The End Is The Begining Is The End Is The Begining Is... The End?

The Music of Batman ends with a bang tonite, as we look at the music of one of worst film of the last ten years (yes, there are worse than this…!) 1997’s Batman & Robin [* out of *****].

Originally, I was going to post a little something-something about how filmmakers like Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher forget or just ignore the main aspects of characters and/or their original reference material, but I realized it was going to be too long to write in a short time, and it’s been crazy researching all of this info. One day, promise.


Batman & Robin was the final film of the four-feature Batman franchise for Warner Bros., for obvious reasons. The Batman & Robin Soundtrack was actually a modest hit, mainly thanks to Jewel’s contribution track Foolish Games. My favorite songs include R.E.M.’s Revolution and Lazy Eye by the Goo Goo Dolls.

The first big Alternative singles from the Soundtrack were the now infamous Smashing Pumpkins songs; The End Is the Beginning Is the End, followed by The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning, which was just a slower, more mellow version of the former. The songs are infamous for not going anywhere. The tunes, like the film were a bust, and to make matters worse (for the fans, anyways) Warner Bros. owns the masters to the tracks, not the Pumpkins’ label Virgin. That means the band can’t use it for compilations and the lot.

Purchase the Batman & Robin Soundtrack

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, ______ Me

The Music of Batman continues today with us looking at the Pop/Rock soundtrack to 1995’s Batman Forever [** out of *****]. This film sucked overall, but what is so interesting about this is that it might not have sucked as bad.

Wha? That’s right, as I discovered, there was originally a longer, much better cut of the film, which was shown once to preview audiences (uh-oh).

Here are just some that Schumacher & WB had to cut (thanks to IMDB for the info):

- The original cut shown in previews was too long, and a large sequence in the Batcave, explaining much of the plot including the Batman Forever title, was edited out. The original opening sequence depicted Two-Face's escape from Arkham Asylum. Dr. Burton arrives at Two-Face’s cell to find the ceiling blown away and the words: "The Bat Must Die" written on a wall. This scene was shot but cut. The original opening can be partially seen in the U2 music video Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. In it the infamous "THE BAT MUST DIE" line is shown for a second written in a wall with bloody white letters.

- Large sequences of the movie were deleted to trim the movie down to two hours. The red journal that was left by Bruce's father contained words that deepened his guilt ("Bruce insists we see a movie tonight...") and made him feel responsible for his parent's death. After Bruce is knocked unconscious during the attack on Wayne Manor, he loses his memory and does not recall ever being Batman, but is haunted by a terrible guilt. To face his fear, Bruce ventures into the heart of the cave where the journal is, and reads the end of the sentence that cleanses his guilt ("but Martha and I have our hearts set on Zorro, so Bruce's movie will have to wait for next week") The giant bat then appears, and Bruce stands eye to eye with it. After his memory returns, Bruce triggers a hidden button that reveals a second layer to the Batcave, where the Batwing, Batboat, and the experimental sonar suit were kept (thus explaining why they escaped Riddler's wrath).

So it could’ve been good. Maybe, but Schumacher continued to disappoint, especially with Batman & Robin (next post!). In the meantime, a bit more info on Batman Forever: What Could’ve Been.

Dammit. Okay, lets get on with the soundtrack (yay, music!). Basically, this album is best known for having the Grammy-award winning song Kiss From A Rose by Seal, although it was advertised as having an exclusive U2 song, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me at the time of the 1990’s U2, Zoo/Pop-related overexposure. The Album itself is pretty damn good, with plenty of great songs for people with different tastes. Yes, it lives up to the Soundtrack standard of a “various genres mix tape.” Highlights include Seal’s Kiss From A Rose, Nick Cave’s There Is A Light, One Time Too Many by PJ Harvey, 8 by Sunny Day Real Estate, and finally U2’s masterpiece Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. Today, you my friend are in luck as bring you this tune in MP3 form. The song can also be found on U2’s Best Of 1990-2000 CD & DVDs, which is well worth it. Besides being a Batman fan, I am a U2 fan, and will post more U2-related crap in the near future.

Buy the Batman Forever Soundtrack

Next Post: Batman & Robin!