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This is creepy: The preview for the latest installment in the Batman movie franchise, the Dark Knight, looks incredibly similar scene-for-scene to the trailer for the original Batman 19 years ago. It's like the Dark Knight preview editor went frame by frame, trying to come as close to possible to duplicating the old trailer with new footage. Maybe as an homage. Or maybe there's a manual somewhere on how to make action movie trailers. Or maybe we've all been watching the same handful of Hollywood blockbusters over and over again, under different titles and with different combinations of stars, for decades now, and this side-by-side comparison video makes it all too hard to stay in denial any longer. Watch it after the jump. UPDATE: College Humor asked why these two previews were so similar — it appears to be because someone remixed the original movie to resemble the new trailer. So really, this is one trailer, plus one psuedo-trailer.
Batman Plagiarizes Own 1989 Trailer
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7:19 AM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Ryan Tate
5,930 views
71 comments
Comments
Um, wow. Sorry, but Heath LOOKS like a strung out mess. I listened without the sound and it's so creepy and so sad. I mean grave-walking creepy.
Yes, the clips are eerily similar. Hopefully it was intentional.
That's pretty awesome. I can't imagine it's anything other than intentional.
Tate: you are buying ALL of us donuts when you confirm that this was an homage to the '89 flick's trailer. I would like a Boston Creme and a chocolate glazed with sprinkles. Hez would like a cruller. BalkNChain would like a vanilla frosted. Moff would like... ah, just buy 40 dozen, that should be enough. And WE WILL NOT ACCEPT "MUNCHKINS." Thank you.
I guess Jack Valenti's last will and testament asked the MPAA to not change the "Following PREVIEW" slate?
Batman stole Kaneda's motorcycle, though. That's one big difference.
Nicely done! I feel sort of cold and alone but hey!
@In Other News...: You're a Boston Creme man, too? My fat, happy 7 year-old self bows to you.
Movie trailers are obviously an essential ingredient in the marketing of a film. Kudos to the party who put this together. There seems little doubt that the original trailer served as far more than casual inspiration for the latest version.
Hollywood ran out of new ideas decades ago. Fascinating to see that extends even down to the roots of movie marketing.
As the fusion between CGI and film marches forward, new movies will simply be clones of old with only the score, virtual draperies and 3-D skins changed to create the latest blockbuster.
@In Other News...: Yes! Munchkins are for kids. Can I rub off some of your sprinkles? I love jimmies!
@Nard38: ooh, have you had what most places call the managers special? It's like a Boston Creme, but filled with angel cream instead. Ugh, now I crave some Dunkin *sigh* Work gets in the way of EVERYTHING!
@BalknChain: BalkNChain, I love it when you talk dirty donuts to me. :-)
@Nard38: I think we all must be prone to that creamy goodness.
@BalknChain: And the answer was yes, BTW.
Hey everyone, I'm sure it's been discussed, but I kinda just woke up and noticed those "connectedness" ratings. Hmmm. Looks like the Kotaku-ers are going to rule that roost.
When I saw the scene in the new trailer where batman is speeding towards the joker on his bike and the joker takes a shot and makes him wipe out, I immediately thought about the scene in the original with the batplane and the oversized gun. I didn't realize how closely tied together the trailers were though.
I'm sure this was a homage to the original, rather than an indication of a lack of creativity. Pretty cool actually.
@In Other News...: sweet! You dirty, dirty jimmie dealer ;)
Don't want to be a buzzkill, but that isn't a trailer from the first Batman movie. Those are just scenes from the first film spliced together to resemble the new trailer.
+ Watch video
@Mark Graham: GawkerMedia kitten-fight!
Go for the face, Ryan!
@Mark Graham: Damn you Defamer guys, always killing the buzz!
I see there is some discussion along these lines in the Digg thread for the College Humor item (which is past 700 diggs, btw).
Will update.
@BalknChain: Yes! Munchkins are for kids. Can I rub off some of your sprinkles? I love jimmies!
Wow! Another person who uses the terms "jimmies" AND "sprinkles?" I thought jimmies were a Northern-only slang. The first time I asked for them down here in the South they looked at me like I had four heads.
For the record, I only have three heads, so that person was a douche.
@Ryan Tate: Alright, Ryan, I've got money on you. It's go time!
@Smirk: I always say jimmies, but I kept sprinkles cause ION said it. Sprinkles is such a fancy term.
@BalknChain: also feels like I'm asking for a Rainbow Brite character plopped atop my custard.
@BalknChain: I'm all about, um, sprinkling?
@BalknChain: I swear, I've been calling them sprinkles since I was a kid. The Mister Softee fellas understand when I tell 'em to put rainbow sprinkles on my cone. Which now sounds dirty.
@In Other News...: for you, anything ;)
I bet you'd taste spectacular with whipped cream and jimmies.
@In Other News...: Must be a location thing, do you say pop for soda? Sub or hoagie?
So, basically, College Humor has better journalism chops.
@Mark Graham: I appreciate that, and perhaps that explains the collegehumor stamp [slaps self in forehead]
@BalknChain: Wow. My can of Redi-Wip just exploded.
I say soda. Sub. BalkNChain.
@vulturesquadron: "The Smoking Gun" will have their story up on "Fake Batman Trailer - Just A Couple of Damned College Kids 'Havin' A Laugh', But Warner Bros. Ain't" any minute now.
@In Other News...: I noticed the connectedness thing with horror. Not only am I very competitive, I also know when I am way out of my league. This takes me back to my clumsy, gawky, little self at athletics in primary school.
@BalknChain: now I am craving Dunkin' Donuts and I live thousands of miles and approx 3 months from my next and nearest one. So, please, have one for me.
@UnstableMabel: I work 2 minutes from one, yet still can't go :(
Tis ok though, we just baked off apple turnovers for visitors and us of course-yum!
@In Other News...: Ijust caught your 9AM EST blip in a comment, so we're cool and potentially close to each other ;)
@In Other News...: I'm feeling very naughty so watch out! Also, I'd massage you with Cool-Whip instead.
@UnstableMabel: So was I. Picked last, looked ridic in my basketball uniform, etc. But you know what? Now we're Gawker commenters. Ain't no one cooler than us.
@BalknChain: BalkNChain, stop makin' me mess my office chair. :-)
@BalknChain: My Dad was from Philly so it's hoagie and jimmies for me. (but not together)
Also, you're being quite the little minx today ;)
@In Other News...: I do, however, have an evil plan. I shall pop over to Jezebel and comment frequently in caps. Such as: KICK HIM IN THE BALLS, BURN HER AT THE STAKE, ANYONE WHO DISAGREES DESERVES A GOOD FLAMING, CUNTRY JUSTICE. I am sure my 'connectedness' will soar overnight.
@scroll_lock: I noticed that too re minxy BnC.
@In Other News...: :)
@scroll_lock: I am migraine free so far today; this almost never happens, so yes, I'm off on a major loopy binge!
@UnstableMabel: Do I need to write "I will not be minxy" 100 times now? *sigh*
@UnstableMabel: She is wanton in the extreme. Hey, I feel bad for you not having a Drunken Donuts near you! If you go to New England (Ro Dyland, etc, they are literally on every corner, sometimes you can stand at the door of one and yell over to another)
@BalknChain: You mean loopier than usual?! Hooray for migraine free days!
@In Other News...: This is why no one can afford to host a commenter party. If you're this way about donuts, I can only imagine what it would be like to have all the commenters at an open bar.
@PandoraSpocks: Oh, the things you say. Most of us belong to AADA (alcoholics and donuts anon) Aladonon to those in the know.
@scroll_lock: I have completely fallen off the bandwagon of normal.
That was nineteen years ago?
@BalknChain: Join the club- we're still laminating your membership card.
@PandoraSpocks: But it's all on Ryan's tab! Speaking of which, RYAN WHERE ARE OUR DONUTS?
@scroll_lock: Nevermind, I'll get it with my Seal-A-Meal.
@Claystil: Now you've gone and made us feel old.
@In Other News...: Hell, where's Ryan? I swear he doesn't love us anymore *sniff*
@BalknChain: Don't *make* me whip out a circa 1988 Salad Shooter.
Comment on Batman Plagiarizes Own 1989 Trailer This is shopped. I can tell by some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time. Someone just cut up the 89 batman trailer(s) to fit this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdEHOta-Uc
@scroll_lock: oh no you di'nt!
Time to dust off the Hog Wild twirling spaghetti fork.
@BalknChain: That's it, get me all a-dither with racy fork action.
@scroll_lock: well how about [seductively whispers Easy Bake]
@BalknChain: I think he's sleeping. Or catching the matinee of Harold & Kumar.
@In Other News...: Jeez this is really going to make my separation anxiety escalate to terror level orange.
@In Other News...: I hear he wants to slap me with a comment restraining order where I must stay 500 words away from him at all times.