Appropriate WWII Batman icon is appropriate

[zolac_no_miko]

Okay, so, some of you may remember when I acquired a copy of the 1949 Batman and Robin movie serial at Office Depot for $10? And it was awful and awesome and hilarious? ...I should probably mention for posterity that they did manage to hoodwink me in a major plot point, so... the writers were not as dumb as I thought they were? I dunno that it was clever writing so much as cheating....

ANYWAY. Not long after I acquired that classic gem, I found the 1943 Batman movie serial for $10... I think at a Safeway? So I bought that too, DUH. I've only just now gotten around to starting to watch it.

OH. EM. GEE.

Okay, so this one is actually a much higher-quality Batman product. Better acting all around, better costumes... Batman and Robin are actually semi-competent.... Luckily this film is saved from not being a circus of lulz by being filmed and set during WWII. So... war propaganda! And, even better, RACISM!

I started to realize what I was in for when they opened a scene on Gotham's Little Tokyo, which had become a ghost town as Gotham law-enforcement had, and I quote, "wisely rounded up the shifty-eyed Japs." At which point I say, "...HOLY SHIT DID THOSE WORDS ACTUALLY JUST GO INTO MY EARS JUST NOW?!" :DDDDDDD

The Main Villain of the piece, is, in fact, meant to be Japanese, but as all the actual ethnic-Japanese in the country have been "wisely rounded up", what we have instead is an incident of... yellow-face??? The character is very authentically named Tito Daka; his hair is black and slicked back, he has a skinny little mustache, his eyes are all made-up to look dark and squinty, and he has a vaguery Asian-sounding accent. There's a truly amazing moment when someone he's captured exclaims something about his "twisted Oriental brain!" Daka has an army of EVIL AXIS CYBERMAN ZOMBIES that he controls through a special microphone, and radium-powered ray-gun technology. :DDDD

Bruce, Dick, and Alfred are FABULOUS, btw. Dick is ADORABLE. The one in Batman and Robin is... kinda dumb as a brick. This Dick is smarter, younger, more exuberant, and SO MUCH A BETTER ACTOR OMG. He has kind of a weirdo derp face, but... HE'S PRECIOUS. You get to see him weiring PIMPIN' SCIENCE GOGGLES, and also looking like a tiny GQMF in his pimp-ass suit at a restaurant. And and and Bruce and Dick actually go UNDERCOVER in COSTUMES so we get to see PAPERBOY DICK AAAAAAAWWWW HE'S SO CUTE!!! And he does many classic Robin crotch-dives! :DDD This is important. *nodnod*

Bruce is... kind of a special panda, omg. Just... asdfjkl;ljhgsd SCENE:

[Batman and Robin have small-time crook tied up for questioning in their "Bat's Cave"... small fluttering shadows can be seen]

Crook: [terrifed] What are those?!
Batman: [airily] Just some of my bats.

Also he uses appropriated evidence, which just happens to be a high-powered future weapon, to prank unsuspecting Alfred! And he and Dick have a big jolly laugh about Alfred's terror. Wtf? XD ...Bruce, just say no to firing ray guns in the house.

Finally, in case I wasn't already in love, Batman and Robin take, like, any excuse they can get to come CRASHING THROUGH WINDOWS at people. ...Oh man, I'm only two episodes in, this is going to be SO. AWESOME.

Comments

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

I still really need to see these movies, omg.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Yes! We should have a Batman party. ^_^

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Alfred frowns on firing ray guns in the house. If Bruce isn't careful, he's going to end up being sent to bed without dinner!

So your crashing-through-skylights fixation has broadened to crashing through glass in general? lol


I used to watch the old Batman and Robin tv show, way back when I was a kid. Campy fun.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

I think Bruce firing ray guns at vases in the house for the purpose of terrifying Alfred definitely gets him sent to bed without dinner! He seemed to be aware of the consequences, though, and totally okay with them.

Haha, skylights are the best, but windows are almost as good. ...Any time Batman and Robin cause excessive property damage, really. Stalker.

Ohmigooooood, I'm slightly terrified to try that one. I've only seen clips. I really should watch some at some point, for the lulz. ...Fun fact! Adam West and I share the distinction of being Whitman College alumni! Yes, that's right. BATMAN WENT TO MY SCHOOL.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Now I have Batman and Robin busting up a bar to the tune of "Ballroom Blitz", running through my head. :D


The show was, as I said, campy fun. It was aware of being that at the time, and poked fun at itself; and if you watch it for that kind of sensibility, and appreciate silliness and slapstick, you'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Teeheehee, omg, YESSS!!

I've... seen clips of Batman dancing. THEY'RE TERRIFYING. ...I prefer my Batman dark and brooding and scary over camp (I can't stand the movies Batman and Robin and Batman Forever, for instance), but I think if I put myself in the mood for it, for the entertainment and historic value, I could enjoy it.

...But then I'm pretty sure I'd have to drink some bleach. XD;

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Drink some ~booze, beforehand, it's much more effective. Have a little party-invite your friends, cook up some nummies, and go MST on the show.

I liked the first movie all right, in terms of story. I didn't like Michael Keaton as Batman, he's got too weak a presence. I liked Val Kilmer in the role better, and there were a few sparks of charisma between him and Chris O'Donnell; but again, the latter isn't a mature enough actor for that role, imo. I think they've rushed too quickly to introduce characters-they should have had at least one movie with just Batman and Robin, establishing the partnership, before dragging in Batgirl and villain duos (they had to do duos because no other villain is as scary alone as Joker!Jack). I didn't see the Christian Bale version, and I don't want to. He is NOT Batman/Bruce Wayne.

I did like that movie he did with the dragons, Reign of Fire. Not an unflawed movie, but much better than it got credit for, imo.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha, yes, that's definitely going to have to be how I do it. DRUNKEN BATMAN PARTY. Someday....

I have the Batman Forever soundtrack, and I love that. The music is very Batman.

I kind of adore the Nolan movies, actually, I went into a fit of glee after the first one that... hasn't really ended, I don't think. It's a different interpretation of the character, but I'm okay with that, because everything else was so right. It felt like Batman. I mean, the whole first movie was about fear. And it's certainly the best-acted Batman's ever been.

I like the Tim Burton movies. I need to, like, own them. Dunno why I don't yet.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the X-Men movies? If so, what did you think?

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

I like them! They're fun, and I think they did a great job with casting. At the time it came out, X-Men 2 was the best supehero movie ever made, imo (better than Spiderman 2, I thought, although everyone else was making a fuss over it; and speaking of casting, fffffff), but it was surpassed by Iron Man and Batman Begins... and then again by The Dark Knight and Watchmen. Again, imo.

[ava-jamison.livejournal.com]

It is just so, so awesome that only three years after Batman was created, he already was starring in movie serials, along with Robin and Alfred. AWESOME.

Oh, and I've seen a tiny bit of that serial. Dick IS great!

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Right?! It's awesome how he was already so popular and iconic, even back then! <3 Bob Kane. Oh Bob, if you could see your baby now-!

asdfjkl;lkjghfds A WEE DICKIE I WANT ONE!

[boko.livejournal.com]

Is this the one with the cover entitled "Chapter 1: the Electrical Brain"?

If so I am most tempted to purchase it, should I encounter it.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

The copy I have just says "Batman" on the cover, but "Chapter 1: The Electric Brain" is the name of the first chapter/episode in the serial.

[b-c-draygon.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. WOW. This sounds awesome and (please don't hurt me but) I'm not even that into Batman. XD I may have to somehow get hold of and watch this thing.

Yay for: undercover Batman&Robin, pranking Alfred, WWII-appropriate propaganda and racism (always fun), crotch-dives (?????),pranking Alfred, "Just some of my bats" said airily, pranking Alfred, & window-crashing. :D

Speaking of pranking Alfred (kinda), I get the feeling you might appreciate some of the comics by The-BlackCat at DeviantArt. He/She/It does Batman comics (with multiple Robins that probably makes sense if you actually know the Batman canon, like I don't) and I think they're kind of adorable. It's probably best to start with Back to the Cave, but you should definitely also check out Mr. Bat-Mom -- it's the one I started with, and it made me laugh. :)

If my HTML breaks, feel free to internet-punch me or something.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Aaawwww, it's okay, I understand that not everyone on the planet is as obsessed with Batman as I am. ^_^ I think anyone would find this particular film lolarious, though.

Ahaha, the crotch dives... yeah, there are a lot of panels in the old comics where Robin does a flying tackle, and it seems like 90% of the time his head ends up in someone's crotch or ass. OH THE SIXTIES.

Ahahahaha yes I am already a big fan of those comics, and I recommend them to everyone myself. I started with Mr. Bat-Mom too, that one's awesome.

[littlemissgriff.livejournal.com]

*clears throat shiftily*

Might I just note? The racial slurs in the 1940's Superman cartoons are jaw droppingly bad, too. As are the character designs for the Japanese.

Ah, political correctness. It's always nice to have a reminder why the hell you exist.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

:D Oh yes. I know. I presume you are familiar with Superdickery? They've got a whole section on propaganda.

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

...This will now be my default use-always answer EVERY TIME anyone asks me the question, "What are those?"

This will improve my life greatly, I feel.

Also everyone else's.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Good plan, bb~ <3

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

Fuck you, YouTube, what the shit. ANYWAY.

This. Right here.

I just literally yelled, OH MY GOD, YOU ARE THE CUTEST THING ON THIS EARTH! at my computer.

The cat fell off the bed.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

OH. MY. GOD. His FACES! And his BOWTIE! And his MESSY HAIR! And his DANCING!

And his VOICE!

Ohmigod he said "fuck" again. :O

I would like to lick him all over now. Unfortunately, I don't think my salivating lewdly on my computer screen would be appreciated by Epiq Systems. Or my coworkers.

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT?!?!?!?! RIGHT?!

HIS FUCKING VOICE

yeah. yeah he did. :D

I would like to... Okay, honestly? The things I would like to do to and with Patrick Stump could fill a freaking book. A big one. With illustrations and diagrams.