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Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 5
- Movies in this archive
- 8
Rewatchables episodes featuring Michael Keaton’s films
Displaying all 5 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
Billy's satin bomber jacket and tape recorder
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:12Read transcript
- Billy's satin jacket and tape recorder are proposed. — Bill Simmons
- Michael Keaton reportedly retained the jacket, strengthening it as the memorabilia choice. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:41Read transcript
- Michael Keaton is selected for the film’s one Oscar. — Bill Simmons
Apex Mountain
No clear individual apex
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:13Read transcript
- Michael Keaton is rejected as at apex but his debut is treated as an extraordinary leap and his funniest film performance. — Bill Simmons
- Henry Winkler, Shelley Long, Ron Howard, and Barney Rubble are rejected as apex cases. — Bill Simmons
- Idea men and early-1980s entrepreneurial New York are considered plausible period apexes. — Chris Ryan
- Sex-worker comedies are assigned Risky Business rather than Night Shift. — Chris Ryan
- Morticians are assigned Six Feet Under; Jumpin’ Jack Flash is rejected. — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Keaton preparation, cast friction, and the Stutz
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:08Read transcript
- Michael Keaton reportedly played 10th Avenue Freeze-Out to enter Billy Blaze’s character. — Bill Simmons
- Henry Winkler named Shelley Long as an annoying co-star and described framing disputes over their relative height. — Bill Simmons
- Billy's car is identified as a rare 1981 Stutz IV-Porte built on a General Motors platform. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Nick Nolte declined Peck; the extensive other-candidate list is treated skeptically.
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:23Read transcript
- Nick Nolte reportedly declined Dennis Peck for Another 48 Hrs.; Gere is considered essential despite a long and questionable list of other purported candidates.
- The untrusted candidate list includes Alec Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, Kevin Costner, Willem Dafoe, De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Jeff Goldblum, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Don Johnson, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Keaton, Nolte, Pacino, Christopher Reeve, Kurt Russell and Schwarzenegger. — Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:19Read transcript
- Casting what-ifs: Daniel Day-Lewis and Michael Keaton reportedly declined Andy; Bill Murray and Robin Williams were considered for a more comic Joe before Denzel. — Bill Simmons
- Casting what-ifs: John Leguizamo reportedly chose Super Mario Bros.over Miguel; James Woods was considered for Wheeler. Springsteen initially offered existing Tunnel of Love before writing a new song.
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
Green Goblin's Nikes; Green Goblin's glider
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:34Read transcript
- The Green Goblin's Nike shoes are wanted, compared with Michael Keaton's Batman wearing Jordans. — Charles Holmes
- The Green Goblin's glider is wanted, with a brief dispute over whether it counts as memorabilia. — Van Lathan
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:38Read transcript
- Whether this was secretly Nicholson’s most important movie is recalled as already discussed. — Bill Simmons
- Dr. J theory: Keaton’s Batman is Dr. J, Bale’s is Michael Jordan, and the Reeves films start a LeBron era; Keaton invented the low Batman voice, and Dr. J was not bad for basketball. — Sean Fennessey
- Clooney is the most disappointing Batman, saddled with the worst film; he might have been good with a better director. — Sean Fennessey
- More comparisons follow: Val Kilmer as Hakeem Olajuwon, Affleck as Karl Malone or Kawhi Leonard, Zoe Kravitz as the Steph Curry, Adam West as Paul Arizin, and Cesar Romero as George Mikan.
- Julie Newmar’s Catwoman and Burgess Meredith’s Penguin are remembered from the TV show, and the 1966 movie featured all the villains. — Bill Simmons
Apex Mountain
Michael Keaton; Jon Peters and Peter Guber
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:05Read transcript
- Keaton is a yes: the biggest movie ever when released, and his juice got Pacific Heights made. — Bill Simmons
- A joke asks whether Damon Wayans understood Apex Mountain.
- Pacific Heights is defended as great, prompting a joke to schedule it. — Bill Simmons
- Basinger could be argued yes given her fame and coming Alec Baldwin romance, but L.A. Confidential is offered instead; she worked little after it. — Bill Simmons
- Nicholson is a no; his apex is elsewhere. — Bill Simmons
- Peters and Guber are a yes, since this success helped them take over Sony before it fell apart. — Bill Simmons
- The Knox actor gets an “absolutely”, but it is immediately deferred to Arli$$ as his apex. — Bill Simmons
- For Burton, this film is possible but Batman Returns is preferred as the better movie he fully controlled; it has great performances throughout, with no bad Palance turn. — Sean Fennessey
- For Batman movies, the answer is no: The Dark Knight. — Sean Fennessey
Half-Assed Internet Research
Costs, Pinewood secrecy, Palance clash, makeup time, body count, Aspen horseback ride
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:32Read transcript
- The Batman suit reportedly cost $250,000 and the 38-foot cathedral $100,000; filming at Pinewood Studios in England kept Nicholson’s Joker secret. — Bill Simmons
- Palance reportedly had a hearing problem; after Burton cut a take he missed, Palance boasted of making over 100 films, and Burton later called it a scarring experience. — Bill Simmons
- Nicholson’s Joker makeup took two hours, and Keaton reportedly recalls that basketball games were taped on VHS for him to watch in the chair. — Bill Simmons
- The film has 56 dead bodies. — Bill Simmons
- To win over Nicholson, Burton was taken horseback riding with him in Aspen despite not riding horses. — Chris Ryan
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Keaton’s “Let’s get nuts”; Jack Palance’s death scene
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:53Read transcript
- Nicholson has moments and the Prince-song scene is a candidate, but Keaton’s “you want to get nuts” outburst in the Joker showdown is highlighted. — Chris Ryan
- Palance’s dramatic death after being shot is the platonic ideal of overdone dying; he is called bad here, indescribable in Tango and Cash, and undeserving of his City Slickers Oscar. — Chris Ryan
Casting What-Ifs
Batman contenders; Joker alternatives; Vicki Vale recasting; Grissom refusal; Adam West
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:10Read transcript
- Casting what-ifs are deferred past the break; the film is said to have as many as any of the 226 editions, rivaling The Godfather. — Bill Simmons
- Nearly every 1980s star was reportedly considered for Batman, including Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Tom Selleck, Bill Murray, Harrison Ford, and one further name garbled in the transcript, with uncertainty over what is real. — Bill Simmons
- Pierce Brosnan reportedly met Burton but did not want to play a comic-book hero. — Bill Simmons
- Bill Murray, with Ivan Reitman directing, was earlier buzz that Peters favored for years; the hosts are glad it did not happen. An Eddie Murphy as Robin rumor is doubted. — Bill Simmons
- Damon Wayans, met by chance, reportedly denied the research claim that he and Bruce Willis feuded on The Last Boy Scout, illustrating the unreliability of casting research. — Bill Simmons
- Nicholson was reportedly the studio’s top Joker choice since 1980, and Willem Dafoe reportedly stated in 2009 he had been in talks. — Bill Simmons
- Robin Williams was reportedly offered the Joker to pressure Nicholson, released once Nicholson agreed, and then refused Warner roles such as the Riddler without an apology; the apology detail is doubted. — Bill Simmons
- Dead Poets Society was 1989’s third-biggest film; swapping Nicholson and Williams would make both films worse, and “he stole my balloons” is called a favorite line.
- Nicholson’s reported conditions included top billing, a share of earnings including merchandise, capped work hours, and no work on Lakers home playoff games; his fee dropped from $11 million to $6 million, but he may have made $90 million. — Bill Simmons
- Martin Landau reportedly turned down Carl Grissom for Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Jack Palance in that role is imagined as bad.
- Sean Young was cast as Vicki Vale and replaced after a horse-riding injury; the Knox actor later claimed she sabotaged a read-through, which is doubted. Her Catwoman costume audition for Batman Returns is recalled.
- The Knox actor also claimed Keaton blocked Peters’ choice of Michelle Pfeiffer because they had dated, which is doubted since she is in the sequel. — Bill Simmons
- Adam West was publicly disappointed not to be asked to reprise Batman. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 13 - 24 of 38 in total
Films in the archive
Batman
1989
Batman Returns
1992
Jackie Brown
1997
Night Shift
1982
Out of Sight
1998
Pacific Heights
1990
Spotlight
2015
The Paper
1994