Batman T.V Show (1966-1968) and Batman: The Movie (1966)
When talking about ridiculous Batman villains it would be a crime to leave out the cult 60s T.V series that offered some of the most delightfully campy characters in television history.  Some of the more notable recurring villains that showed up in both television and the 1966 movie are Cesar Romero’s Joker, Burgess Meredith’s Penguin, Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman (Lee Meriwether stepped in for Catwoman in the film). There’s defiantly a flamboyant style of acting that has to be appreciated, and all of these actors were cemented as pop culture icons because of it. I’ll spare you King Tutt, Egg Head, and the Mad Hatter from a ranking.

Ceasar Romero’s Joker: 3 1/3 hand Buzzers

Burgess Meredith’s Penguin: 4 long cigarettes

Frank Gorshin’s Riddler: 3 bowler hats

Julie Newmar 3 meows

Eartha Kitt: 4 purrs

Lee Meriwether: 3 ½ gold medallion belts
 

Batman (1989)
Something tells me that Jack Nicholson’s only character direction given by newbie director Tim Burton was just to be the “Jack” that audiences know and love.  For the most part it works because Nicholson’s screen persona over the years lends itself all too well to this sly trickster.  But, while Nicholson’s Joker is defiantly memorable there’s something oddly safe about its characterization.  There was no big stretch to really do anything with the character that already wasn’t on the page.  Nothing quite digs too deep in the psyche of the dark things that go on in this clown’s head.
 

Jack Nicholson’s Joker: 2 ½ long pistols
 

Batman Returns (1992)
A seemingly unlikely pair Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Danny DeVito steal every scene in Batman Returns.  Pfeiffer added a new dimension to the cliché crazy cat lady. Selena Kyle is a dowdy, but charming, secretary to a horrid executive Max Shreck (Christopher Walkin), who after being pushed out of a high rise window by Shreck becomes her cat alter ego, donning a vinyl dominatrix suit, (Can you believe she made that with one punk rock jacket, and a sewing machine! Quite the Renaissance woman.), and seeks revenge on Shreck. The performance by Pfeiffer was unexpected, and was a visual spectacle.  Note how the cat suit slowly deteriorates in every scene she’s in, and her newfound sexcretary permed hairstyle echoes her mental state – getting more and more wild and frizzed-out as her psyche declines.

Danny DeVito’s Penguin is also a nasty delight. Thrown into the Gotham sewer as a hell-raising infant by none other than Tim Burton alums Paul Reubens, and Diane Salinger (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), Penguin is raised by zoo Penguins, and becomes an underground leader of a band of misfit circus performers. Only in Gotham City would this birdman be a viable candidate for mayor. DeVito has a lot of fun with how revolting this character is and he adds a lot of throw back to Burgess Meredith in his line delivery.

Michelle Pheiffer’s Catwoman: 4 bullwhip lashes

Danny DeVito’s Penguin: 3 ½ trick machine gun umbrellas
 

Batman Forever (1995)
I think we can all agree that this was the beginning of the slump of the Batman movies, and Tommy Lee Jones’s Harvey “Two-Face” Dent and Jim Carrey’s Riddler are pretty cheesy.  Jones’s Two Face has an all but too hammy delivery, and Jim Carrey does his rubber faced Ace Ventura shtick as Riddler.  I do love Debi Mazar and Drew Barrymore as Two Faces’s yin and yang gun molls Sugar and Spice though.

Tommy Lee Jones’s Two Face: 1 ½ day-glow animal print business suits

Jim Carrey’s Riddler: 2 spangled question mark body suits
 

Batman and Robin (1997)
God bless Joel Schumacher, he put everything but the kitchen sink in this disaster.  Regarded by most as the caped crusader’s rock bottom, it has some of the most laughingly bad dialogue that’s worthy of a midnight movie screening.  Seriously why hasn’t this gone the way of Rocky Horror, or the Room yet? I personally embrace how terrible the performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger as pun-heavy Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman’s va va voom Poison Ivy.  And does anyone even remember Bane was already in a Batman movie?

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze: 1 comically over sized ice diamond

Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy: 2 cherry red bouffant wigs

Jim Swenson’s Bane: 1 luchador bondage mask
 

Batman Begins (2005)
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins gave the villains a clean slate, by taking them more seriously and grounding the films in a sense of realism.  The villains here are the more under the radar fan favorites.  Pitch perfect casting of Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane “The Scarecrow”, and Liam Neeson’s Henri Ducard/Ra’s al Ghul lay the groundwork for the more well known villains in future installments in this reboot franchise.

What I’ve always loved about the Scarecrow is that he poses an intriguing psychological threat to Bruce Wayne and Gotham City. He doesn’t use his tactics to commit crimes for wealth or power, he does it for research on the effects of fear in humans.  Ra’s al Ghul is the classic mentor turned archenemy of the series, and one never quite knows what this mysterious man has up his sleeve.

Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow: 4 burlap masks

Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul: 4 fiery subway explosions (Spoiler alert!)
 

The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s Joker is extraordinary acting. It’s a frightening character study that digs deep, and finally portrays him as the maniacal criminal that had always been missing from how he was previously portrayed. (Although Mark Hamill’s vocal performance in Batman the Animated Series comes close.)  What the Joker is out to accomplish on his war on Batman is a Gotham without rules or order. He challenges the order of society for the purpose of creating utter chaos.

Aaron Eckart’s fallen White Knight Harvey Dent adds a bit more of a fleshed out character to Two Face that was missing from the series. As Gotham’s hot shot district attorney proves that for every man is two halves of a coin – one side noble who fights for justice, the other dark who is motivated by revenge.

Heath Ledger’s Joker: 4 disappearing pencils

Aaron Eckart’s Two Face: 4 scratched coins

Director Rodrigo Cortés is still relatively new to the scene, but if Red Lights is any indication, he’s got a good career ahead of him. The direction, the acting, the writing and the cinematography are all equally solid, which is a task especially tough to pull off in the horror/thriller genre. There’s almost always at least a handful of cheesy lines in horror movies that the audience scoffs at or thinks, “Why the hell would he go into that dark room alone?” Rest assured, that doesn’t happen here.

Red Lights tells us the story of psychologist Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) as they investigate and debunk paranormal activity in the area. Not only do they investigate, but they always teach their findings to their university classes and give scientific explanations on why it’s not paranormal. However, things get complicated when renowned psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) resurfaces thirty years after his last public performance, and Tom decides to launch a new investigation that could make him question everything he believes (or more appropriately, what he doesn’t believe.)

Murphy gives a strong leading performance as the paranormal skeptic, and there’s never a dull moment when he’s on screen. The chemistry he has with the other cast members is solid and believable all around the board. It’s hard to be on screen with Weaver and De Niro and not get overshadowed, but Murphy completely holds his own and still comes out on top. Once things start spiraling, his intensity grows, which in turn, leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Rounding out the supporting cast is Toby Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, and Joely Richardson with equally believable performances despite less overall screen time.  Jones is the charismatic doctor that helps with the scientific investigation against Simon, Olsen is the university student that strikes up an endearing relationship with Tom, and Richardson is the loyal and cold assistant to Simon.

The real surprising factor for Red Lights is the dramatic aspect. It’s more than just a typical psychological thriller, and be warned, you might even start to tear up during the sadder moments. Even with the drama thrown in there, it doesn’t take away from the overall intensity. The only real problem with that is the marketing aspect. Based on the trailer, it appears to be a typical thriller, and there’s a very specific audience for those types of movies. It will be hard to get people to the theater to see it that aren’t already horror buffs because there’s no indication there’s more to it than that.

The movie isn’t perfect, of course. There’s one scene in particular between Tom and Simon that doesn’t seem to add much to the overall plot. Everything seems to slow down around this scene, so for all intents and purposes, it’s supposed to be important, right? Not so much. Establishing a connection between Tom and Simon is definitely important, but it could have been better. Not to mention, the very ending comes crashing down in one giant twist, and bits and pieces seem to get lost in the process. Despite the minor discrepancies, it’s definitely worth the watch.

Bottom line: Red Lights is a new and better take on the paranormal world, and it goes above and beyond to show us why it makes sense to be skeptics. If you like horror movies (and even if you don’t), you won’t be disappointed with this one. The cast alone should be enough of a reason to draw you in, and once you’re in, sit back and enjoy the ride.

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