Batman Forever: Red Book Edition

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Batman Forever: Red Book Edition
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Genre:
Franchise:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1995
Original Running Time:
121 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
120 minutes
Time Cut:
11 minutes
Time Added:
10 minutes
Synopsis:
Batman Forever is a great movie, but there are things in it that definitely ruin the experience. Tim Burton’s absence wasn’t the problem.
Intention:
Imagine seeing Bruce suffering from sadness, guilt and loads of other psychological problems. Then he turns around and shows us his ass. It just doesn’t work for me. Two face was another problem; he’s supposed to be brain damaged not retarded. Why is he acting like the joker? I also muted the colors to the point where some scenes look black and white with color mixed in. As for Chase and Bruce. Their relationship is pointless and they both know this deep down. The new ending emphasizes this. The action sequences were also a little hokey so I recut those as well. I didn’t try to make this into a Tim Burton film by adding Elfman’s scores from the 1st two films. Instead I kept Goldenthal’s score and added some more of his work. The new music is taken from Final Fantasy: TSW and Alien 3. I didn’t have much of a problem with the Riddler. Jim Carrey is a comedic god.
Other Sources:
The new music is taken from Final Fantasy: TSW and Alien 3.
Release Information:
DVD
Cuts and Additions:
* New opening credit sequence (Red Forever logo) using Arkham deleted
scene.

* No suiting up sequence. From the title to a zooming batmobile.

* Two Face’s cackling and joking cut down to a minimum.

* Security guard doesn’t whine along to Goldentthal’s music score. Still
whines though.

* Colors have been slightly muted.

* More Elliot Goldenthal music added.

* Chase isn’t a filthy whore here. Just a whore. She does not grab
Batman’s nipples.

* Gordon doesn’t say “definitely suicide”, which made him look like an
idiot.

* Dick’s family death scene has new music that drowns out the sound.
For dramatic effect.

* Dick’s pain deleted scene added and altered.

* Dick talking to the 4 R&B girls has been cut

* Batman’s leap over machine guns at the Ritz Gotham is seen in two
angles now.
one taken from the trailer.

* News report explaining Two Face’s origin has been shortened. It felt
forced.

* Batman bashing News report deleted scene added and altered.

* “Go to her” and “I’ve never been in love before” lines removed.

* Riddler’s tiny bombs explode on contact. No baseball gag.

* Giant bat and red book revelation deleted scene added and altered, of
course.
Music and sound f/x.

* Batman’s butt has been cut.

* Batman doesn’t give Gordon a thumbs up while in the Batwing.

* Too many cuts to count. Two pointless action sequences removed.

* The villains don’t play Battleship as Batman and Robin head for their
hideout.

* “It never ends” deleted scene added to the end.

* Running hero silhouettes cut from the end.
Red book cd Label
Red book-cover
Red-book-cover-modified-1
Red-book-disc-modified-1
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Genre:
Franchise:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1995
Original Running Time:
121 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
120 minutes
Time Cut:
11 minutes
Time Added:
10 minutes
Synopsis:
Batman Forever is a great movie, but there are things in it that definitely ruin the experience. Tim Burton’s absence wasn’t the problem.
Intention:
Imagine seeing Bruce suffering from sadness, guilt and loads of other psychological problems. Then he turns around and shows us his ass. It just doesn’t work for me. Two face was another problem; he’s supposed to be brain damaged not retarded. Why is he acting like the joker? I also muted the colors to the point where some scenes look black and white with color mixed in. As for Chase and Bruce. Their relationship is pointless and they both know this deep down. The new ending emphasizes this. The action sequences were also a little hokey so I recut those as well. I didn’t try to make this into a Tim Burton film by adding Elfman’s scores from the 1st two films. Instead I kept Goldenthal’s score and added some more of his work. The new music is taken from Final Fantasy: TSW and Alien 3. I didn’t have much of a problem with the Riddler. Jim Carrey is a comedic god.
Other Sources:
The new music is taken from Final Fantasy: TSW and Alien 3.
Release Information:
DVD
Cuts and Additions:
* New opening credit sequence (Red Forever logo) using Arkham deleted
scene.

* No suiting up sequence. From the title to a zooming batmobile.

* Two Face’s cackling and joking cut down to a minimum.

* Security guard doesn’t whine along to Goldentthal’s music score. Still
whines though.

* Colors have been slightly muted.

* More Elliot Goldenthal music added.

* Chase isn’t a filthy whore here. Just a whore. She does not grab
Batman’s nipples.

* Gordon doesn’t say “definitely suicide”, which made him look like an
idiot.

* Dick’s family death scene has new music that drowns out the sound.
For dramatic effect.

* Dick’s pain deleted scene added and altered.

* Dick talking to the 4 R&B girls has been cut

* Batman’s leap over machine guns at the Ritz Gotham is seen in two
angles now.
one taken from the trailer.

* News report explaining Two Face’s origin has been shortened. It felt
forced.

* Batman bashing News report deleted scene added and altered.

* “Go to her” and “I’ve never been in love before” lines removed.

* Riddler’s tiny bombs explode on contact. No baseball gag.

* Giant bat and red book revelation deleted scene added and altered, of
course.
Music and sound f/x.

* Batman’s butt has been cut.

* Batman doesn’t give Gordon a thumbs up while in the Batwing.

* Too many cuts to count. Two pointless action sequences removed.

* The villains don’t play Battleship as Batman and Robin head for their
hideout.

* “It never ends” deleted scene added to the end.

* Running hero silhouettes cut from the end.
Cover art by Scaperat (DOWNLOAD HERE)
image

Cover art by JimJones (DOWNLOAD HERE)
image

Trusted Reviewer reviews

2 reviews
Overall rating
 
9.5
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I hadn't watched this since the 90s, so mostly I was coming at the film with fresh eyes. I had actually liked it more than Batman Returns, due to hating most everything about the Penguin, preferring Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne and Batman, and generally liking Jim Carrey. Actually, neither of the films have aged very well, though. But The Red Book Edition attempts to change that.

First, it has to be said that the deleted scenes are 99% amazing (except for one lame line reading by Kilmer: "I'm Batman") and they form a subplot that actually gives a REASON for the main plot of the film. It deepens Bruce's reason for survivor's guilt, justifies having Chase the psychiatrist being a potential lifelong love interest instead of just an old-timey harlot, and gives a more believable reason for Batman to retire than was presented in The Dark Knight Rises. As a serious film that holds up, these scenes MAKE the movie.

Unfortunately, they also highlight how different everything else in the film is. Well, mostly the villains. Schumacher was clearly raised on the old TV show, and the film frequently hearkens back to the improbable inventions and campy over-the-top antics presented there. He doesn't lean into it full bore like he did later in Batman & Robin, though occasional shots and sound effects emphasize the cartoonish aspect of scenes. Mostly it comes in the villains though, and sadly (even with the cuts) Tommy Lee Jones clearly has no idea what he's doing in this film. This Two-Face is a travesty compared to his portrayal in TAS, or even The Dark Knight. And while I was on board with Jim Carrey at the time, he's just horrible now. His hair changes back and forth every other scene, his crotch bulge is distractingly bad, and he's mostly channeling previous wacky characters rather than actually giving us The Riddler. Again, it's a travesty when you know what can be done with the character.

This is undoubtedly a better film than the theatrical release, and the new tone is created with great expertise and attention. Elliot Goldenthal's underappreciated work is the real star of this edit (besides the killer end credit songs), and the visual differences in the deleted scenes worked for me, for the most part. Also, Val Kilmer is given more to work with in this edit, enhancing the best part of the original film. I'd say this is now probably tied with The Dark Knight Rises for my third-favorite live action Batman film.

However, it's still not a great movie. Like TDKR, there are significant problems in this film that cannot be fixed by editing. If you're going to watch it though, this is the version to watch.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 0
(Updated: March 08, 2013)
Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
This was an excellent edit. A great example of taking a flawed movie and making it really good. Editing was well done throughout and I enjoyed the deleted scenes put back in.

I wasn’t fully sold on the new colors, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the theatrical version.

FANEDIT RATING
Audio/Video Quality – 9
Visual Editing – 10
Audio Editing – 9 (some of the new music didn’t fit right for me)
Degree of Editing – 8

(NOTE: “Degree of Editing” is a 100% arbitrary rating that I keep in mind when reviewing edits. This is not meant to insinuate that a faneditor is lazy or not. Some fanedits require a lot more work than others and I take this into account.)

MOVIE RATING
Narrative – 9 (Original is 8)
Enjoyment – 8 (Original is 7)

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

30 reviews
 
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1-3 stars
 
0%
Overall rating
 
8.4
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.2(16)
Audio Editing
 
8.7(16)
Visual Editing
 
8.3(16)
Narrative
 
8.4(16)
Enjoyment
 
8.4(30)
View all user reviews View most helpful
Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
So i was totally unaware of the Schumacher Cut of BF until the Kevin Smith story on it last year. I instantly ran to this site to see what i could find and wow did i find gold. This is THE version of the film too watch, i'd forgotten about the great opening and the "red book" scene. Other notable exclusions are the Batmobile driving up the side of the building and some of Carreys' more over the top jokes. I will say i miss the "ill get drive through" and "holy rusty metal, Batman!" lines. The only complaint i can really give is the use of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?", i get the themes but hey Fight Club holds the patent on that as a closing song for a film. HIGHLY recommended.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I’m glad this edit exists. The original “Batman Forever” left a lot to be desired coming off the back to back Tim Burton joints, and this fanedit packs a great punch in re-aligning with those in a cool continuity. Great work here, check it out!

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: November 08, 2022)
Overall rating
 
8.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.0
Audio Editing
 
8.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
7.0
I've always been a nostalgic fan of the original Batman Forever, but also a fan of darker takes on Batman. I think this edit did an admirable job of trying to darken it up, but just didn't measure up to my enjoyment of the original version. The addition of the deleted Arkham Asylum beginning, the "red book" subplot, and the alternate ending was excellent, but removing the exciting Batmobile sequence for a decidedly boring deleted scene between Bruce and Dick just took me right out of the movie.

The color saturation was inspired, but I could take it or leave it. The image quality of the added deleted scenes was notably different than the theatrical scenes, and the removal of dialogue was noticeable.

Again, a solid effort, but I'll still stick to the original for future viewings.

User Review

Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: April 16, 2024)
Overall rating
 
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
This edit is one of the few that I hold in the highest esteem. I consider it a classic fanedit. The look of the film now has a Sin City vibe to it, which in my opinion is a cool change. I love the color regrade, it was an inspiration for me to get into this kind of editing. It helps I loved the theatrical cut as a kid. It always had a slightly darker side to it in parts, and this edit wonderfully accentuates that.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
(Updated: December 16, 2022)
Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I enjoyed it. I showed it to my brother, and he likes it. It overall make Batman Forever more serious than the theatrical version.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 1
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