of Men, they're very long tracking shots without cuts(there are some occasionally , but there are few). The whole movie feels very Spielbergien too.

I think the long takes add more drama, and tend to look a little prettier. But I gotta hand it to Nolan for doing practical effects where ever he could(that's half the battle that most action films get wrong). They should probably look into getting a stronger 2nd Unit director that can take over the action bits from Nolan. But as far a a crime drama goes, Nolan mostly nailed it.

But yeah Mack I agree with you on those fast cuts getting tiresome fast. There was a little doc about film editing on Encore that covered the history of those cuts and some of the editors and directors gave there opinions, it was good stuff. Wish I remembered the name of it. People should definitely check out the doc that I can't remember the title of.

agreed, Shadow. I LOVED Children Of Men. That last sequence was incredibly tense and visceral and the way they shot it was part of the reason it worked IMHO. I also think that nothing beats the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan though for truly immersing an audience in the action. Disorienting when needed for the story, like when Hanks has the explosion go off too close to him and he gets rattled for a minute, perfect example of good film technique visually showing what's going on dramatically.
And I don't dislike Nolan, I just think that action scenes aren't his strongpoint. Perhaps he should have farmed them out to a good second unit director? The Ledger scenes are amazing. Truly amazing though.

:)

:)

And I don't dislike Nolan, I just think that action scenes aren't his strongpoint. Perhaps he should have farmed them out to a good second unit director? The Ledger scenes are amazing. Truly amazing though.


May very well be that action isnt his strongest side, but I can live without it, it isnt action that made me se both BB and TDK in theaters.

But if we talk action, I think Die Hard is one of the finest action movies. Very wellcrafted.

May very well be that action isnt his strongest side, but I can live without it, it isnt action that made me se both BB and TDK in theaters.

But if we talk action, I think Die Hard is one of the finest action movies. Very wellcrafted.

Agreed. McTiernan back in the day...

:)

Anybody here order Batman '89 from Amazon.uk and if so, how long did it take to get it? Looks like they have it for a VERY reasonable price so I'm thinking of picking it up. :cool:

Anybody here order Batman '89 from Amazon.uk and if so, how long did it take to get it? Looks like they have it for a VERY reasonable price so I'm thinking of picking it up. :cool:

Mine took about 7 days to arrive! Not bad at all.......

And it case anybody wanted to know Returns is back in stock at Amazon.uk!:D

Screen Captures on hundland.org (http://www.hundland.org/hd/)

Batman Returns looks really good but so did the broadcast HD version so it's not a big surprise.

I stick to my copy of TDK which is THE BEST Batman/Joker Movie. Tim Burton did a great job back in 89 but he didn't cast the right Batman, Michael Keaton??? Come on!
Anyways I have the boxset on my DVD shelves and I'm not planning on re-watching them especially the last two from Schumacher.

I stick to my copy of TDK which is THE BEST Batman/Joker Movie. Tim Burton did a great job back in 89 but he didn't cast the right Batman, Michael Keaton??? Come on!
Anyways I have the boxset on my DVD shelves and I'm not planning on re-watching them especially the last two from Schumacher.

TDK is a better "Batman" movie overall, but the original Burton movie is still great. They just represent two different takes on the character. As for Keaton, I thought that he was awesome and really nailed the Batman character; the Wayne role could've used better writing to help flesh out the character a bit more. Forever is decent, but B&R is just a terrible, terrible movie.

I'd take Keaton ANY day over Bale who plays 2 and only 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. And his Batvoice sounds like he's throwing up. Not intimidating, just ridiculous.

+1

Another vote for Keaton. He really nailed the Batman voice.

I'd take Keaton ANY day over Bale who plays 2 and only 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. And his Batvoice sounds like he's throwing up. Not intimidating, just ridiculous.

Well do we need an emotional Batman? I don't, but I have to agree with the Batvoice, I think Keaton is just too short to be a credible Batman, is acting wasn't bad but he is too small for this character IMHO.

OK so all four showed as in stock this morning, and I replaced my order. All 4 have moved to "dispatching soon", but for some reason Batman Returns is being listed as a separate shipment. Strange.

As a Batman fan, I've got too many problems with Batman and Batman Returns. Forever fixed some of those issues, but it also added a lot of its own. Batman and Robin is funny in small doses. I only ordered Forever and if I ever see B&R for dirt cheap I may pick it up. I'd like to find Batman: The Movie for cheap too and I'd pick it up for laughs. Nolan and Bale are the first people to bring the real Batman universe to the screen, IMO.

I'd take Keaton ANY day over Bale who plays 2 and only 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. And his Batvoice sounds like he's throwing up. Not intimidating, just ridiculous.

Yes, the bat voice in Dark Knight especially was just awful.

As a Batman fan, I've got too many problems with Batman and Batman Returns. Forever fixed some of those issues, but it also added a lot of its own.

Batman and Returns do have there fair share of issues in terms of Batman continuity, but they're good, solid Batman movies. I understand that Wayne was under written, there was no Batman/Commissioner Gordon or Bruce/Alfred relationships, the Joker being the murderer of the Wayne’s, Batman killing (even though he killed in the first couple of Batman comics), Bruce letting damn near everyone know that he was Batman, etc., but the movies brought Batman back to the forefront and made him the Dark Knight again. You are right in that Forever fixed some of those issues, but it ruined some things that were right. The two biggest issues that I have with Forever are the damn neon lights and Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face. Both issues make the movie tough to watch for me.

For any UK-ers (like me) who want to get them all, all 4 of the 'original' Batman movies (1989-) are available in Blockbuster video stores in their '2 for £25' deal. :)

Thanks for the tip!!:cool:

Batman and Returns do have there fair share of issues in terms of Batman continuity, but they're good, solid Batman movies. I understand that Wayne was under written, there was no Batman/Commissioner Gordon or Bruce/Alfred relationships, the Joker being the murderer of the Wayne’s, Batman killing (even though he killed in the first couple of Batman comics), Bruce letting damn near everyone know that he was Batman, etc., but the movies brought Batman back to the forefront and made him the Dark Knight again. You are right in that Forever fixed some of those issues, but it ruined some things that were right. The two biggest issues that I have with Forever are the damn neon lights and Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face. Both issues make the movie tough to watch for me.

You pretty much nailed most of my issues with the first Batman. Another thing I didn't like about it was that it was just boring to me. He also looked like he lumbered around too much. If he jumped from a rooftop, I imagine he would die, where in the other movies he would simply glide to safety.

Batman Returns is a lot more entertaining of a movie, but the Penguin completely kills the movie for me. Burton ruined that character. Unfortunately, Batman still kills people in this one. I actually liked Max Schreck and thought Catwoman was alright, although her story was a little out there.

With Forever, I thought the villains were the weak part and I also hated the neon lights. I think Tommy Lee Jones would have been a great Joker in the movie with the way he played Two-Face. Dent is supposed to be a very serious nut-job. Jim Carrey as the Ridler was just Jim Carrey in a green suit.

I forgot to mention that I hated Jack Nicholson as the Joker. He just played himself like he does in every movie and his look reminded me of my grandma when she's getting ready for bed :D

I forgot to mention that I hated Jack Nicholson as the Joker. He just played himself like he does in every movie and his look reminded me of my grandma when she's getting ready for bed :D

Heath Ledger is unbeatable for is Joker performance and I don't think anybody can say Jack Nicholson was better.
:)

I'd take Keaton ANY day over Bale who plays 2 and only 2 emotions. Brooding and rage. And his Batvoice sounds like he's throwing up. Not intimidating, just ridiculous.

I thought Keaton was fine as Batman, but was really sketchy as Bruce Wayne. Though that wasn't really his fault, it was the writing. I think Bale is by far the best Bruce Wayne, and is also a worthy Batman.

You pretty much nailed most of my issues with the first Batman. Another thing I didn't like about it was that it was just boring to me. He also looked like he lumbered around too much. If he jumped from a rooftop, I imagine he would die, where in the other movies he would simply glide to safety.

That's another problem. For those who want to complain about the action scenes in BB and TDK(I thought they were just fine), try watching the "fights" in BATMAN '89. Batman can't even move. RETURNS was a bit better in this regard, but the fights in the new movies are much better.

That's another problem. For those who want to complain about the action scenes in BB and TDK(I thought they were just fine), try watching the "fights" in BATMAN '89. Batman can't even move. RETURNS was a bit better in this regard, but the fights in the new movies are much better.

I thought the fights were fine in the 2 newer movies. He did look stiff in the Begins suit at the beginning of TDK, but I think that was on purpose because in the story he wanted a different suit so he could move around better.

That's another problem. For those who want to complain about the action scenes in BB and TDK(I thought they were just fine), try watching the "fights" in BATMAN '89. Batman can't even move. RETURNS was a bit better in this regard, but the fights in the new movies are much better.

I thought the fights were fine in the 2 newer movies. He did look stiff in the Begins suit at the beginning of TDK, but I think that was on purpose because in the story he wanted a different suit so he could move around better.

I don't think that Keaton could move very well in the rubber suits. There have been several improvements in regard to the costume material over the past 15-20 years... :D

OK so all four showed as in stock this morning, and I replaced my order. All 4 have moved to "dispatching soon", but for some reason Batman Returns is being listed as a separate shipment. Strange.

Same here except my Batman Returns is listed as 'Not Yet Dispatched'.

Same here except my Batman Returns is listed as 'Not Yet Dispatched'.

Funny...mine says it will not be dispatched until Jan. 5th:confused:

I don't think that Keaton could move very well in the rubber suits. There have been several improvements in regard to the costume material over the past 15-20 years... :D
Yeah, I watched Returns this morning and it's funny to see Keaton having to turn his whole body, just to react to look at something. He does a lot of eye acting as well to compensate.

Maybe we should keep this thread about the BD's themselves of the older films and not let it turn into an old vs. new. Keaton vs. Bale vs. West, Burton vs Nolan... thread.
There are plenty of other bat-threads out there and to discuss the films themselves belongs more in the movies forum.

So how's the visuals, particularly for Batman 89.? I'm ponying up regardless,I never bought the older films on dvd,and I've not seen Batman 89 in years.So it's a no brainer purchase for me anyways...

OK so all four showed as in stock this morning, and I replaced my order. All 4 have moved to "dispatching soon", but for some reason Batman Returns is being listed as a separate shipment. Strange.
All four went into dispatch soon for me as well today. I ordered mine back on Dec. 26th.

Batman shipped today. Returns & Forever are dispatching soon but the dates for Returns & Forever are Jan 20-21. Amazon usually gives crazy dates like that, then turn around & ship items way before then. Hopefully the latter.

Maybe we should keep this thread about the BD's themselves of the older films and not let it turn into an old vs. new. Keaton vs. Bale vs. West, Burton vs Nolan... thread.
There are plenty of other bat-threads out there and to discuss the films themselves belongs more in the movies forum.


Totally agree. I went ahead and ordered Batman '89 from Amazon.uk. For under $24 shipped I just couldn't resist. :cool:

Since the info on Amazon is cryptic at best, can somebody that already owns the 1st Batman movie tell what soundtracks (TrueHD?) and subtitles are on the disk? Thanks in advance!

If anyone is interested, I'm posting the specs for the first 3 films in the sticky thread above.

So how's the visuals, particularly for Batman 89.? I'm ponying up regardless,I never bought the older films on dvd,and I've not seen Batman 89 in years.So it's a no brainer purchase for me anyways...

Just watched it from start to finish, there is a very odd looking softness to the image and parts look out of focus.
If you look at the trailer there is more sharpness colour and detail, and that is only 480p !
I am let down with how the disc looks.

So how's the visuals, particularly for Batman 89.? I'm ponying up regardless,I never bought the older films on dvd,and I've not seen Batman 89 in years.So it's a no brainer purchase for me anyways...
Sorry for the plug mayhem, but since you asked... screen captures of Batman (http://www.hundland.org/hd/b/b.htm#batman).

If anyone is interested, I'm posting the specs for the first 3 films in the sticky thread above.
Which show there was enough room to include extras on 2nd disc.

Which show there was enough room to include extras on 2nd disc.

????

You mean a 2nd DVD? Of course there is. That's how they are on DVD.

Just watched it from start to finish, there is a very odd looking softness to the image and parts look out of focus.
If you look at the trailer there is more sharpness colour and detail, and that is only 480p !
I am let down with how the disc looks.

that's how it looks this month on HDnet.
Soft and smeary.
I'm hoping BR looks better.

????

You mean a 2nd DVD? Of course there is. That's how they are on DVD.
Isn't this a 2 disc set with the 2nd disc being a DVD or is that just the US digibook release? They had enough enough room to include those extras on the BD.

Batman Returns is out of stock again on Amazon UK. I ordered all four yesterday, and all of them except Batman Returns are 'Items dispatching soon'. Very annoying.

Isn't this a 2 disc set with the 2nd disc being a DVD or is that just the US digibook release? They had enough enough room to include those extras on the BD.

The US release will be a 2 disc set. This is 1 disc BD50.

Those look pretty good.

Agreed. They don't look overly processed and grain seems intact.

Looks a little filtered... eh, nevermind. It's Warner.

Looks a little filtered... eh, nevermind. It's Warner.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but if you enlarge the images, I see grain in each shot. Are you expecting more grain to be present?

There is no grain as you watch it

There is no grain as you watch it

So why can we see grain on the screencaps?

There is no grain as you watch it
Don't talk absolute rubbish, all four of them have grain present. The hyperbole spewed sometimes... :rolleyes:

I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but if you enlarge the images, I see grain in each shot. Are you expecting more grain to be present?

I expect sharper grain and more fine details but like benes said I'm just glad they didn't give us something filtered to death or oversharpened. I'm also glad they didn't give us the jaggy infested transfer (http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6176/bat35us.jpg) which has been shown on tv. Of course they could've just filtered the jaggies out like they apparently did with The Perfect Storm.

I expect sharper grain and more fine details.

But does the orginal negative have sharper grain and much more detail? (It of course have more detail since no encode can be better then the source)

But grain comes in many flavours.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Film_Grain.jpg

Don't talk absolute rubbish, all four of them have grain present. The hyperbole spewed sometimes... :rolleyes:

Returns is the only one that has a natural grain structure visible and then its clumped and filtered from shot to shot

Returns is the only one that has a natural grain structure visible and then its clumped and filtered from shot to shot
I highly disagree.

There is no grain as you watch it

That's complete crap. The original Batman has a TON of it right from the opening credits.

I dont see it, and the whole thing looks soft and unnatural, watch the trailer on the disc then watch the film

I dont see it, and the whole thing looks soft and unnatural, watch the trailer on the disc then watch the film

Trailer are not very accurate to the source. Often they come from some generation after, and is as a result alot more grainy.

The other thing that usually happens to trailers, is that they sharpen them.

Pics look good to me. It's not like I was expecting a near 20 year old film from Tim Burton to look amazing. Alot of his older stuff has a soft filtered look to them anyway. The screencaps were right in line with how I thought they would look. Amazon has shipped Returns & Forever now too, so hopefully I will have them soon enough.

Just picked up Returns and Forever at Blockbuster at 2 for 25 pounds. No Batman 89 though, dammit. Oh well, hello Amazon....

What's up with Returns and Forever on Amazon, they can't be OOP already. Does it usually od that when a movie sells out or something? Also do you think the box set coming out in March will be region free too?

My Batman Forever went from something like the 6th to the 20-something. Still waiting for it to be dispatched.

I ordered Dark Knight and Batman 89 via Amazon last night. The checkout screen said expected shipping date is January 7th. Today I check my order and it says the shipping date is the 13th.

To SlaughterX, Warner doesn't use region coding so it's a safe bet the box set will be region-free discs as well. I personally prefer to just order 89,Returns,and Forever seperately, I refuse to have Batman and Robin enter my home of my own free will.

Trailer are not very accurate to the source. Often they come from some generation after, and is as a result alot more grainy.

The other thing that usually happens to trailers, is that they sharpen them.
It's also in 480p... :cool:

What's up with Returns and Forever on Amazon, they can't be OOP already. Does it usually od that when a movie sells out or something? Also do you think the box set coming out in March will be region free too?

Now it looks like Batman is OOS. Glad I got my order in.

I had Batman and Batman Returns ordered at amaon.co.uk for about a week and it wasn't shipping out so i cancelled Returns and finally Batman 89 got shipped and now Returns shows not in stock so i will just wait and make sure i like the quality of the first then decide to get the others. I wonder why these are going out of stock so fast. lol. i think Batman and Robin has been in stock the whole time which makes sense because its the worst out of all of them IMHO

Now it looks like Batman is OOS. Glad I got my order in.

Yeah i am too Mine shipped on December 31, 2008. Hey guys you could always get Batman and Robin, that is still in stock lol

http://dv1.us/p1/549/122549-d0.jpg

Supposed annouced for release in Japan (according to DVDAF), but no release date yet...

http://dv1.us/p1/549/122549-d0.jpg

Supposed annouced for release in Japan (according to DVDAF), but no release date yet...

That was announced a while ago. Nothing new.

Bill hunt over at the digitalbits hinted that there might be a march release for the boxset in the U.S and Canada.
Edit: he has now confirmed that they will be released in March, individually and in a boxset.

Returns is back in stock @ Amazon UK.

If we rememember how good is Jack Nicholson acted as the Joker in those day,I would rather say that Ledger was borned to play this role.I said because saw BATMAN 89 of Tim Burton yesterday,Why I don't like old Joker as before when compare the intense role of young Joker.

If we rememember how good is Jack Nicholson acted as the Joker in those day,I would rather say that Ledger was borned to play this role.I said because saw BATMAN 89 of Tim Burton yesterday,Why I don't like old Joker as before when compare the intense role of young Joker.

Ledger also had a better script to work with.

Ledger also had a better script to work with.

Rethink again,it is true as you told.:)

Well this is weird. I got a package this morning expecting Batman but it was Returns & Forever which shipped 2 days after Batman did. Hopefully its still on its way. I will say that Amazon's UK shipping is pretty damn fast for the small price you pay. I was looking forward to watching these in order but I'm definitely gonna take a peek at these 2 & post back later.

Well I watched them both & I have to say I'm VERY pleased with how Returns & Forever look and sound. Forever obviously looks the best of the 2 but Returns holds it's own for such a darkly lit film. The prints themselves are in pretty good shape with a nary a speck of dirt anywhere. Depth is pretty good for both films but Forever tends to lose some depth to the picture whenever there's an abundance of neon lights such as the opening sequence but the colors of those neons are bright and true. Wait til ya see the greens in Forever. Overall I think most people will be pleased as these 2 films utterly trounce their DVD counterparts. It's a HUGE jump in picture quality.

The TrueHD audio is fantastic on both discs. My nod would once again be to Forever but that's because it has a more aggresively mixed track with more surround usage. The opening credit sequence for Forever gets it off to a good start & by the time the Bat-plane is swooping through the cave near the finale you'll be quite pleased with how well the audio has held up. Danny Elfmans famous score is a real treat to hear again and sounds awesome with lots of dynamic range and pleasing bass. Lots of decent extras round off the package...worth importing if you cant wait for the inevitable U.S. release.

Agreed. just watching Forever now and I am almost SHOCKED on how good it looks and sounds. Just really really cool!

Agreed. just watching Forever now and I am almost SHOCKED on how good it looks and sounds. Just really really cool!

Yeah, there are some killer shots in both films that look like they were shot yesterday. Closeups & clothing details are fantastic!!

I think these movies have a new version of AAC protection on, AnyDVD HD can't crack them.

^ no, they can be downloaded

to me batman and batman returns look much better than forever and batman and robin, miles better infact

I think these movies have a new version of AAC protection on, AnyDVD HD can't crack them.

It's a new update. If you have a legitimate copy, you should be able to download it. ;)

to me batman and batman returns look much better than forever and batman and robin, miles better infact
Another post I disagree with. They clearly get better as they go along.

For those who have received them, how thick are the cases? I ordered an HD-DVD from Amazon UK and it was in a short, red case, but it was the same thickness as a DVD case. Same deal here, or is it the same case as a US Blu-ray?

It's the thick cases...same height just thicker. They're the same thickness as U.S. PS3 game cases just in blue.

I think these movies have a new version of AAC protection on, AnyDVD HD can't crack them.

Rips of all four of the UK Blu-ray releases were posted the same week the discs came out (one or two may have been before street date). Also, Fox apparently has a new version of BD+ on some of their latest releases and that didn't slow those down either. Or so I have heard.

As was predicted years ago when the studios and related technology companies were touting the "enhanced" security features of Blu-ray, there is not copy protection scheme that cannot be broken given the time, tools, and motivation. There are plenty of very smart guys out there with all of those things and consider cracking codes to be a game. A game they like to win.

For those who have received them, how thick are the cases? I ordered an HD-DVD from Amazon UK and it was in a short, red case, but it was the same thickness as a DVD case. Same deal here, or is it the same case as a US Blu-ray?

yes they are thick. sorry!

Oh well, makes for interesting conversation since I've never run into another person with a UK HD-DVD case. My first UK Blu-ray should be here next week!

I think these movies have a new version of AAC protection on, AnyDVD HD can't crack them.

I never have any problems with any blu ray. The solution's called: original :p

lol I have the originals but I had an issue with my version of AnyDVD HD, serial number issue. I emailed them and its getting worked out.

Finally got my copy of Batman today, it apparently got lost in the mail for a bit as the other films, Returns & Forever arrived way before even though Batman shipped 2 days before...ok enough rambling.

I thought the PQ was right in line with the other films in that they all look phenomenal. Once again it is a very clean print with no major flaws and while just a tad softer than the other films it still completely blows away the DVD & at no point does it ever look like SD. You can really see alot more details which in some cases isn't good but it has never looked better, my only gripe is I just wish the blacks were just a smidge deeper. They still look great but a tad more would have helped. Another thing I noticed when I went back through all 3 films is the higher bit-rate Warner is starting to adopt in its more recent films. There were scenes in Batman that spiked as high as 37 mbps.

The AQ is as rock solid as the other films. Elfmans score is fantastic and while there isn't alot off surround usage, there aren't any major flaws either. Dialog is always discernable and explosions sound great. A Little more LFE would have been nice but this is a 20 year old film. One other thing I forgot to mention is the volume level of these tracks seems to be at a higher level than their old TrueHD tracks which alot of I thought, were recorded too low.
The volume level matching seems to be more in line with PCM tracks.

Warner has done a commendable job with these 3 films, I just can't bring myself to pay for Batman & Robin. While Batman Begins and The Dark Knight have brought about a more realistic, darker take on the hero, the original 3 films are still very entertaining and highly watchable IMO. I paid around $63 U.S. for the first 3 from Amazon U.K. & I got to avoid those flimsy thin digipak cases being used in the U.S. anthology. I'm a happy man! ;)

Did everyone see that the UK version is up for pre-order at Amazon.com for Jan 27th? So for anyone who isn't comfortable importing it's available for $27.49.

Returns is already available (but UK looks to be cheaper even with exchange rate), but Forever and B&R will be out on Jan 27th with Batman for $27.49 each.

Thank GOD they used the UK/Region 2 DVD Covers for the Blu Rays...

Did everyone see that the UK version is up for pre-order at Amazon.com for Jan 27th? So for anyone who isn't comfortable importing it's available for $27.49.

Returns is already available (but UK looks to be cheaper even with exchange rate), but Forever and B&R will be out on Jan 27th with Batman for $27.49 each.

uk is about $22.00 with shipping.

I ordered Batman and Batman Returns today from thehut dot com. Today only, there is a 10% discount code: "JAN10". My order came to 26.46 pounds or roughly $38.50 usd shipped.

I was really disappointed to hear that WB would only be selling these as a box set stateside. Forever is meh; Batman and Robin is unwatchable and I refuse to pay money for it.

Used to think Batman Forever was ok, but I just tried watching the import... omg this movie is soooo utterly horrible! I only made it about 20 minutes, getting past the opening fight with music cues from the original live action show took it out of me, and enter Robin, I couldn't take anymore.

I'm selling Batman Forever for $15 shipped, like new, only watched 20 minutes of the disc lol. PM me if interested. ;)

I ordered Batman and Batman Returns today from thehut dot com. Today only, there is a 10% discount code: "JAN10". My order came to 26.46 pounds or roughly $38.50 usd shipped.

I was really disappointed to hear that WB would only be selling these as a box set stateside. Forever is meh; Batman and Robin is unwatchable and I refuse to pay money for it.


Thanks, I got it on that deal. Less than $20 shipped each works for me!

I too have no interest in ever watching Forever or BR again.....

I ordered Batman and Batman Returns today from thehut dot com. Today only, there is a 10% discount code: "JAN10". My order came to 26.46 pounds or roughly $38.50 usd shipped.

I was really disappointed to hear that WB would only be selling these as a box set stateside. Forever is meh; Batman and Robin is unwatchable and I refuse to pay money for it.

Thanks...just cancelled my Amazon UK order and grabbed this deal. This is the same price or maybe even a couple of dollars cheaper than if they were released individually in the U.S.

Used to think Batman Forever was ok, but I just tried watching the import... omg this movie is soooo utterly horrible! I only made it about 20 minutes, getting past the opening fight with music cues from the original live action show took it out of me, and enter Robin, I couldn't take anymore.

I'm selling Batman Forever for $15 shipped, like new, only watched 20 minutes of the disc lol. PM me if interested. ;)

I loved this movie as a kid, but when I rewatched it this past summer reality had set in. It had some really good moments that were completely ruined with the absurd neon lighting and Tommy Lee Jones' terrible Two-Face; I swear he or the writers never read a comic with Two-Face. I've been on the fence about buying it, but in the end I don't think that I'd watch it anywhere near enough (maybe once every year or two) to actually justify the purchase.

Batman DVD vs. Blu-ray comparison pics (http://www.zonadvd.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=953)

:)

Thanks...just cancelled my Amazon UK order and grabbed this deal. This is the same price or maybe even a couple of dollars cheaper than if they were released individually in the U.S.

Amazon UK just shipped my Batman.

and these are obviously region free?

Yes

Batman DVD vs. Blu-ray comparison pics (http://www.zonadvd.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=953)

:)

Thanks! Looks like a big improvement to me.

My Batman shipped today but Returns hasn't yet...hopefully it isn't far behind.

I got these a couple of days ago, thanks to that deal posted in this thread. Paid around $19 each shipped. :)

Returns looks GREAT! Very nice detail and some stunning scenes.

I have not tried 89 yet but am looking forward to it.

These are still my favorite Batman films.

I too received Batman Returns and it does look good. I'm still waiting on the first movie.

Did anyone else pre-order on amazon.com and have their ship date bumped? If so, has anyone actually RECIEVED theirs yet? It's getting quite tiresome, frankly. I pre-ordered Forever a week and a half before the release, and they still haven't shipped anything out. I'm the 2nd day into my new "estimated arrival time", and they have until the 11th to ship it out before they'd need to bump me a 2nd time. At this rate, it'll be easier (and cheaper) to just wait for the damn US boxset release.

Think what you like about Keaton/Kilmer/Clooney/Bale as Batman. IMHO the first 4 Batman movies had much "better" female leads than the last two, including villains!:)

The first four titles are on sale at a local discount chain here. Might pick up the first two.

Don't bother placing an order through amazon.com for these, they're a complete failure. They pushed my ship date back again, this time between the 20th and 25th. At this point I'm starting to think they're being pressured by Warner not to sell the imports just yet since it would cut into the extremely expensive bundle-only set coming out on March 10th. If I had placed my order with amazon.co.uk, even with overseas shipping it probably would have gotten here by now.

Don't bother placing an order through amazon.com for these, they're a complete failure. They pushed my ship date back again, this time between the 20th and 25th. At this point I'm starting to think they're being pressured by Warner not to sell the imports just yet since it would cut into the extremely expensive bundle-only set coming out on March 10th. If I had placed my order with amazon.co.uk, even with overseas shipping it probably would have gotten here by now.

That box set has been delayed everywhere, it's been moved to June and no US date has even been announced so something is definately up somewhere.

I wonder why it's readily available in single titles outside the US but not in the US. That seems strange. The box set shows June availability on Amazon UK so I guess that matches up with Amazon US

I wonder why it's readily available in single titles outside the US but not in the US. That seems strange. The box set shows June availability on Amazon UK so I guess that matches up with Amazon US

I believe Batman Forever and Batman & Robin do alright internationally, but don't sell on their own in the US. Hence the US getting the forced bundling of all 4 films.

I ordered the first one from Amazon UK early last week and got it Monday.