Rare photos of Two-Face, Bruce and Batman in Batman Forever

Looking back through this blog, I’m reminded that when I first started I had a steady stream of rare photos and magazine scans to share. That slowed down a few years ago when my scanner broke, and since then I haven’t had many opportunities to digitise more material. I’m hoping to change that over the coming months and start posting more finds again.

I don't know about you but I get such a thrill looking back through old photos and occasionally uncovering something that’s been tucked away and unseen for years.

Recently, PropStore released another batch of photos featuring props from Batman Forever. Hidden among them were some newspapers containing these fantastic photos of Two-Face, Batman and Bruce Wayne.

I know this first image - Two-Face looking through his cell bars - has been around for a while, and a lot of us probably hoped it hinted at a deleted scene featuring him in prison. But I think now it was more likely just a posed promotional photo created for props like these.

Here’s a link to PropStore so you can check out the other Batman Forever props they currently have available.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - McDonalds Special

I know I reviewed the incredible McDonalds glass mugs previously but that was over 5 years ago(!) and since then I've picked up lots of other McDonalds merchandise so it felt like a good time to take stock and do a big, long McDonalds Special.

It's fascinating to see how the promotional tie-in was handled around the world. Everyone seemed to have a different thing going on - mugs, pogs, badges, cards. 

I've got to admit, being from the UK, it's gutting that we only got a prize draw thing and a cardboard Batman mask (stick around until the end to see what that looks like). I don't even remember seeing that tie-in at the time. I guess I didn't visit McDonalds enough.

Over half the video is taken up with going through the 3D cards that only got released in New Zealand. These are really interesting and unique. I don't think many people have seen these before. I particularly love the hand drawn cards (and the funny typos).

 Did I miss anything that you got in your part of the world? Is my collection complete? Let me know.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Adventure set from Colorforms

Bit of a detour this week. I picked this up on eBay a while back. It caught my eye because I distinctly remember getting something similar as a kid that was Ninja Turtles related. I bought this to see if - with my adult eyes - I might see it as something more interesting and innovative... (spoilers) I did not.

This is essentially a handful of reusable stickers with a backdrop to put them on. Nothing more to it. Love the artwork they use as a backdrop though - this was a piece of concept art that has been used on a few bits of merchandise (including the audio cassette game). Need to track down who the artist was.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - I don't know what the heck is this

This week we're looking at one of the most amazing figures I've ever laid eyes on. The sculpting, detail and colours are beyond anything the hacks at Hot Toys and Prime 1 Studios can pull off. Enjoy!

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Alfred figure and Batmobile from McFarlane Toys

Finally we get to this green menace from McFarlane Toys that came out last year.

This was quite a sore point for Batman Forever fans. After releasing some very good 7 inch figures, they released a Batmobile that lit up and glowed just like the movie version. Only they got the colour wrong and it glows green rather than blue.

Yeah, I think it was a mistake in the manufacturing process and it's a shame McFarlane didn't delay it and fix it. I have seen people fix the colour themselves by taking it apart and tinting the green sections blue. I don't know that I'm bothered enough to do that but it is fixable if you have an hour spare and some paints.

Other than that huge issue, the car is great. I love the canopy opening feature and the whole thing is pretty darn accurate to the movie. The sound is a little strange - I feel they could have done more of a roaring engine sound. And sure they could have added a few more holes in the bonnet to make it more accurate and changed the headlights to be made of clear plastic but I am happy on one big point - they got the Batsymbols on the wheels to stay upright as it moves. That was a big deal for me.

On to the bonus figure. We get an Alfred Pennyworth and stand which is pretty great too - right down to his little glasses. I feel the body is probably some stock suited one they got off the shelf. I wish he had a bow tie but it's fine.

They also released a separate version without the light feature or the Alfred figure which glowed in the dark (also green!). I don't think I'll get that - this one already takes up way more space than I have. I've heard the glow in the dark feature isn't particularly strong anyway.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Counter Unit Display from Warner Bros

I've seen these floating on eBay for a while and finally pulled the trigger and picked one up. Very glad I did. These were displays that were sent out to stores to advertise the Batman Forever comic book adaptation and hold comics.

So happy that these are seemingly so readily available still. Maybe someone over ordered back in 1995?

What I realised after doing the video is I really miss is those old independent comic shops that used to have this kind of stuff inside. I mostly visit a bland Forbidden Planet these days but I have some great memories of one called Comics Unlimited (later Sci-fi Unlimited) that used to be in Bedford. It was plastered in posters and just had a really cool underground vibe. 

Podcast: Episode 13 - Netflix will eventually buy Warner Brothers

In this episode of the 1995 Batman podcast Drew takes a look at the recent bidding war that's been erupting between Paramount and Netflix to purchase Warner Brothers and what that could mean for a future Batman Forever: Schumacher Cut release.

Here's the Daily Mail article that Drew talks about if you want to read it for yourself.

And if you want to mailing a letter asking for the Schumacher Cut, send it to:-

Warner Bros.
ATTN: Mr. Michael DeLuca, Ms. Pamela Abdy
4000 Warner Blvd
Building 168
Burbank, CA 91522

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - 1/6 scale Two Face figure by Toyz Trubo Studio

I’ve finally put together a proper look at the Toyz Trubo Studio Two-Face figure after sitting on my shelf for a year or more. 

In the time, it's taken to review it, another unlicensed company, Mars Toys, actually released (from the looks of it) a superior figure called Dual Face. Maybe I'll trade this one for that one at some point in the future.

Anyway, the Toyz Trubo figure is 1/6 scale, very much playing in Hot Toys territory, even if it doesn’t quite hit those heights. The quality is pretty decent. I picked this up second-hand, and while the box and accessories feel a bit budget, the core figure is better than I expected. 

The main head sculpt is solid (let's ignore the alternate smiling one), the suit pops nicely, and it scales well on the shelf with my other Forever figures. The accessories are okay but the guns feel a little small.

If that Mars Toys one hadn't come out I would whole heartedly recommend this one. As it stands now, the Toyz Trubo one is the 2nd best 1/6 scale figure and maybe that's appropriate given Harvey's obsession with the number two.

Podcast: Episode 12 - Batman Returns commentary

With Christmas just around the corner, now seems as good a time as any to do a commentary for Batman Returns.

Of all the Batman movies, this is the one where my opinion has changed the most over the years. I used to like it quite a bit as a teenager but recently I've found more and more issues with it. I don't have any problem with Tim Burton changing the origins of Catwoman and Penguin - making them more animalistic - but I do find the tone very off putting and the story a bit of a jumble of ideas.

It's also a shame that Batman/Bruce Wayne has so little to do in the film. It's really Penguin's story - featuring Batman here and there.

Anyway, give the commentary a listen and... come what may... Merry Christmas.

If you want to just listen to the commentary without having YouTube open, here's a link to the mp3.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Kilmer Batman and Batmobile figures from Blokees

It's amazing how much merchandise has come out related to the two Schumacher Batman films in the last few years. It's easy to overlook or miss stuff.

Luckily, I saw these Blokees figures pop up on eBay and snatched them up immediately. I thought they'd take an age to arrive from China but they took only a couple of days.

They are basically little blind box toys that you fit together (not unlike a capsule toy). Like a lot of merchandise that's come out recently, almost all the modern movie Batman and vehicles are covered. Weirdly, they included Adam West but skipped over George Clooney.

Still the Kilmer figure is cool and was fun to put together. I don't know about the Batmobile. It's kind of small and hardly any detail. 

Podcast: Episode 11 - Batman Begins commentary

Well, we did audio commentaries for the two Schumacher Batman films so it made sense to keep going and do one for 2005's Batman Begins - a film that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Both Drew are a little muted on our love for this film. Lots of complicated feelings. As much as we respect Christopher Nolan - we both find his movies a little robotic and cold at times.

One interesting thing I've never really talked about is how I actually got to go to the set of this film as an extra (sadly I didn't get in front of the camera) but I did get to have a good look at the sets contained inside Cardington Hangars. To hear more about this and other topics, go listen.

If you don't want to have youtube open while you watch, here's a link to the commentary as an mp3.

Batman Forever Merchandise Review - Riddler and Two-Face figures from Spin Master

Here's the second part of my look at the Spin Master figures - this time looking at the Riddler and Two-Face. 

Like the Batman and Robin ones, these are just repaints of the old Kenner molds with some very slight changes and no accessories. 

There's some good points - such as the Riddler now having the "Box" on the TV screen strapped to his chest and Two-Face's suit being split round the back as well as the front. But they aren't really enough to justify buying the figures again if you already own the originals. 

One notable difference to Two-Face is the gun is removed. I assume this is a decision made to avoid controversy. Guns are being removed from lots of DC toys at the moment. Even the recent McFarlane figure didn't come with one.

It's a shame they didn't do a little more extra sculpting. The burned side of Two-Face's face could have easily been redone to make it more in line with the movie.

All in all, the Spin Masters figures were a little disappointing. I'd give them a skip unless you're a super fan like me. Shame they didn't do something a little more innovative and fresh with the licence.

Podcast: Episode 10 - Give Robin his Color Back

In this episode of the 1995 Batman podcast Drew gives his thoughts on the Robin costume in Batman Forever.

I've got to say I really agree with him that it's a shame they made Chris O'Donnell such a fantastic suit and then barely showed it off in the film. And when it was on screen it was mostly obscured by tight close-ups or hazy green lighting from Claw Island.

I really wish they had stuck with the suit a little longer in Batman & Robin rather than transitioning straight into the Nightwing inspired one.

Behind the Scenes: Batman Forever Video Game costumes

Thanks to Mark Hickman for sending over these photos of a section within the GamePRO Batman Forever: The Official Players' Guide book by Corey Sandler that show some of the behind the scenes of the stunt performers and costumes that were used in the film.

The Robin one is particularly interesting as this was featured in the Genesis and SNES versions but for the PC version they actually redid Batman and Robin using the movie suits.

While I was doing some research on the game (I've got to cover it at some point) I also discovered these neat maps of all the levels. Crazy how linear they look when they are lined up like this.

The Video Game Atlas - Super NES Maps

Podcast: Episode 9 - Chris O'Donnell speaks on working with Val Kilmer

A few articles have popped up recently promoting Chris O'Donnell’s new TV series 911: Nashville. Naturally, some interviewers have taken the opportunity to revisit his time playing Robin in the Batman films.

One interview, published on People’s website, included some interesting comments from Chris about working with Val Kilmer. In this episode of the 1995Batman podcast, Drew dives into the article and shares his thoughts on what Chris had to say.