The National Justice Museum kicked off their Superhero Movie Season with a screening of the 1989 classic Batman. Jason England took a break from sweatin’ cobs to head down and check out the event…
It was the first time I’d ever heard of films being shown in the National Justice Museum, and I was filled with confused excitement. Is it a worthwhile experience? In a word, yes. But allow me to explain in several more.
To kick off the whole event, it was time for what I lovingly call the “loosely-tied-to-the-film-you’re-watching tour of the evening,” which featured a tour of Nottingham’s caves because Batman’s base is in a cave… geddit?
With a hilarious tour guide in tow, a bunch of likeminded comic book nerds with a penchant for history and the potential to feel slightly cooler thirty feet underground, we marched off into the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre and around the caves like a proud primary school class.
Shortly after returning to the galleries and taking our seats, the screening was preceded with Niall Browne running a short quiz for prizes and being a right fossneck in the best way possible, talking to the audience about what he feels is one of the best superhero films of all time.
A safely tamed Tim Burton directs one of most bizarre time capsule of the eighties you will ever watch, featuring a Prince soundtrack shoehorned in at random moments, Jack Nicholson playing a crazy person and women by greeted by the name of whatever body part the male character notices. “Hello legs,” Alexander, an exasperated journalist played by Robert Wuhl says to Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger), leading to collective sighs and chuckles from the audience.
Michael Keaton being unable to turn his head in Batman’s suit practically saves the entire film on comedic value alone
From the unmatched set creativity of Gotham City’s look and feel, to Jack’s nailed performance as the Joker, and the perfectly pitched soundtrack of masterful swells and fades, this film is like a burger from Annie’s… That giant list of ingredients in one film sounds weird and kind of scary, but the sum of it all is one tasty film.
Whether Keaton’s casting as Batman is a choice you love or hate, you can’t help but admit that this – the movie that kickstarted the summer blockbuster trend – remains pretty impressive to this day.
And let’s face it, Michael Keaton being unable to turn his head in Batman’s suit practically saves the entire film on comedic value alone.
Earlier this year, the National Justice Museum smashed it out the park with a John Carpenter screening. Now, they look to be doing the same with superhero movies and the future of this filmic project looks exciting.
“If these films go well, we can start showing the films on a bigger screen in the court room, making for something a little more memorable,” Niall said before flicking the lights off and showing Batman.
So pop down for a screening and help support what could be a pretty amazing movie-going experience that’d be on par with watching the caped crusader at Wollaton, and wooping when the hall appears on-screen
Batman was screened as part of the National Justice Museum’s Superheroes season on Sunday 5 August 2018
Next up is the screening of Flash Gordon on Sunday 2 September, and then Blade on Sunday 7 October
National Justice Museum website
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