Alright, it seems that we have begun to rattle the cage a bit so to speak. Various Talk Backers down below have begun calling WARNER HOME VIDEO (1-877-277-9272) and subjecting the poor folks on the phone line to an endless barrage of questions. Their responses have apparently been shifting from (We're adding more stuff to the DVD) to (We are having trouble transfering the film to DVD and VIDEO Formats) to (We want to move it to the higher profile Holiday release) to (We may SNIP SOMETHING OUT HERE AND THERE). Ahem...
Now I've been getting letters asking me... "Harry... What do we do?" Personally, I don't have much experience in this sort of thing... I am just a simple webmaster afterall... BUT I have been getting an awful lot of suggestions from folks. Everything from Ryder Truck ideas to writing and petition campaigns.
Can we out muscle some damn fool minded executive decisions? Right now with the whole John McCain and Lieberman thing going on... Hollywood is scared of them. Can geeks be scarier than Politicians? Well... I've attended enough Filk Singing circles to say... YES... YES we geeks can be scarier.
So... Here are the steps you can begin to take. First go to every newsgroup, web board, chat room and outlet for web fandom known to mankind. And spread your dissatisfaction.
Then... Everyone you know personally in life... the geeks you go see movies with locally... your girlfriend, boyfriend, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, little joey... WHOMEVER... Get them to sign a letter of dissatisfaction to send to Warner Brothers. (I'll be providing addresses below)
NOW... what should your letters say? Basically... let's be civil. We need to state that we understand the need to protect our children from possibly harmful or violent content.... BUT cutting and destroying the intent of the original filmmakers and not allowing that original vision to be seen or heard is WRONG in your eyes. Press for a dual release. One called BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER which will be this softened kiddie release.... and one called BATMAN BEYOND: THE JOKER STRIKES BACK (hey... why not) which will be the darker more serious... ORIGINAL version that folks have been seeing and raving about... which will be marketed to the older fans... and have different box art with a parental warning stating that: "THERE MAY BE CONTENT UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN. PURCHASE BATMAN BEYOND RETURN OF THE JOKER FOR THE SAFE FAMILY FRIENDLY VERSION"
This is reasonable. Have commentary on the second disk, and issue it 2 weeks after the initial release so that the initial WB KIDS promotions won't be affecting it's sales. That way Warners is appeasing parents and fans... the two market areas that love and embrace BATMAN BEYOND.
Now... Where to send them letters.... I wholeheartedly recommend you send them to the following:
Warner Brothers HOME VIDEO,
c/o Warner Brothers Animation,
4000 Warner Blvd - Bldg 178,
Burbank, CA 91522
So, the question is right now. How passionate are you about this sort of thing? I'm also creating a poll about the entire ordeal. Be sure to express your opinion there as well... and after 2 days of the poll being up, print it out and include it in your mail you send out. Also... feel free to print out the below TALK BACK. Nothing like big mounds of paper with angry letters being stuffed in people's IN BOXES
Now... Hop to it mis amigos. There's a flying rodent and clown to save...
BELOW IS THE OLD STORY THAT I POSTED EARLIER...
Hey folks, Harry here... Ya know, I would like to say I believe Warner Brothers Publicity... I really would. But after YEARS of deception and mangling of the truth... I can't trust them. In addition, after the post yesterday... I began to get reports from folks around the net. First... here's what the official story is sounding like...
Harry,
I'm sure you've heard about this, but over at Comics Continuum's website, they hint that the delay of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is due to additions to the video release, not subtractions.
"A publicity representative for the video confirmed the new release would be during the holiday season but could not confirm a date. Retail web sites such as Amazon.com are listing the film's release as Tuesday, Dec. 12. According to the representative, the film's delay is for added features for the DVD and to make it a holiday release. An official press release on when Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker will reach stores is expected soon."
Sounds promising to me. I just hope it's genuine.
-Cowblaster
And then this is what I got from Sam Lowry
Harry,
Sam Lowry here, with an urgent message out of Information Retrieval. A source involved with DVDs over at Warners has alerted me to a startling situation. It appears that the Batman Beyond movie, Return of the Joker, is going to be re-edited. Seems the latest survey of parents regarding violent content aimed at children has caused quite a stir and Batman Beyond is beign targeted for some cuts, including the DVD. What he told me was that due to the recent congressional hearings regarding violent content aimed and marketed towards children, Warners was gonna trim stuff from the video and DVD release. He found out yesterday.
I was VERY fortunate to see a copy of this film last week, and I must say this is a SUPREME disappointment. The Batman Beyond Movie was an amazing, tragic, thrilling, and horrific piece of animation. I was surprised it even got made, due to the fact of the violence in the movie and Warners' inability to make anything they release with the Dark Knight decent. Characters are murdered, mind raped, tortured, etc... This is NOT a movie I would market to children. The box art I saw indicated this film would be receiving a G. It should be a PG-13 as far as I'm concerned. What it shouldn't be is edited to remove content parents will feel promotes violence.
The violence is important to the story, in conveying the tragedy, pain, and sorrow it can bring to people's lives. Joker goes TOO far in this movie for reasons that will chill Batman fans to the core. Joker is not funny in this movie, his jokes twist the knife he has placed in Bruce Wayne's/Batman's heart. He is not the darkly humorous character of the animated series. He is as perverse and debased as the Joker of the Killing Joke. Paul Dini and company have finally realized the Joker as he was meant to be, a fearsome monster who has the gall to smile and giggle as he tortures you. You will understand WHY Bruce is the way he is in Batman Beyond, you will know why he is bitter, and it will break your heart and NOT be what you expect. The film cleverly leads you down one road, then diverts you down another. This is as good an effort as Mask of the Phantasm. This film will make you believe Terry McGuiness IS Batman. After this movie, he earns the title as far as I'm concerned
I thought you should hear this, Mr. Knowles. At the very least, a stink should be raised and those few who have seen the unedited, true version already should count themselves lucky.
Sam Lowry
Agent# DZ-015
Information Retrieval
And then there is this that Dennett Reins sent in...
Dennett Reins here with an unfortunate scoop on BATMAN BEYOND: Return of the Joker.
Being a fan of both Batman animated series, I was salivating in anticipation for this film. And I marveled at how well it was crafted. It returned to its dark edge, much like MASK OF THE PHANTASM. There were inspiring moments of the Dark Knight's return. Extreme actions, death, bad bad guys...generally a noir kids movie. And it was great.
I'm sorry to say...it was too great. WB is postponing the release of BATMAN BEYOND: ROTJ to January in attempts to cut out the "violence." To those who have seen the film, you know what I'm talking about. Two scenes in particular are going to be re-edited. And I thought that was the freshest part to this series...the added loathsomeness of the Joker, the insanity of his mayhem, it had been captured so well for this film. Instead, WB is softening the Joker's lunacy.
Is it because of Al Gore's attacks? Perhaps. We'll never know. But at least I scored a copy of the "original" release before it was recalled.
To fans of the Batman Beyond series...it's still a damn good flick. To those searching for a darker knight? Sorry, you won't find it here.
Unless we change the minds of the WB suits and demand a release of the film as it was intended.
It's up to you now, the public voter, return the power to the people...it's all up to YOU!
Dennett Reins resigning.
And Anonymous chimed in with this...
Harry, I. I have some very bad news regarding the upcoming release of the Batman Beyond video. I know some people who work for the Animation department. Here's the scoop. The video is going back into the editing room. The rising issue of violence in children's programming will result in some of the best parts of the movie being removed and reedited. Revisions and retakes are now being done. It looks like the copy that your previous reviewers have seen can be considered the uncut version. It's a real shame because I have seen the original cut, and some of the best stuff will be lost in the editing process. Bummer!
Anonymous
And the most damning came in from Jasper Sitwell
Hey Harry & Co.
I have a friend who is working on the editing of the animated Direct-To-Video Movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. (Or should I say "re-editing?")
Recently, a screening of the "final" cut was held for Warner Bros. executives. (this was probably the screening that was reviewed by another one of your spies, recently.) The creators were justifiably proud. And the Warner Video Executives were blown away by the accomplishments of the creative team. The WB Network Execs, however, had a different reaction. Before the screening was even over, they were out making phone calls. "This is way too violent!" they cried. "We can never broadcast anything like this!"
Well, duh. This was not meant to be broadcast. The cut they were shown was meant for video release. However, this explanation has apparently fallen upon deaf ears. Because the WB Network Execs are having such a tremendous hissy, this great Batman Beyond Movie (which, by some accounts, is the best version of any Batman Feature, ever) is now going back under the scissors in order to "tone it down." The wonderful music score (which had been "locked") is also now having to be adjusted to comform with the trims.
Why they just can't leave this puppy alone, I don't know. Why can't there just be a direct to video cut, and then a separate, different, toned-down, broadcast cut? After all, isn't that what's normally done when feature films are shown on broadcast television?
No. Once again, we the fans have to suffer and be condescended to, simply because someone at the corporate level is too lazy, too tight-fisted, or too creatively short-sighted (or perhaps all three) to arrange for a "direct-to-video" cut, and a separate "broadcast" cut of this potentially great film. I guess our best hope now is to pray that somebody saves a copy of the orignal cut so we might one day get a "Director's Cut" out on video.
Call me Jasper Sitwell.
