Batman: Mask of the Phantasm 30th Anniversary Review

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your normal

intro for Studio 2009. This is episode 64. We

are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Batman

Mask of the Phantasm and it is dedicated to the

memory of Kevin Conroy because we are releasing

this on November 30th, 2023, which is one year

and 20 days since he passed away. He died November

10th, 2022 and Thank you, Kevin, for everything.

Yep. Hi, this is Kevin Conroy and you're listening

to the Geekcast Radio Network. There is nothing

wrong with your podcast player do not attempt

to adjust the volume. Hello and welcome back

into our studio You are now inside studio 2009.

I'm of course TF2 and Mike joining me is Steve

Megatron. Hello, sir. Hello Yes, and once again

two weeks in a row not necessarily two weeks

in a row, but two episodes in a row we're going

back 30 years ago to 1993 and Some people would

be like TF2 and Mike. Why are you releasing this

on the anniversary of Kevin Conroy's birthday

instead of the anniversary of when the movie

actually premiered in theaters and like because

it's more More emotional doing it this way because

Batman mask the phantasm released Christmas Day

1993 in theaters ouch In this movie man the the

besides it being the 30th anniversary I've had

this on Voodoo for the longest time, but on September

12th of this year, they released a 4K Ultra HD

with digital code version. So the original standard

version I've had on Voodoo for years, that got

upgraded to 4K automatically with the digital

code. That's awesome. But yeah, I had to buy

this because I have a 4K TV. I have a 4K Blu

-ray player. I needed to see that and I have

pictures and I'm sure I'll link to my my Facebook

photo album or I might even embed the pictures

in the post on geekcastradio .com I took pictures

of this as I'm watching it on my large -ass TV

that I have and man this film has never looked

so good You have got to invest, dude. When you

can, I know it's hard, but when you can, you

have to invest in 4K. I don't know if my TV even

supports 4K. That's what I'm saying. You have

to invest. I don't buy a TV. Like, I buy a TV

once every like seven to 10 years. Well, it's

been seven or 10 years, right? No, I bought one

like a year or two ago. Well, it may be 4K. I'm

not exactly sure. I'd have to look up the specs.

It's a Sony, so I'm assuming it would. I'd have

to look it up and see what model it is, but I

do not have a I do not have a 4k player unless

I was to get like a digital file and plug it

into the TV, but yeah I saw this film The week

it came out Like I legitimately remember going

with my dad to see this in theater. That's awesome.

And it was Spectacular. I I remember watching

at night. I mean, yeah, I was aware of some of

the murderous antics of everything mm -hmm, but

you know the Joker and whatnot, but I Enjoyed

seeing Batman on the big screen and honestly,

this was probably the best Origin and Delving

into Bruce Wayne that we've ever gotten 100 %

and it was something that this this crew Just

got they just understood it yep, we didn't have

to deal with Any of the oddities of Just whatever

like they they simply understood the assignment.

Yep 100 % and this movie predates Superman the

animated series which happened in 1996 Which

means Batman had Lois first Her character is

not Lois in this. Yeah, Bruce Tim, Eric Radomski,

Martin Pascoe, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Michael

Reeves, all the people that worked on this. Batman

by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, obviously. Shirley

Walker did the music back then. Absolutely loved

it. It eventually made money, but it initially

didn't. It had a budget of $6 million and the

theatrical run only got it $5 .6 million. So

technically it didn't succeed at first, but it

has succeeded over the last 30 years because

there have been so many different versions of

it that have been released. And now we finally

have this 4K disk version of it. And everyone

knows the... plot of this movie. Like you said,

it's basically Bruce Wayne's origins. You know,

we see Bruce and Andrea. Oh, Andrea. I love when

Kevin used to do that. And half the time when

he used to do that, he was sitting right next

to voice director Andrea Romano. So that was

always so funny to me. I did find out I do have

a 4K TV. Good. Yeah, it's LED 4K Ultra HD. Awesome.

I can watch it. I just have to get it. Now all

you need to do is invest in the disc and invest

in a player if you don't have a player because

two years ago when right after when right after

Karen passed I went to of all places Walmart

and I got a Sony 4k blu -ray player for like

150 bucks at the time it was holiday time so

it was on sale but yeah I've had that thing for

two years now I'm never getting rid of that so

Yeah, the 4k blu -ray players are not not super

expensive anymore. So that's good But yeah, I

mean you got Kevin Conroy Mark Hamill Dana Delaney

Hart Bachner Stacey Keach as well. Oh That's

right Stacey what? Okay So, Stacey Keech, for

those that may not know, he's the guy that did

the narration on the CNBC American Greed True

Crime series. He was also the voice of Robert

Vance Sr. in Batman Beyond. In that episode,

Lost Soul, he was the guy that put his consciousness

into the Batman Beyond suit. So that was him,

but he's the voice of of of phantasm in this

and I was like, I always wondered who did that

Abe Vagoda as Salvatore Valestra, Dick Miller

as Chuckie Saul Ephraim Zimbalist jr. as Alfred

obviously Bob Hastings as Commissioner James

Gordon Robert Costanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock

Arlene Sarkin as Mrs. Bambi. Oh, she was uncredited

in this that's right Interesting. But yeah, this

movie is so fun. It's so good. From the themes

of it, to the music, to the origin, to everything

with this one. I just absolutely love it all.

What's one of your favorite characters? In this,

it has to be the Phantasm. I love the appearance

of the phantasm and then the fact that it's Andrea

underneath the costume the entire time. And I

love the ambience and the fact that this one

makes Batman look like he's no big deal. Because

it truly puts fear they're like you're no bat

and then they like realize that this thing is

like a lot Freakier than Batman. Yep Even though

Batman's more agile. Yeah. Oh well the scene

where He goes after the The guys on the motorcycle

in the beginning when when the motorcycle gang

kind of just like bumps into them when they're

on the street and she's like Bruce let it go

he's like no they have to like he's running after

this motorcycle jumps lands on the like the front

wheel of the thing and kicks the guy i'm like

wow okay Bruce Wayne you go boy like you know

and that was before he became Batman my favorite

moment outside of the moments with the phantasm

has got to be the origin of the cave and how

they found the cave that is never to that point.

I don't think anyone other than 66, which is

just under their house. Fine. But like there

was never a true origin of how Bruce Wayne found

the Batcave to my knowledge. Comic book fans

come at me. I'm sorry if it was done in the comics,

but in animation to that point, because Batman

Animated Series is brand new. We knew he had

the Batcave, but we never saw until now how he

found it. And I just, that is such a nice nod

to do that, to give more origin to it. Yeah,

my favorite character in this is still Batman.

It gave me an appreciation for the the phantasm,

but it also the Joker Mm -hmm But it was also

the first time I heard the Joker. Yes. He was

creepy like I get it Yeah, but he wasn't as creepy

as the Jack Nicholson No, like the the live -action

Batman films like I love Keaton is the live -action

Batman. Mm -hmm I think that they did him wrong

in the flash, but you know, whatever they they

also did some things right with him but Don't

like any of the villains in any of the live -action

Batman movies like they're they're like and I

get it They're they're supposed to look realistic.

So they do and they're super creepy about it,

but I like How Hamill plays this character? Yeah,

he's not I Don't know it's just it's the voice

It's the the way that he carries himself when

he plays the role just a lot of things in general

It just it plays out well, but I love the fact

that you have this Basically like Trinity of

Battle going on between you know Batman hunting

the Joker and thinking the Joker's behind all

this and the Batman hunting You know the phantasm

the phantasm hunting the Joker and so you've

got this weird like Battle royale of these three.

Yep that are collectively taking out everybody.

Yeah, pretty much in their path. Yep. And then

it leaves off the end of the film not seeing

a body for any of them. Nope. So it's alluded

to that they all survived. And then, of course,

you know, you get the animated series, but yeah,

which. I think came out before this released.

Yeah, animated series was. September September

of 92. Yeah. Yeah. So like this this was recorded

around the same time they just Yeah, they just

I mean Hamill already had his Joker legs on him.

So he was He was still learning it when he first

got into the cartoon, but then When this film

came he was already ingrained like he was a pro

at it and But I like that I think they brought

back Andrea in Justice League didn't they are

unlimited They might have mentioned her? I know

what they did do though, in the comics, Kyle

Higgins brought her back in... His Batman Beyond

2 .0 run because one of those arcs is called

Mark of the Phantasm. We dropped this program

to bring you a editor's note from me, TFG1Mike.

Yes, the Phantasm was featured in Justice League

Unlimited Epilogue because Amanda Waller used

Andrea as the potential assassin who was going

to kill Terry's parents. That didn't happen though.

But yes, the Phantasm is in Justice League Unlimited.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

So as a play on Mask the Phantasm. So I just

I play with the head cannon that she survived

and she's just letting, you know, just staying

out of the way. And then, of course, we know

the Joker survived because he gets ultimately

taken out by Robin number two, Tim Drake. And

then taken out by Terry Beginness. Yup. So, yeah,

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. This and Return

of the Joker are probably my two favorite Bat

films of all time. Yeah, I will agree with that,

absolutely. And this, of course, is my number

one favorite just because you get Bruce and all

of his full -on, you know, like total... set

of emotions total backstory you get you know

all the things he wishes he could do all the

things that he's stuck doing you know like he's

taken on this perilous mission and does it because

of all of the the evil that's been done to him

yeah 100 yeah it's out of all the animated batman

movies they've done I will say that this and

Return of the Joker are the two best. Do I still

enjoy Sub -Zero? Yes. Do I still enjoy some of

the DC original animated movies that they've

done? Yes, because they're adapting comics for

that. That's different. As far as the DC animated

universe goes, this is top tier and Return of

the Joker is top tier. I'm probably going to

watch Return of the Joker More than I rewatch

this but like I said I Had the technology the

announcement was made that this was coming out

September 12th of this year I'm like pre -order

immediately because I already knew I could play

it. I already knew I could have and as soon as

I oh, man, oh It just watching it on a 55 inch

television is just amazing and it's pretty much

it's not it's formatted to screen so it's not

like oh you're having all that like there are

a little bit of black bars but not many because

it is what it is but um just absolutely love

this This is the only version I need. If they

do any more versions of it, I don't need any

more. This is the only one I need. I've had it

on VHS in the past. I had it on DVD in the past.

Like I said, I've had the standard definition

version on Voodoo for years. Now that I've got

this, I've got this upgraded to that. And it's

just so good. It looks great. It sounds great.

Everything. Then before we get into what else

is on this disk because that's another reason

unless you can find it on YouTube Which I'm sure

you can that's another reason why you need this

is because the only bonus feature on this is

the Kevin Conroy I am the night and it's a it's

a spotlight on Kevin and everything he did with

the role and it's things we've heard him say

all the time before but You were asking earlier

about If Phantasm returned at all anywhere and

I found the Batman Beyond Unlimited and Batman

Beyond Universe digital comics from 2012 to 2015,

there was an arc called Mark of the Phantasm.

The story takes place a year before the current

events and explains what led Terry to leave Bruce

after a night fending off the Jokers, Batman

and Vigilante go their separate ways. During

the fight, Vigilante's blood was spilled on the

scene and collected by the police, blah blah

blah blah blah. Uh, Terry goes to Dick and Barbara

after his talk with Bruce and yeah, so she eventually

shows up and, and, and all that. And, uh, they

actually bring in, um, they actually, I believe

they bring in Jake chill. I think if I've got,

we, JT and I did a whole pullback episode on,

on this. So people can go back and check that

out. But yeah, as far as celebrities go, there's

no bigger Batman celebrity than Kevin Conroy.

But that special feature, if you haven't seen

it yet, you need to watch it because, oh, man,

just it basically is a highlight for Kevin Conroy

and just it's so good. I know we've been praising

this thing up and down folks and well, it's it's

hard not to praise this film Yeah, and it's hard

for me. It's really hard to like And there's

so many people we've lost that are in it Which

is going to be a future gate cast radio episode

including including the animated series. Oh,

yeah And it sucks watching it because you're

like, oh, I remember them I remember them and

it's but i'm finding that with like and we mentioned

this in Another show another episode. Yep Discussing

Robin Hood men in tights like the older we get

the more of these people that we grew up watching

and everything we're in, you know They're all

passing away. They're all dying. They're all

you know, some illness has gotten them It's it's

sad and I mean, it's a fact of life. Everybody

has to move on but It sucks because it means

you're never getting something out of them again

unless you're you know, like Robin Williams and

they Recorded extra hours and hours of stuff

that was unusable at the time, but they found

a way to use it now. Yeah So yeah 100 % and it's

just one of those things where like I forget

if it was this year a couple years I wrote a

blog post about expressing grief over the loss

of celebrities or you know Yeah, we don't know

these people personally, but we know their work.

We know the entertainment that they've given

us. And that's what affects us. That's why we're

sad. Like, generally, we're sad when anyone dies

because that's just a sad thing. But like, we

got a chance. God damn it. I'm going to lose

my shit. In 2012, you and I got a chance to talk

to Kevin Conroy. I know. I wish we would have

got him back. Probably one of the greatest moments

we had had to that point. And I had asked a few

times over the years since then to get him back,

but we never did. And it is what it is, but...

And then after you had gone to do some cooking

duties after the 9 -11 tragedy to help out in

New York. You want to see that story? You want

me to as well? Sure. It's got a lot of foul language

in it. Should I clean it up? No, no, that's fine.

We are so explicit here at the Geekcast Radio

Network. Oh, really? Yes. Okay. Well, you know,

I live in New York. I live in New York, and after

the attack, everyone wanted to help. I mean,

the thing that was amazing, you always see those

pictures of everyone running away from the buildings

as they were coming down with the cover. But

what you don't see any pictures of is everyone

running back. As soon as the dust cleared, people

started running back to try and help people.

There was a number set up. Everyone was being

told to go to the Javits Convention Center, and

that's where they were coordinating the volunteers.

So I went to the Javits Center, and they already

had everybody they needed. They had such a huge

turnout. They said, look, we've got Everyone,

we have all the tunnelers. We have all the diggers.

We have overwhelmed with volunteers. We don't

need anybody. So I was feeling so dejected. I

was on my way home thinking, what am I going

to do? I want to help. And I stopped off at a

coffee shop. And there was a guy there covered

with dust who had just come from ground zero

and said, he was talking to the waitress about

how he was working in a kitchen there. And I

said to him, this total stranger, I said, you

know, I just came from the volunteer place. They

told me they didn't need anybody anymore. he

said do you really want to volunteer? I said

yeah. So he wrote down this phone number. He

said call this number. They need people. This

is the kitchen at ground zero. So I called them

up and they said that they did need people. And

I said do you have any restaurant experience?

I said I'm an actor. Of course I have restaurant

experience. What do you need? Actors can do anything

at a restaurant. So we really need cooks. I said

well I worked in a short order cook when I was

going through Juilliard. They said, are you free

now? And I said, yeah, I'm between jobs. They

said, no, we mean right now, like tonight. We

need someone tonight. I said, yeah, I'll be right

there. So I ended up doing the night shift. It

was like from 6 PM to about 6 AM. And it was

a few blocks away from the actual pit. But it

was a big, big, like, cafeteria that they had

commandeered. It was a restaurant I think called

Nino's. It was a big old restaurant. And they'd

taken it over. And all the work crews would come

in covered with dust and soot. just exhausted.

And it was a very hot September. Um, so it was,

it was really, it was a very depressing atmosphere.

And there were these huge work lights set up

all over lower Manhattan, setting it up. It looked

like a moonscape, um, because it was a big, a

big search site and people would come in and

there was just a sort of rumbling kind of, um,

melancholy, um, mumble going on. Cause Everyone

was so overwhelmed by what had happened. And

I was working this night shift and this guy who

was next to me one night goes, so I'm an architect

during my day job. What's your day job? I said,

well, I'm an actor. He said, yeah, but do you

do some special kind of acting? He said, I thought

I knew your name. I said, well, I really work

in animation. I do voices. He said, I knew it.

You're a Batman. How did you know that? He said,

everybody knows who's Batman. I said, no, everyone

does not know who's Batman. He said, oh my God,

the guys are gonna go crazy if I tell them that.

I said, no one's gonna care. He said, are you

crazy? He said, watch. So he goes out in the

dining room and he goes, guys, guys, you're not

gonna believe who's been cooking your dinners.

It's Batman. And there was this long pause and

you hear it from the back of the auditorium.

Bullshit. And then someone else says, someone

else says, make him prove it. So I'm back in

the kitchen, right, in this big, echoey kitchen

that I do. I am vengeance. I am the knight. I

am the great man. And there's this long, long

fountain here from the back of the auditorium.

Holy fuck, that is Batman. We all start pouring

back into the kitchen, and suddenly you hear

this laughter. And this guy's like, hey, you

know that episode where you and the Joker, you

know, I watch that show all the time with my

kids. And you know, hey man, what's that lady

like? And everyone wanted to know everything

about the show. And then the guy who had recognized

me, the architect says, what's it like to be

Santa Claus? Because that's what happened. Santa

Claus just got here. And it was true. It was

like suddenly people wanted something else to

think about, you know? And so I emailed Andrea

the next morning at Warner Brothers and I told

her what had happened that night. I wrote it

all as a story. I said at the end of it, what

we do is not insignificant. We're already contributing.

She said she circulated that all around Warner

Brothers. She said everybody at Warner Brothers

loved that story. Mad Fientist It's just an amazing

story. Sometimes we'll ask a question of, do

you get recognized? A lot of times, voice actors…

you know in person don't get recognized unless

you know you're at a convention and the big sign

says hey this is kevin conroy voice that you

don't know i mean i assume diet soon this would

be a completely anonymous job and for many years

it was you know in the early nineties no one

knew what i was doing it was when the internet

developed and you could you know you could just

google someone's name and then get the picture

and suddenly everyone knew who was batman you

know it's really since the internet the people

know who's doing what. And for many, many years,

it was completely anonymous. And I was used to

it that way. I kind of liked it that way, actually.

That interview, that conversation, especially

the way he, and I know he's told this, I know

he had told this story before to other people,

but the way he tells his September 11th story

to us is my favorite version of how he tells

that story. Just because it is so good people

go back and listen to that interview if you want

to go back and listen to me and and Steve and

Jesse Right after Kevin died. We did a tribute

to him last year on geek cast radio. You can

listen to that Masculine Phantasm, I would recommend

this to anybody I don't care who they are superhero

fan or not if you want to get into superheroes

The line starts here and goes around the block

as far as animation goes Yeah, I I miss it yeah

There I looking back there's some people that

we've interviewed that I wish we would have got

back for a second time before they passed like

just to pick their brain because They've they've

played a big part on how a lot of us grew up

absolutely 100 % 100 % Easily, I don't even need

to ask Steve. I'm pretty sure both of us are

gonna give this a five out of five because yeah

like if there were things wrong with it, I'm

too color -blinded by nostalgia and the fact

that I just I I Get involved in the film and

I don't feel like fast -forwarding. So And I

even watched like every single detail. I watched

it like two or three times to see if there was

anything in this movie like that is like either

plot wise or whatever. And there really is nothing

to nitpick on it. It's a damn good movie that

should have made way more money than what it

did initially. Obviously over the last 30 years,

it's made its money back, but Uh, yeah, go watch

this movie, folks. Go over to Amazon, get the

4K version of it, and you will watch this movie

like you've never seen it before. So we are going

to go to a quick ad break. You're going to hear

some ads and some other stuff. We're going to

come back to close the show right after this.

It sort of started a tradition. The following

week, I had another big fight. I was like, uh,

you know, Joker, I'll get you. And then we heard

from the booth. And then you say, oh, Andrea.

And anyone who was new that week would be like,

what is going on here? But it got to be a thing

going on and on and on. And it was a lot of fun.

And it was sort of an ongoing gag. in the studio.

Because the world needs another movie podcast.

The Geekcast Radio Network presents for your

listening pleasure, The Cinegeek. Hosted by Amanda,

Kevin, Matt, and Dan. Each week we dive head

first in the landscape of movies as we discuss

movie news, play movie games, go in depth on

reviews, and even have a top 10 countdown or

two. Also, don't miss our director retrospective

series, where we review noted director's movies

film by film. Bottom line is, if you love movies

and love podcasts, need to experience the Cinema

Geeks. A new show drops on Tuesday mornings on

the GCRN website and all of the major podcast

platforms. So listen to the Marku42's universe

podcast from the universe and beyond. Well, I

am shocked and dismayed. Well, now you can't

be both. You be shocked, I'll be dismayed. Coming

in 2016, Steve Megachon and myself, TF2 and Mike

bring you a brand new TV review show. Welcome

to Podcaster Meets World. That's right, we're

launching a Boy and Girl Meets World review podcast

here on the GCRN. It'll take us 70 episodes of

the podcast to review all 158 episodes of Boy

Meets World. After that, we will tackle Girl

Meets World. You can find Podcaster Meets World

on GeekCastRadio .com and iTunes starting late

summer, early fall 2016. So come on and walk

through the world with us. We are back, folks,

for Studio 2009. Tooncast and Legends of the

Dark Knight, because I'm putting this on all

three feeds, even though I didn't say that at

the beginning of the show. That's what I'm doing.

Coming up on Tooncast, I don't know. Coming up

on Studio 2009, I do know what we've got going

on. We will have a podcast approach next time

because by the time people have heard this episode,

it's way past Halloween So I'm gonna have to

do the you Freddy cat It's Halloween candy -coated

commercials next year, which is fine because

we ran out of time for that this year episode

66 Returns with the 12 months of Star Wars content.

That's just what the name of the thing is We

usually do one episode of Star Wars stuff every

month for 12 months And my buddy Dave Draper,

formerly with Toy World Order and Jason Duvall,

his best friend, he has returned. And we are

going through Star Wars in chronological order.

And next up is Revenge of the Sith. After that,

Mike Labeman is going to join me for the 25th

anniversary of Medigar Solid. And then Dave will

be back for Jurassic Park's 30th anniversary,

as I mentioned at the beginning of the show.

We've got we've got other stuff coming as well.

We've got more podcast approaches and next year

studio 2009 will be going full retro all Retro

all the time and we're gonna do a whole bunch

of awesome old stuff because some of these new

shows and the other thing that I didn't mention

in last time when we talked about Robin and Mennon

tights and we're talking about this a Lot of

the new stuff doesn't get a chance to get us

hooked Like it'll get two episodes, or three

episodes, or five episodes, and then poof, gone,

because it doesn't make enough money yet for

the streamers, which sucks. Pretty much. Yeah.

I love the modern day technology, folks, but

I miss the old ways that TV was. I just do. I

miss. 2009 -2010 honestly when Netflix will just

drop a whole season on us instead of season one

part one with six episodes and season one part

two with another no give it to me now especially

if I'm paying your prices now net you're charging

me 30 -something bucks a month for for premium

no oh boy Netflix give me a break Give me a break.

Give me a break break my face. Oh, sorry KitKats

in my brain. All right That's all folks Steve

any final thoughts and where can the people find

you on social media? They can find me on the

Twitter's because I refuse to say X You just

see 21 Yes, but I didn't say At SCP 21 on the

platform mm -hmm, but Uh, yeah, so they can find

me on there they can find me on instagram threads

or blue sky at steve phillips vo Very cool. Very

cool. Yeah Batman mask of phantasm folks 30th

anniversary 4k release go get it go watch it.

You won't be Disappointed at all. So for me,

I am tf2 and mike on twitter at TF2 and Mike

presents on threads and Instagram and all that

good stuff. For now, I'm TF2 and Mike with Steve

Megatron. You'll hear us back in the studio soon.

It's true. I love her. Thank you for joining

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