|
:''For the 1966 ''Batman'' film, see ''[[Batman (1966 film)]]'''
:''This article is about the scientific study of extraterrestrial life; for treatment in popular culture, see [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture]].
[[Image:radiotelescope.jpg|thumb|''The existence of extraterrestrial life remains hypothetical though human beings continue to search'']]
{{Infobox_Movie |
'''Extraterrestrial life''' is [[life]] that may exist and originate outside the planet [[Earth]]. Its existence is currently hypothetical: there is as yet no evidence of extraterrestrial life that has been widely accepted by scientists.
movie_name =Batman |
image = [[Image:Movie_DVD_cover_batman.jpg|right|250px]] |
producer =[[Peter Guber]]<br>[[Jon Peters]] |
writer = [[Sam Hamm]] (screenwriter)<br>[[Warren Skaaren]] (screenwriter)<br>[[Sam Hamm]] (story)<br>[[Bob Kane]] (comic book)<br> |
starring = [[Jack Nicholson]]<br>[[Michael Keaton]]<br>[[Kim Basinger]]<br>[[Robert Wuhl]]<br>[[Pat Hingle]]<br>[[Billy Dee Williams]]<br>[[Michael Gough]]<br>[[Jack Palance]]<br>[[Jerry Hall]]<br>[[William Hootkins]]<br>[[Tracey Walter]]<br> |
director = [[Tim Burton]]|
distributor =[[Warner Brothers]] |
release_date =[[June 19]], [[1989]] |
runtime = 126 min. |
movie_language = English |
music = |
awards = |
budget = $35,000,000 |
imdb_id = 0096895 |
}}
'''''Batman''''' was released in [[United States|U.S.]] theaters on [[June 23]], [[1989]] by [[Warner Bros.]] and soon became the highest grossing [[film|movie]] of the year. It was directed by [[Tim Burton]] and starred [[Jack Nicholson]] as the [[Joker (comics)#The 1989 film|Joker]], [[Michael Keaton]] as [[Batman]], and [[Kim Basinger]] as reporter [[Vicki Vale]]. Although Keaton played the nominal hero of the film, Nicholson received top billing.
This movie helped usher a return to the "dark" roots of the Batman of the original [[comic book|comics]] and away from the [[camp]]y [[1960s]] [[Batman (1960s TV series)|''Batman'' television series]] and cartoon ''[[Super Friends]]''. Like many film versions of comic book heroes, the ''Batman'' movie told its own version of his origin, and how [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]] figured in that origin.
Speculative forms of extraterrestrial life range from [[humanoid]] and monstrous beings seen in works of [[science fiction]] to life at the much smaller scale of [[bacterium|bacteria]] and [[virus]]es.
Many people who recognized Batman from the 1960s television series reprehended the film for being too solemn and humorless; however, it should be noted that the character's original tone was serious-minded and not comedic or mirthful. Another complaint, one that long plagued the Batman films made between 1989 and 1997, was that the films tended to focus too much on the villain and not enough on Batman himself.
Extraterrestrial life forms, especially intelligent ones, are often referred to in popular culture as [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|aliens]] or ETs. The putative study and theorisation of ET life is known as [[astrobiology]] or [[xenobiology]].
Numerous comic book fans were displeased to learn that Michael Keaton (who was better known for his comedic roles at the time) was cast as the title character, and assumed that it was a sure sign of the production taking the same tone of the 1960s television series. The producers hurriedly released a [[teaser trailer]] to prove they were treating the character faithfully. The marketing move was successful and since the film's successful release, many fans consider Keaton as one of the best actors to have played Batman in a live-action film, along with [[Christian Bale]] of [[2005 in film|2005]]'s ''[[Batman Begins]]''.
Most scientists hold that if extraterrestial life exists, its evolution would have occurred independently in different places in the universe. An alternative hypothesis, held by a minority, is [[panspermia]], which suggests that life in the universe could have stemmed from a single initial distribution of spores that provide the basis for living beings to develop. If true, this theory would suggest that life in various forms might exist throughout the universe.
The minor-key score was written by [[Danny Elfman]], with songs by [[Prince (artist)|Prince]]. Two animated series (''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Batman and Robin]]'') were created in the wake of the film's success, and three sequels --''[[Batman Returns]]'' (1992), ''[[Batman Forever]]'' (1995), and ''[[Batman and Robin]]'' (1997)-- were produced. ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' a spin-off of the animated television series, was released in 1993. ''[[Batman Begins]]'', a successful restart of the saga (but often mistakenly called a [[prequel]]), was released in 2005. A new 2 disc special edition of the first four films will be released on Tuesday, October 18, 2005. All movies include commentary along with other special features.
==Possible basis of extraterrestrial life==
===Plot Biochemistry =summary==
{{spoiler}}
[[Image:Jokermovie.jpg|thumb|left|[[The Joker (comics)|The Joker]], played by [[Jack Nicholson]].]]The main story of the movie is that of Jack Napier, an arrogant hitman working for [[Carl Grissom|Boss Carl Grissom]], and who years before, killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, the wealthy parents of Bruce Wayne. Grissom assigns Napier to break into Axis Chemicals to destroy legally incriminating files, but it turns out to be a set-up. Out of jealousy of Napier's affair with his girlfriend, Grissom hires the corrupt [[Lt. Max Eckhardt]] of the [[Gotham City Police Department]] to kill Napier.
Napier kills Eckhardt, but Batman has learned of the break-in and confronts Napier, who winds up falling on the edge of a catwalk over a vat of chemicals. When his hand slips from Batman's, he falls into the vat. The chemicals ingrain him with permanent grotesque features, which changes his appearance to that resembling a clown. Naming himself [[Joker (comics)#The 1989 film|The Joker]], he tracks down and murders Grissom and takes over the criminal gang. The violent takeover attracts the attention of both Batman and newspaper reporter [[Alexander Knox (Batman)|Alexander Knox]] and photographer [[Vicki Vale]]. The rest of the film involves Batman trying to stop the Joker, [[Bob the Goon]] and their henchmen from terrorizing the city with shootouts, assassinations, and a deadly chemical which poisons its victims with uncontrollable laughter that eventually leads to death.
All life on Earth is based on the building block element [[carbon]] with [[water]] as the solution in which bio-chemical reactions take place. Given their relative abundance and usefulness in sustaining life it has long been assumed that life forms elsewhere in the universe will also utilize these basic components. However, other elements and solvents might be capable of providing a basis for [[life]] (''Main article: [[Alternative biochemistry]]''). [[Silicon]] is usually considered the most likely alternative to carbon, though this remains improbable. Life forms based in [[ammonia]] rather than water are also considered, though less frequently. Nor can we reject the possibility that a completely new substance may be found that may react in a similar way to carbon or that wholly unique, non-chemical life-forms may possibly flourish through exotic physics.
== Response and legacy==
Along with a building block element and a solvent, life also requires an energy source. Energy from a parent [[star]] is the most obvious source for extraterrestrial life but this is not the only possibility, as the example of terrestrial [[extremophiles]] shows. [[Geothermal (geology)|Geothermal]] energy from a planet's interior, for instance, may drive sub-surface or oceanic life, while [[tidal force|tidal flexing]] (e.g., for bodies orbiting a gas giant) provides another possible motor to sustain living things.
''Batman'' was ''the'' most successful movie of 1989, earning $251,188,924 domestically and over $160 million abroad. As a result, the movie spawned all sorts of merchandise: action figures, t-shirts, beach towels, trading cards and even a cereal. The movie received mostly positive reviews, with [[Erik Preminger]] of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]'s [[KGO-TV]] hailing it as ''"the movie of the decade"''. [[Jack Nicholson]] was widely praised as ruthless thug Jack Napier and the even more ruthless Joker, while [[Michael Keaton]] won over many viewers with his portrayal of a conflicted Bruce Wayne and Batman. [[Danny Elfman]]'s score received positive feedback, leading to nominations in various institutions (although not for an [[Academy Award]]). The film was criticized, though, for its dark, grisly nature in comparison with the campy 1960s TV show, and for a [[Prince (artist)|Prince]]-dominated soundtrack which was seen as an obvious marketing tie-in. While applauded for its efforts to return to the staid nature of the character, the movie was attacked by many comic book purists who claimed that the film took too many elective liberties with the original character's established backstory and ideals, most notably in Batman's lethal tactics in the film.
The scientific study of the possible biochemical basis for extraterrestrial life is often called [[Astrobiology|xenobiology]].
==Trivia==
''See also: [[Back-contamination]]''
Adam West (the star of the TV series "Batman" (1966/II))wanted to play Batman, but Michael Keaton was given the role after getting the nod from Bob Kane, the creator of the original Batman comic strip.
=== Theoretical Evolution and Morphology ===
Along with the biochemical basis of extraterrestrial life, there remains a broader consideration of [[evolution]] and [[comparative anatomy|morphology]]. What might an alien look like? Science fiction has long shown a bias towards humanoid or (in the case of villains) [[reptiles|reptilian]] forms. The [[Greys|classical alien]] is light green or grey skinned, with an enormous head, small body, and the typical four limb and two to five digit structure—i.e., it is fundamentally humanoid with a large [[brain]] to indicate great intelligence. Other subjects from our animal [[mythos]] ([[cats|felines]], [[insects]]) have also featured strongly in fictional representations of aliens. While such bias is predictable, it is also curiously unimaginative and almost certain to be proven wrong should human beings encounter extraterrestrials.
Sean Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but broke her collarbone while filming a horse-riding scene with Michael Keaton. The scene was subsequently written out of the script.
In considering the subject more seriously, a useful division has [[Evolving the Alien|been suggested]] between universal and parochial characteristics. Universals are features which have evolved independently more than once on Earth (and thus presumably are not difficult to develop) and are so intrinsically useful that species will inevitably tend towards them. These include [[flight]], [[sight]], [[photosynthesis]] and [[limbs]], all of which have evolved several times here on Earth with differing materialization. There are a huge variety of eyes, for example, many of which have radically different working schematics as well as different visual foci: the [[visual spectrum]], [[infrared]], [[polarity]] and [[echolocation]]. Parochials, by contrast, are essentially arbitrary evolutionary forms which often serve little utility (or at least have a function which can be equally served by dissimilar morphology) and probably will not be replicated. Parochials include the five digits of [[mammals]], the eye above nose above mouth structure of the animal face (science fiction almost always employs this appearance though it is largely arbitrary) as well as the curious and often fatal conjunction of the feeding and breathing passages found within many animals.
A consideration of which features are ultimately parochial challenges many taken for granted notions about morphological necessity. [[Skeletons]], in some form, are likely to be replicated elsewhere, yet the [[vertebrate]] [[spine]]—while a profound development on Earth—is just as likely to be unique. Similarly, it is reasonable to expect some type of egg laying amongst off-Earth creatures but the [[mammary glands]] which set apart mammals may be a singular case.
Set designer Anton Furst deliberately mixed clashing architectural styles to make Gotham City the ugliest and bleakest metropolis imaginable.
The assumption of radical diversity amongst putative extraterrestrials is by no means settled. While many exobiologists do stress that the enormously heterogeneous nature of Earth life foregrounds even greater variety in space, others point out that [[convergent evolution]] dictates substantial similarities between Earth and off-Earth life. These two schools of thought are called "divergionism" and "convergionism", respectively [http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/E/etlifevar.html].
==Beliefs in extraterrestrial life==
Michael Keaton worked out for two months to prepare for the role, and learned kickboxing from his stunt double, David Lea. Keaton performed most of the fights himself, and one of the few scenes in which Lea stood in for him is during the fight in the alley with the swordsman.
===Ancient and Early Modern ideas===
''See also [[Cosmic pluralism]]''
Director Tim Burton and Michael Keaton did a lot of re-writing during production. The most notable re-write is the opening scene in which Batman says, "I'm Batman." In the script Batman was to reply "I am the night." The other notable re-write is the showdown between Batman and the Joker.
Belief in extraterrestrial life may have been present in ancient [[Egypt]], [[Babylon]], and [[Sumer]], although in these societies, [[cosmology]] was fundamentally supernatural and the notion of aliens is difficult to distinguish from that of gods, demons, and such. The first important Western thinkers to argue systematically for a universe full of other planets and, vicariously, possible extraterrestrial life were the ancient Greek writers [[Thales]] and his student [[Anaximander]] in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C.E. The [[atomists]] of Greece took up the idea, arguing that an infinite universe ought to have an infinity of populated worlds. Ancient Greek cosmology worked against the idea of extraterrestrial life in one critical respect, however: the [[geocentric]] universe, championed by [[Aristotle]] and codified by [[Ptolemy]], privileged the Earth and Earth-life (Aristotle denied there could be a plurality of worlds) and seemingly rendered extraterrestrial life impossible.
[[Image:Giordano_Bruno.jpg|thumb|[[Giordano Bruno]], ''De l'Infinito, Univirso e Mondi, 1584'']]
When [[Christianity]] spread through the West the Ptolemaic system became dogma and although the Church never issued any formal pronouncement on the question of alien life [http://www.crisismagazine.com/november2002/feature7.htm], at least tacitly the idea was heretical. In 1277 the [[Bishop of Paris]], [[Etienne Tempier]] did overturn Aristotle on one point: God ''could'' have created more than one world (given His omnipotence) yet we know by revelation he only made one. To take a further step and argue that aliens actually existed remained dangerous. The best known early-modern proponent of extra-solar planets and widespread life off Earth was [[Giordano Bruno]], who was burned at the stake for this and other unorthodox ideas in [[1600]].
The first draft of this movie was written in 1980 by Superman (1978) co-writer Tom Mankiewicz and told the story of Batman's and Robin's origins. The villains were The Joker and The Penguin, and Rupert Thorne and Barbara Gordon were also to appear. At the end Robin was to appear in costume (much like Batman Forever (1995)). It was going to be released in 1985 with a budget of $20 million, but with producers Michael E. Uslan and Benjamin Melniker booted off the production, the project was shelved until Jon Peters and Peter Guber picked it up. In 1985, after the surprise success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the studio offered the job to Tim Burton. Unsatisfied with the Mankiewicz script, Burton and his then girlfriend Julie Hickson wrote a 30-page treatment of the project. This treatment was approved by both the producers and studio. In 1986 Burton met Sam Hamm, who had just received a two-year contract with WB, and gave him the job of writing a screenplay based on Burton's and Hickson's treatment. However, the writing process stretched too long and Hamm couldn't write further drafts of the script because of the writers strike. In his place, Burton got Beetle Juice (1988) co-writer Warren Skaaren to continue writing. Nearly three years after working on the project Burton didn't get the film greenlit until the box-office result of "Beetle Juice". "Batman" began filming in October and it only took 12 weeks to shoot.
The Church, however, could not contain the storm that accompanied the invention of the [[telescope]] and the [[Copernican]] assault on geocentric cosmology. Once it became clear that the Earth was merely one planet amongst countless bodies in the universe the extraterrestrial idea moved towards the scientific mainstream. In the early 17th century the Czech astronomer [[Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita]] mused that "if Jupiter has…inhabitants…they must be larger and more beautiful than the inhabitants of the Earth, in proportion to the [size] of the two spheres;" he did not dare to confirm the existence of Jovian beings due to potential theological difficulties. Later, this bold step would be taken. [[William Herschel]], the discoverer of [[Uranus]], was one of many 18th-19th century astronomers convinced that our Solar System, and perhaps others, would be well populated by alien life. Other luminaries of the period who championed "cosmic pluralism" included [[Immanuel Kant]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]]. At the height of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] even the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]] were considered candidates for hosting aliens. The Christian attitude towards extraterrestrials turned from denial to ambivalence. Theological criticisms had been partially stalemated by a critical counter-argument that had remained in the background since the pronouncements of 1277: God's omnipotence not only allowed for other worlds and other life, on some level it necessitated them.
===Extraterrestrials and the Modern era===
This enthusiasm towards the possibility of alien life continued well into the [[20th century]]. Indeed, the roughly three centuries from the [[Scientific Revolution]] through the beginning of the modern era of solar system probes were essentially the highpoint for belief in extraterrestrials in the West: many astronomers and other secular thinkers, at least some religious thinkers, and much of the general public were largely satisfied that aliens were a reality. This trend was finally tempered as actual probes visited potential alien abodes in the solar system. The moon was decisively ruled out as a possibility, while [[Venus]] and [[Mars]]—long the two main candidates for extraterrestrials—showed no obvious evidence of current life. The other large moons of our system which have been visited appear similarly lifeless, though interesting geothermic forces observed ([[Io]]'s volcanism, [[Europa]]'s ocean, [[Titan]]'s thick atmosphere) has underscored how broad the range of potentially habitable environments may be. Finally, the failure of [[NASA]]'s [[SETI]] program to detect anything resembling an intelligent radio signal after four decades of effort has partially dimmed the optimism that prevailed at the beginning of the space age and emboldened critics who view the search for extraterrestrials as unscientific. [http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote04.html]
It made an estimated additional $750 million in merchandising alone.
Thus, the three decades preceding the turn of the second millenium saw a crossroads reached in beliefs in alien life. The prospect of ubiquitous, intelligent, space-faring civilizations in our solar system appears increasingly dubious to many scientists ("All we know for sure is that the sky is not littered with powerful microwave transmitters" in the words of SETI's [[Frank Drake]]). At the same time, the data returned by space probes and giant strides in detection methods have allowed science to begin delineating [[Planetary habitability|habitability criteria]] on other worlds and to confirm that, at least, [[extrasolar planet|other planets]] are plentiful though aliens remain a question mark.
Amongst the general public belief and interest in extraterrestrials remains high and skepticism towards galaxy-exploring alien civilizations is not shared by many individuals. At present, some enthusiasts in the topic believe that extraterrestrial beings regularly visit or have visited the Earth. Some think that [[unidentified flying objects]] observed in the skies are in fact sightings of the spacecraft of intelligent extraterrestrials, and even claim to have met such beings. [[Crop circle]] patterns have also been attributed to the actions of extraterrestrials, although many were later found to be hoaxes. While at least one recent scientific paper published in a respected, peer-reviewed, journal has urged a re-evaluation of the UFO phenomenon (Deardorff et al., 2005) [http://www.ufoskeptic.org/JBIS.pdf], as of this time mainstream scientific opinion holds that such claims are unsupportable by the evidence currently available and unlikely to be true.
Executive producers Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan sued Warner Brothers for forcing them into accepting a net profit agreement rather than the gross profit one that was set up for other parties like Jack Nicholson. Warners then claimed that, although "Batman" at the time was the 5th biggest grossing film ever, it was still technically in the red, and offered the two producers a $1 million out-of-court settlement. They naturally rejected this.
The possible existence of primitive (microbial) life outside of Earth is much less controversial to mainstream scientists although at present no direct evidence of such life has been found. Indirect evidence has been offered for the current existence of primitive life on the planet Mars; however, the conclusions that should be drawn from such evidence remain in debate.
==Scientific search for extraterrestrial life==
The scientific search for extraterrestrial life is being carried out in two different ways, directly and indirectly.
Ricky Addison Reed was cast as Robin when the character was part of an earlier story treatment. Robin was eventually dropped, and Reed lost the role.
===Direct search===
Scientists are directly searching for evidence of unicellular life within the [[solar system]], carrying out studies on the surface of Mars and examining [[meteors]] that have fallen to Earth. A mission is also proposed to [[Europa (moon)|Europa]], one of [[Jupiter (planet)|Jupiter]]'s moons with a liquid water layer under its surface, which might contain life.
There is some limited evidence that microbial life might possibly exist or have existed on Mars. An experiment on the [[Viking program|Viking]] Mars lander reported gas emissions from heated Martian soil that some argue are consistent with the presence of microbes. However, the lack of corroborating evidence from other experiments on the Viking indicates that a non-biological reaction is a more likely hypothesis. Independently in [[1996]] structures resembling [[bacterium|bacteria]] were reportedly discovered in a meteorite, [[ALH84001]], known to be formed of rock ejected from Mars. Again, this report is vigorously disputed.
The plastic surgeon's weird surgical tools are originally from another Warner Brothers production, Little Shop of Horrors (1986). They were the dentist tools owned by Orin Scrivello.
In February 2005, [[NASA]] scientists reported that they had found strong evidence of present life on [[Mars]] (Berger, 2005). The two scientists, [[Carol Stoker]] and [[Larry Lemke]] of NASA’s [[Ames Research Center]], based their claims on methane signatures found in Mars’ atmosphere that resemble the methane production of some forms of primitive life on Earth, as well as their own study of primitive life near the [[Rio Tinto river]] in [[Spain]]. NASA officials soon denied the scientists’ claims, and Stoker herself backed off from her initial assertions (spacetoday.net, 2005). However, only a few days after Stoker and Lemke made their claims, scientists from the [[European Space Agency]] reported that their own measurements of methane on Mars suggested an organic origin (Michelson, 2005).
Though such findings are still very much in debate, support among scientists for the belief in the existence of life on Mars seems to be growing. In an informal survey of scientists attending the conference at which the European Space Agency presented its findings, 75 percent of the scientists at the conference reported to believe that life once existed on Mars; 25 percent reported a belief that life currently exists there (Michelson, 2005).
The Batman costume weighed 70 lbs.
===Indirect search===
It is theorised that any technological society in space will be transmitting information. Projects such as [[SETI]] are conducting an astronomical search for radioactivity that would confirm the presence of intelligent life. A related suggestion is that aliens might broadcast pulsed and continuous [[laser]] signals in the optical as well as infrared spectrum [http://www.coseti.org/]; laser signals have the advantage of not "smearing" in the interstellar medium and may prove more conducive to communication between the stars.
Astronomers also search for [[extrasolar]] planets that would be conducive to life. Current radiodetection methods have been inadequate for such a search, as the resolution afforded by recent technology is inadequate for detailed study of extrasolar planetary objects. Future telescopes should be able to image planets around nearby stars, which may reveal the presence of life (either directly or through [[Atomic absorption spectroscopy|spectrography]] which would reveal key information such as the presence of free [[oxygen]] in a planet's atmosphere). The [[Terrestrial Planet Finder]] is one NASA programme on the horizon that has generated optimism over the potential discovery of habitable planets. It has been argued that one of the best candidates for the discovery of life-supporting planets may be [[Alpha Centauri]], the closest star system to Earth, given that two of the three stars in the system are broadly sun-like.
The Batman symbol on the costume in this film is slightly different than the version seen in the comic books. It has two extra "points" on the bottom of the black bat emblem. However, the teaser poster and other such promotional materials for the film depict the logo just as it appears in the comics, for copyright purposes (because that specific look for the logo is what DC comics had copyrighted). The Batman costume was slightly modified for Batman Returns (1992) and sported the comic version of the symbol.
== Extraterrestrial life in the Solar System ==
Many bodies in the Solar System have been suggested as being likely to contain life. The most commonly suggested ones are listed below; of these, four of the five are moons thought to have large bodies of underground liquid, and life may have evolved there in a similar fashion to deep sea vents.
* [[Mars]] - The best known of the other planets and moons in the Solar system. There was liquid water on Mars in the past and there may be liquid water beneath the surface. Recently, [[methane]] was found in the athmosphere of Mars.
* [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] - Only known moon with a significant atmosphere. Recently visited by the [[Huygens probe]]. Latest discoveries indicate that there is no global or widespread ocean, but small and/or seasonal liquid hydrocarbon [http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=1577 lakes] are still possible.
* [[Europa (moon)|Europa]] - probably has a [[salt]] ocean under a thick ice crust.
* [[Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede]] - [[Jupiter's]] largest moon, and indeed the largest moon in the entire solar system
* [[Enceladus (moon)|Enceladus]] - May have liquid water beneath its surface. [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7159]
At one point during pre-production, director Tim Burton wanted to turn Frank Miller's 1986 comic "The Dark Knight Returns" into the new movie. However, Warner Bros. wanted to introduce the "dark" Batman before having a movie about his last days as a crime fighter. Not to mention that a DKR movie would be about four hours long.
Numerous other bodies have been suggested as potentially life-bearing. For example, atmospheric life has been hypothesised on Venus and the gas giants. [[Fred Hoyle]] also proposed that microbial life might exist on comets. Some Earth microbes also managed to survive on a lunar probe for some years. It is considered highly unlikely that complex multicellular organisms exist in any of these places.
==Dealing with extraterrestrial life==
If intelligent extraterrestrial life is found and it is possible to communicate with it, the people of the world and their governments will need to determine how to manage those interactions. The development of policy guidelines for dealing with extraterrestrial beings and territory has been considered by authors such as Michael Salla and [[Alfred Webre]] and termed [[exopolitics]].
Corto Maltese (where Vicki had been taking pictures) is the name of a popular European comic character, starring in the adventure comic books of Italian Hugo Pratt.
==See also==
*[[Alien invasion]]
*[[Anomalous phenomenon]]
*[[Are We Alone?]]
*[[Astrobiology]]
*[[Astrosociobiology]]
*[[Back-contamination]]
*[[Drake equation]]
*[[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture]]
*[[Fermi paradox]]
*[[First contact (science fiction)|First contact]]
*[[Frank Drake]]
*[[Habitable zone]]
*[[Kardashev scale]]
*[[List of space aliens in fiction]]
*[[Panspermia]]
*[[Planetary habitability]]
*[[Rare Earth hypothesis]]
*[[Scientific skepticism]]
*[[Sentience Quotient]]
*[[Seth Shostak]]
*[[SETI]]
*[[Greys]]
==References==
Heavy security surrounded The Joker's makeup.
*[[Jack Cohen]] and [[Ian Stewart]] (2002): ''[[Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life]]'', Ebury Press, ISBN 0-091-87927-2
*{{Journal reference | Author=J. Deardorff, B. Haisch, B. Maccabee, [[Harold E. Puthoff]] | Title=Inflation-Theory Implications for Extraterrestrial Visitation | Journal=[[Journal of the British Interplanetary Society]] | Year=2005 | Volume=58 | Pages=43–50}} [http://www.ufoskeptic.org/JBIS.pdf (pdf file)]
* Berger, Brian (2005). [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_life_050216.html Exclusive: NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars]. Posted Feb. 16, 2005.
The throne that the Joker sits on when he spreads money over the citizens of Gotham is a copy of the "Silver Throne", the Royal Throne of Sweden which the King of Sweden used until 1974 at the opening of the Swedish Parliament. The replica was made for the film Queen Christina (1933).
*spacetoday.net (2005). [http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/2804 NASA denies Mars life reports]. Posted Feb 19, 2005.
*Michelson, Marcel (2005). [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/space_mars_dc European Scientists Believe in Life on Mars]. Posted Feb 25, 2005.
*[[John C. Baird]]. 1987. ''[[The Inner Limits of Outer Space]]: A Psychologist Critiques Our Efforts to Communicate With Extraterrestrial Beings.'' Hanover: University Press of New England. ISBN 0-87451-406-1
Tim Curry was an original choice to play the Joker.
*[[Donald Goldsmith]]. 1997. ''[[The Hunt for Life on Mars]].'' New York: A Dutton Book. ISBN 0525943366
*[[Michael T. Lemnick]]. 1998. ''Other Worlds: The Search for Life in the Universe.'' New York: A Touchstone Book.
* [[Cliff Pickover]]. 2003 ''[[The Science of Aliens]]'' New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-07315-8
Ray Liotta was reportedly Tim Burton's first choice for the Joker, and then for the character of Harvey Dent (later to become Two Face), but he turned down both due to his commitment to make Goodfellas (1990).
Robin Williams was considered for the role of The Joker; he would later be considered for The Riddler as well. Jack Nicholson got the role of The Joker but demanded top-billing and a lucrative deal that gave him royalties on all merchandise.
Billy Dee Williams appears as Harvey Dent, who in the comics became Two-Face. Williams took the role with the expectation that he would be brought back to play Two-Face and reportedly had a contract clause added reserving the role for him. During casting for Batman Forever (1995) Warner Bros. decided they would prefer Tommy Lee Jones and bought out Williams' contract.
It is claimed that Adam West was offered a cameo as Bruce Wayne's father but turned it down, though West denies being offered the part.
This was the first film to ever get a "12" rating in Great Britain. The rating was created to prevent young children from seeing the film. It had been in place up until 2002, where it was updated to "12A" for the live-action Spider-Man (2002) movie.
Corto Maltese is also an island country in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, one of Burton's inspirations for Batman.
Kim Basinger is only a few inches shorter than Michael Keaton. To make Keaton appear taller, she wears flat heels or is in stocking feet in all the scenes in which they are standing next to each other.
Alec Baldwin, Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Pierce Brosnan and Tom Selleck were considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Mel Gibson was the original choice for Bruce Wayne/Batman but was forced to turn down the role due to his commitment with Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).
In the Globe office, a reporter hands Knox a drawing of a bat dressed like a man, poking fun at his belief in Batman. The drawing is signed "Bob Kane - the creator of Batman".
Alfred's story of how Bruce sprained his ankle while horseback-riding is a reference to Sean Young's accident when she was preparing for the film. It also refers to a deleted scene from the script which had Bruce on horseback chasing the Joker.
Martin Landau turned down the role of Carl Grissom.
Michael Jackson was asked to write and perform the songs for the movie, but he had to turn it down due to his concert commitments.
The producers wanted John Williams to write the score, but he had to turn it down due to his commitment to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
The studio offered Joel Coen and Ethan Coen the director's chair, before Tim Burton got the job.
Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office took home around $60 million. As of 2003 it is still the single-movie record for actor's salary.
The flag of Gotham City closely resembles the state flag of Indiana. It can be seen briefly in Harvey Dent's office.
When the Tom Mankiewicz script was in development, the directors associated with the project included Joe Dante and Ivan Reitman. Producers wanted an unknown to play Batman and the cast wish-list included William Holden as Commissioner Gordon and David Niven as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's faithful butler.
The movie's "Vicki Vale" is actually based on 1970s Bruce Wayne girlfriend Silver St. Cloud, a name deemed too silly for a movie character. However, in the comics there was a character named Vicki Vale, who was a reporter and appeared in the comics throughout the '40s and '60s.
The character of Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) was a character created for the movie. In the script the character was killed during the parade scene.
In the original script, the paper Knox and Vicki worked for was the Gotham Gazette, not the Gotham Globe.
The original script featured a bitter rivalry between Bruce Wayne and Knox over Vicki.
In the original script, Bruce Wayne was described as a man with "muscles on top of muscles and scarred from nightly combat".
When Alfred receives Vicki Vale's message a portrait of Thomas Wayne can be seen in the background.
It has been reported that Tim Burton had an uncredited cameo as one of The Joker's goons in the Museum scene.
In the original script with Robin included, the Flying Graysons (John, Mary, and Dick) are introduced at the parade scene. The Joker shoots the trapeze artists sending John and Mary to their deaths and leaving Dick to survive. Dick later becomes Robin in full costume at the end.
According to a Playboy interview with Robin Williams, Jack Nicholson was the offered the role of Joker first. When Nicholson kept delaying his answer, Williams was offered the role. The producers immediately turned around and informed Nicholson that Williams was considering the offer, and Nicholson accepted. Williams has remained bitter about being "used as bait". See trivia for Batman Forever (1995).
For its first video release, the film was graded slightly lighter as cinema audiences had complained that it was filmed so darkly that they could hardly see what was going on.
Anton Furst's designs for Gotham City were incorporated into the comics during the early '90s. The design was removed during the "No Man's Land" arc.
The painting that the Joker spares during his vandalism spree is Francis Bacon's "Figure with Meat."
The design of Gothan City is based on the work of architects Antonio Gaudi, Otto Wagner and Shin Takamatsu.
In a newsroom scene, Vicki Vale and Alexander Knox examine a map of Gotham City which has been marked with Batman sightings. The map is actually a map of Vancouver, British Columbia.
In the film Jack Napier aka The Joker is the murderer of Batman's parents. In the comics the murderer is a character named Joe Chill.
== On DVD==
[[Image:batman2disc.jpg|right|thumb|128px||Cover of the 2-disc Special Edition DVD]]
''Batman'' was given a "bare bones" DVD release when the medium was introduced in 1997-98. However, in 2005, the newest feature film, [[Batman Begins]], spawned Warner Bros. to release a Two-Disc Special Edition set of all four Burton-Schumacher films in ''Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997''.
Features of the original Burton film include:
*Digitally Remastered Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer
*English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Track
*English DTS 5.1 Surround Track
*Audio Commentary with Director Tim Burton
*Legends of the Dark Knight: The History of Batman Documentary
*Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Parts 1, 2 & 3
*#The Road to Gotham City
*#The Gathering Storm
*#The Legend Reborn
*Beyond Batman Documentary Gallery Including:
**Visualizing Gotham: The Production Design of Batman
**Building the Batmobile
**Those Wonderful Toys: The Props and Gadgets of Batman
**Designing the Batsuit
**From Jack to Joker
**Nocturnal Overtures: The Music of Batman
*"Batdance", "Partyman" and "Scandalous" Music Videos by Prince
*The Heroes and The Villains Profile Galleries
*Batman: The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence
*On the Set with Bob Kane Featurette
*Batman Theatrical Trailer
==External links==
*{{imdb title|id=0096895|title=Batman}}
*[http://www.mysterymap.com ''MysteryMap.com'' Extra Terrestrial Sightings]
*[http://www.exopolitics.com ''Exopolitics.com'' by Alfred Webre]
*[http://batman.batmanytb.com/ BATMAN '89] at [http://www.batmanytb.com/ Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond]
*[http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/siliconlife.html ''Silicon-based life'' by David Darling]
*[http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/ammonialife.html ''Ammonia-based life'' by David Darling]
*[http://www.bullz-eye.com/mguide/reviews_1989/batman.htm Batman review, Batman DVD review]
*[http://www.pbs.org/lifebeyondearth/index.html ''PBS: Life Beyond Earth'' a film by Timothy Ferris]
*[http://www.ufoskepticsydlexia.orgcom/batmancereal.htm 1989''ufoskeptic.org'' bys BernardBatman HaischCereal]
*[http://www.rfreitasgeocities.com/Astroburtonsbatman3/Xenopsychologyindex2.htmhtml Tim Burton''Xenopsychology''s byBatman Robert A. Freitas Jr.III]
*[http://www.projectrhoterryxart.com/rocket/rocket3aaBatmanPage1.htmlhtm Tim LetBurton's BuildBatman anPage Extraterrestrial1]
*[http://www.ufocasebook.com UFO Casebook]
*[http://www.maar.us Malevolent Alien Abduction Research]
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[[Category:Astrobiology]]
{{Tim Burton Films}}
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[[Category:Films directed by Tim Burton]]
[[es:Extraterrestre]]
[[Category:Controversial films]]
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