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Today's IMDB Trivia Thread: Batman Forever
While learning to twirl a cane, Jim Carrey reportedly broke around a dozen prop canes and some of his trailer furniture.
The Robin costume weighed 41 lbs.
Dick Grayson suggests "Nightwing" for a hero name; an in-joke for the comic books, where Dick Grayson now appears as Nightwing, an identity he took after he abandoned the Robin costume in 1980s.
In the film there is a doctor named Burton. Tim Burton directed the first two Batman films and produced this sequel.
At one moment, to Batman's surprise, Robin exclaims: "Holey rusted metal, Batman!", then explaining: "The ground, it's all metal. It's full of holes. You know, holey" - a jokey reference to the old US TV show "Batman" (1966) with Adam West, where Robin would yell his trademark exclamations of surprise every once in a while: "Holy something-or-other, Batman!".
The scratches on the tails side of Two-Face's coin form the letters HD, the initials of Harvey Dent, Two-Face's former identity.
Elizabeth Sanders, who plays Gossip Gerty, is the widow of 'Bob Kane (I)' , the man who created the Batman character.
The design of the Flying Graysons' costumes was a reference to the red, yellow and green spandex that Robin wears currently in the comic books.
In Canada, the French version of the Riddler's name is Le Sphinx.
Chris O'Donnell's sister can be seen directly behind him in the party scene where Robin is first introduced to the public.
In the movie, there is a scene where Two-Face keeps flipping his coin until he gets a result he wants. In the comics, a key element of his split personality is that he unquestioningly accepts the result of a single coin toss concerning any decision he makes.
Rene Russo was originally cast to play Dr. Chase Meridian when Michael Keaton was still attached to the project as Batman. However, when Keaton dropped out of the project and was replaced by Val Kilmer, Russo was deemed too old to play his love interest and was replaced by Nicole Kidman.
William Baldwin was reported to be considered for the role of Batman.
In the original Batman (1989), District Attorney Harvey Dent was played by Billy Dee Williams. Williams accepted the role with the knowledge and expectation that Dent would eventually become Two-Face: he reportedly had a clause put into his contract reserving the role for him in any sequels, which Warner Bros. had to buy out so they could cast Tommy Lee Jones.
Chase remarks about "Or do I need skin tight vinyl and a whip", an obvious reference to the "Catwoman" character in Batman Returns (1992).
When left at Wayne Manor, Grayson informs Wayne that he is leaving. To this, Bruce replies that the circus would be halfway to Metropolis, which is the city of Superman.
The movie was going to be shot in Cincinnati, using the old subway tunnel. The exterior of the Gotham City Hippodrome (the arena where Dick Grayson's family is killed) is based on the exterior of Union Terminal, a famous 1930's Art Deco train station in Cincinnati.
The exterior set for Two-Face's hide out is the same set used in the first disappearance of Max Schreck (Christopher Walken) in Batman Returns (1992).
Exterior scenes of Wayne Manor were filmed at the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture on Long Island, NY. The production team had to change the school's "W" on the entrance gate because it had an anchor behind it.
Actors Kimberly Scott (Bruce's assistant) and Michael Paul Chan (a worker at Wayne Enterprises) came back for Batman & Robin (1997), but in different roles, playing scientists at the Gotham Observatory. Joel Schumacher frequently uses them in his movies.
Olympic gymnast Mitchell Gaylord was a stunt double for Chris O'Donnell.
Val Kilmer learned he was the new Batman while he was literally in a bat cave in Africa, doing research for The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) He accepted the role without reading the script.
25 minutes of the film were digitally color corrected at 2K resolution - a very early example of digital grading for motion pictures.
The scene where Dick Grayson sorts and dries his laundry using kung-fu moves was taken shot-by-shot from a similar scene in the Hong Kong film Yong zhe wu ju (1981) (aka "Dreadnaught").
After the Batmobile rides up the wall to escape from Two-Face, there was going to be a car chase on the rooftops of Gotham. Due to time and money constraints, this idea was scrapped and used in the next film, Batman & Robin (1997).
Will Shortz, "puzzlemaster" on National Public Radio and editor of the NY Times crossword puzzle, created the Riddler's riddles.
Early concepts of the final showdown on Claw Island had a huge, muscled, Riddler sitting on his throne when Batman finds him. The Riddler twists the two skulls on his armrests and the Riddler's muscled body is revealed to be a shell which splits in two, from which the real Riddler (wearing his white and green jumpsuit) steps out. This description made it into the junior novelization of the movie by Alan Grant, and was also featured in the video game based on the movie.
Before deciding not to don the cape and cowl for a third time, Michael Keaton met with Joel Schumacher and declined to join the project after deciding that he did not like the direction in which Schumacher was looking to take the franchise. In the brief time that Tim Burton was still considering doing a third Batman film, Riddler was the only villain that he planned on using. The idea of using Two-Face did not come up until Schumacher joined the project.
After seeing him in this film, record producer George Martin approached Jim Carrey about performing the song "I am the Walrus" for his The Beatles tribute album "In My Life". Carrey accepted.
Joel Schumacher had asked Bono of 'U2' to reprise his role of Macphisto that he played during the band's ZOOTV tour, but Bono denied, saying that when ZOOTV ended so did Macphisto, so instead 'U2' contributed the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" to the soundtrack.
According to Tim Burton, he originally felt very enthusiastic about the idea of directing a third Batman film. However, when Warner Brothers executives expressed concern over the direction of the franchise--namely that Batman Returns (1992) had been too dark to appeal to a family audience--Burton decided it best to step down as director.
Scott Shaw was offered the role of the Gang Leader. When he turned it down, the role eventually went to 'Don 'The Dragon' Wilson' .
When The Riddler is in Two-Face's hideout demonstrating how "The Box" works, he says, "This is my brain on the box, does anyone else feel like a fried egg?". This is a spoof on an Anti-Drug commercial, which demonstrated what your brain would do when it is on drugs, by using an egg and a hot frying pan.
While Tim Burton was still slated to direct the film, Robin Williamswas running to play The Riddler, but after Burton dropped out, Williams lost interest and turned down the role despite being offered.
Joel Schumacher's decision to put nipples on the Bat-costumes and an earring on Robin caused controversy - it even bothered Batman creator 'Bob Kane (I)' . Schumacher said he wanted the costumes to have an anatomic look, while the earring was supposed to make Robin more hip.
The Batmobile was usually driven by stunt drivers, but 'Chris O'Donnell (I)' insisted on driving it himself in the joyride scene - but he crashed it into a curb and dented a fender.
The helicopter at the start of the movie flown by Harvey Two Face's gang is a Sikorsky S-62.