Batman - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[albert]

In the film, The Joker has to mask his chalk-white face by painting himself flesh-colored. In the script, it was specified that The Joker would have to take the flesh-colored make-up off to reveal the white skin underneath, meaning that the make-up effects team had to find a way to take one layer of make-up off and leave another intact. Make-up designer Nick Dudman came up with the solution: they painted Jack Nicholson with the white PAX paint that they always used, and then put a thin layer of food-grade silicon oil, which nothing sticks to, on top of it. They then took flesh-colored greasepaint and painstakingly painted it to where it was literally sitting on top of the oils. They then airbrushed and faded it in to make it look natural. After soaking The Joker's handkerchief in isopropyl alcohol, Jack Nicholson was able to wipe at his face and it would strip off the greasepaint, but leave the white PAX paint intact.

[ava]

On-screen body count: fifty-six.

[duane]

After Vicki wakes up at home, there is an interesting overhead shot of her lying on her bed which may be a deliberate panel recreation. The original panel in question comes from 'Vicki Vale's Secret!' (Batman #73, October 1952). This particular panel was occasionally reused in later comics whenever Vicki was mentioned. It more or less became her signature pose.

[jesse]

Later in the movie, Jack Napier holds up a Joker card. The design is similar to the one from Joker's first appearance in Batman #1, with the smiling Joker in a jester hat.In both the film and in Detective Comics #27, Batman's second appearance in the story is stopping a crime at a chemical factory.Much like the origin in 'The Man Behind the Red Hood', The Joker's insanity is triggered by his realization about his appearance upon looking at his reflection.The moment where he sees his reflection for the first time, doubles over as if crying, then starts laughing maniacally, is also clearly influenced by Alan Moore's The Killing Joke (1988); a copy of which Tim Burton is said to have carried around with him on set.Jack Napier's fall into the chemicals reflects the origin of The Joker in the Pre-Crisis comics, as first depicted in 'The Man Behind the Red Hood' (Detective Comics #168 by Bill Finger).When in need of an escape route, the Golden Age Batman would use gas pellets to disorientate his enemies.

[jesus]

Tim Burton realized early that he has immense appreciation for actors who are good at improvisation "as long as it kept within the spirit and the form of what it is."

[charlie]

The moment where the acrobatic goon attacks Batman is a variation of the Cairo swordsman gag from Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). In both scenes the hero is in pursuit of his kidnapped love interest when he encounters a henchman armed with blades. The henchman executes an ostentatious display of physical prowess, only for the unimpressed hero to casually take him out with a projectile weapon.

[alyssa]

(at around 1h 35 mins) When The Joker is shouting at Batman from the helicopter after Batman destroys Axis Chemicals, Michael Keaton couldn't turn his head to look up, so he had to move his entire body up to look at the Joker, which has been dubbed "The Hero Turn".