Silent Movie Saturday
October 1, 2022 5:43 AM   Subscribe

Filmmaker Ben Crew has created a fan edit of Tim Burton's Batman as a silent movie. (archive.org link)

You can also find individual scenes at the twitter account Batman: The Silent Motion Picture.

Lots of people are asking and yes, Batman: The Silent Motion Picture does still keep the Prince songs.
In fact, the Wayne Manor fundraiser scene now includes Bat Dance.


As there's nothing new under the sun, YouTube offers up this short of Batman Returns as a silent movie.

And, of course, who can think of silent movies and bats without being reminded of The Bat, currently also available on YouTube here.

Previously, in silent film and Batman posts.
posted by the primroses were over (16 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
Y'all I just couldn't think of a title and went with Silent Movie Saturday. I definitely do not have the silent movie chops to keep that up as an ongoing thing, so:

(a) don't get your hopes up

but

(b) if someone else is into silent movies, please feel free to run with it.
posted by the primroses were over at 5:45 AM on October 1, 2022 [5 favorites]


Reminds me of the version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in pack and white!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:15 AM on October 1, 2022 [3 favorites]


Amazing, this the best version of this film. Stumbled on it yesterday, already downloaded and planned a watch party with friends. As mentioned in Crew's tweet sharing this, this version really does demonstrate the strength of Tim Burton's visual language and story-telling ability.

Next level remixing, a mega-remix.
posted by LooseFilter at 8:00 AM on October 1, 2022 [3 favorites]


I’ve always liked the silent B&W version (with piano score) of Luke and Vader’s duel in The Empire Strikes Back (except for the final silly ‘Craps!’ title card.) Would watch a condensed version of the full movie in this style.
posted by cenoxo at 8:58 AM on October 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


Not really a fan of the fake dirt and scratches.
posted by octothorpe at 9:04 AM on October 1, 2022 [3 favorites]


Would watch a condensed version of the full movie in this style.

There is one! Well, there was- I don't know if it's available anywhere on the internet, but I have an old copy of a version the author did for the prequels and it was pretty good. Each movie gets condensed into 40 minutes, which is honestly perfect for the prequels.

Apparently they are still at it and did one for Episode 7.
posted by BungaDunga at 9:50 AM on October 1, 2022 [2 favorites]


Not really a fan of the fake dirt and scratches.


Same. It's really well done, but I would prefer a version that kept a contemporary look (no fake artifacts, modern typography) if for no other reason than to show that it's still a viable format.
posted by Ayn Marx at 10:05 AM on October 1, 2022 [3 favorites]



Same. It's really well done, but I would prefer a version that kept a contemporary look (no fake artifacts, modern typography) if for no other reason than to show that it's still a viable format

I agree as well. The model should have been Mel Brooks' Silent Movie which never pretends that it's in any decade but the 1970's and just happens to be a silent movie. If Ben Crew wanted to pretend it was a silent film from some other decade, he'd have more luck with Batman Returns which was much more strongly influenced by silent films, with Danny DeVito doing a Werner Krauss impression and Christopher Walken as a villain named Max Schreck!
posted by dannyboybell at 10:33 AM on October 1, 2022 [4 favorites]


As the short makes clear. Next time I will click ALL the links before posting.
posted by dannyboybell at 10:56 AM on October 1, 2022


You all are too nice. He needs to keep his day job.
posted by Ideefixe at 12:50 PM on October 1, 2022


And, of course, who can think of silent movies and bats without being reminded of The Bat (1926)

This movie has legs.
"film is based on the 1920 Broadway hit play" by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood based on Rinehart' play, ' The Circular Staircase'

"A 1959 remake, The Bat, starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.

I love Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price. For 20 years I play this movie every Halloween no matter what.
posted by clavdivs at 2:57 PM on October 1, 2022 [2 favorites]


I think that the B&W version of Logan might work well with this treatment; there's not a ton of dialogue in it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:43 PM on October 1, 2022 [1 favorite]


10 minutes in, I like it... but it drags. He could easily have cut some of these scenes down, given that he's only putting a small amount of the dialogue into the intertitles. I don't think I have the patience to sit thru the whole thing.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 5:59 PM on October 1, 2022


I could see how a cleaner, modern silent version of the same movie would be appealing, and might be a better showcase of Burton's visual style.

I enjoyed the over the top soundtrack (love some of the soundtrack choices so much) and cartoony old timey editing choices Crew made in his version though. Its silly, he clearly had fun with it, and I like the results. It does feel more like a Dudley Do-Right play on silent movies than an earnest take, but that happens to be what I want out of a fan edit of a Tim Burton superhero movie.

Its fun to consider which movies I've seen recently might work as silent movies. Maybe Nightmare Alley, which I didn't love, but has a very strong visual style. I think Jordan Peele's horror could be fun in this style too. Less recently, I think Center Stage could be a good candidate.

Anyway, looking forward to new Tim Burton when the Netflix Wednesday series releases late next month.
posted by the primroses were over at 6:41 AM on October 2, 2022


Brilliant. The sets are amazing with this treatment. Watched the whole thing.
posted by xtian at 6:32 PM on October 2, 2022


Polygon interview with Ben Crew about his edit: “I believe that Batman and Batman Returns are two of the greatest film scores of all time,” Crew told Polygon. “This edit works so well because it allows you to experience Elfman’s genius without any words or sounds over it. Too many scores today just serve as background noise. Every note of this score is precise and timed exactly to compliment the action and characters. The visuals and music serve each other in the most beautiful way.”
posted by the primroses were over at 12:27 PM on October 6, 2022


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