If you haven’t heard yet, it’s hell here. Never in my wildest nightmare did I think America would one day resemble Gotham City in Batman Returns (Disc/Download), but here we are. Gross billionaires have purchased even grosser politicians to do their evil bidding, “heroes” are kind of useless, and women have been pushed to their breaking point. Like Selina Kyle, we’re all going a little feral.
Batman Returns has always been my favorite Batman movie, for a lot of reasons. Tim Burton sets a perfectly campy tone, capturing the spirit of the earlier comic book and television show while still incorporating his signature brand of the macabre. Michael Keaton is my favorite actor to wear the cape, but in this film he’s met his true match in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. They’ve both got secrets, which means they’re both holding back pieces of themselves. It’s an equal playing field that Batman’s never experienced before or since. Then there’s Danny DeVito as The Penguin, a character that seemed too weird to exist, until he did. By the year 2025, it’s not absurd to think that the general population would rally behind a rotund, sweaty, cartoon villain with childhood trauma and weird stuff going on with his hands. All it takes is fear mongering, and a lot of money from a corporate overlord who doesn’t care how much damage he’s inflicting on the planet, or its people.
Michelle Pfeiffer may have been responsible for a lot of unrealistic body goals in the mid-1990s with her skintight Catwoman suit, but she’s also responsible for a lot of little girls (me) thinking they could grow up and have a fabulous pink apartment full of kitschy knickknacks and neon signs. And if the mood strikes, there’s always a can of black spray paint to shake things up. While watching Batman Returns, toast the greatest female action hero with this Kitty Highball.
Kitty Highball
2 oz red wine
¾ oz ginger syrup (I used Liber & Co.)
½ oz lime juice
Soda water to top
Lime wheel (garnish)
Fill a Collins glass with ice and set aside. Combine wine, ginger syrup, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into prepared glass. Top with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Gotham City looks great at the holidays, and it’s fun to experience Burton’s giant set pieces, such as exploding presents, enormous Christmas trees full of clown assassins, and snow-covered parks where Penguin feels right at home. It’s a movie that gets more and more relevant with time, but I hope it won’t stay that way forever. I’m ready for Batman Returns to go back to being a fantasy instead of a documentary. Cheers!
Cinema Sips 