So, I started typing up the Batman Returns and writing only three scenes I managed to type nearly as many words as in the whole post on the first movie. I'm gonna go ahead and post those super detailed scenes. But then I'm going to switch gears and just do a small outline of the rest of the plot. If I stayed at the same pace as those scenes it would take me too long and it would be way too long. Then I'll do small outlines for the plots of the third and fourth installments as well. Just so everyone can see how the story unfolds and then eventually I'll make a thread in the Writer's Forum with super detailed scene by scene outlines of each film. Gonna leave you guys with this snippet to mull over for a little while...
The Batman Returns(1970)
Directed by Arthur Penn
Written by David Newman and Robert Benton
Cinematography by Burnett Guffey
Music Composed by Charles Strouse
A Warner Brothers Production
Starring:
Steve McQueen as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
David Niven as Alfred Pennyworth
Warren Beatty as District Attorney Harvey Dent/Two-Face
Faye Dunaway as Vicky Vale
Gene Hackman as Detective James Gordon
Sidney Poitier as Lou "Fox" Finger
Jane Fonda as Silver St. Cloud
Gene Wilder as The Riddler
Anthony Hopkins as Oswald "The Penguin" Cobblepot
Al Pacino as Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni
Walter Slezak as Rodger Caine
Kurt Russel as Young Bruce
Patrick Swayze as Young Harvey
The film opens with Batman(Steve McQueen) standing on top of Wayne Tower looking down upon Gotham. Suddenly he leaps off and glides off the screen. We cut to Harvey Dent(Warren Beatty) sitting at his desk in his office. He appears to be very agitated at someone, mumbling something we can't quite hear to himself. Suddenly he yells, "I said no!", and quickly regains his composure. Just then his window bursts open with a breeze. He quickly stands up and walks over to close the window. Startled aback Batman enters through the still open window. Batman informs Dent that it is only him. Dent doesn't seem to be comforted by this. Dent tells Batman that Gordon has been asking him about Batman and wants to meet him at an address written on a small paper. Batman looks at it saying the address out loud and asks Dent, how the Maroni trial is progressing. Dent nearly has the same agitated look we first saw and begins yelling that Batman's influence is not helping. He explains half the evidence he has against Maroni is getting thrown out because they can't explain how they legally obtained it. And the other half he can't get the necessary warrants for as their is still corruption in the Justice Department. Noticing his own aggressive attitude again Dent transforms his tone back to his usual calmness. He then tells Batman that he may have one ace-in-the-hole though. Batman successfully comforts Dent this time by saying he doesn't want to know anything about it and makes his way towards the window. Dent looks down to see Gordon's note still on his desk, he grabs it and reaches out to hand it to Batman but he's already gone.
We then see a flashback sequence of a young Bruce(Kurt Russel) at a prep school. He sees a group a bullies picking on another student, it is a young Harvey Dent(Patrick Swayze). Bruce steps in and sees the bullies have stolen something from Harvey. Harvey begs the boys to give back his lucky coin. Bruce offers the bullies his lunch money in exchange, they accept and run away. Harvey thanks Bruce and they begin talking. Eventually Harvey begins discussing the bullies and his tone completely changes as he suggests causing them great harm. Bruce is clearly shocked by the statement but Harvey plays it off as a simple joke and the two continue on as the scene ends.
The next scene opens back in the present with Batman perched a top a building. He leaps off and glides towards a small abandoned building. Detective Gordon(Gene Hackman) is waiting for him on the rooftop of the building. Batman asks Gordon why he ask him to meet at an abandoned department store. He informs Batman that the murdered body of a homeless man was discovered with a package to Batman. It had a note saying to bring Batman to the return address and for only Batman to open the package or more people would die. The package's return address was for the old department store they were standing on. Batman inspects the package exterior and listens for any mechanical noises. Finally he slowly opens it, inside the small parcel is an even smaller envelope. Drawn on the envelope is a large green question mark. Inside is a set of room keys with attached green tags numbered 1-2-3. Also inside the envelope is a small note-card with a typed message, "You can go up or down, You can go up to down, You can go down to up, Never down to down, Where am I Batman". Gordon looks at Batman and asks him, "and what the hell does that mean". Batman quickly informs him that it is the basement. Batman and Gordon then enter the building and make their way down a stairwell to the basement. They see a set of closed double-doors down a hallway. Painted on the doors is another large green question mark and the number 1. Batman unlocks the doors with the corresponding key and slowly opens the doors. Inside is a long dark hallway and all the two can see is a faint green light around a corner. Batman pulls a small flashlight from his utility belt as the two make their way down the hall. Just as they approach the corner the double doors behind them slam shut and lock them in.
