“Ghost Rider,” the movie adaptation of the comic book hero, stars Nicolas Cage and hits theaters on Feb. 16.  I think the film will do great, if only for the fact that Nicolas Cage is a huge fan of the comic series and will do the role justice playing the main character, Johnny Blaze.

Cage doesn’t make bad films, and I don’t think this will be an exception.  However, “Ghost Rider,” and other fledging franchises such as “X-Men” and “Spiderman,” all owe their existence to the modern comic book movie: the 1989 film “Batman.”

Batman has always been my personal hero since I was very young.  I saw the 1989 movie with my mother even though I was only about 4 or 5 years old.  I watched it countless times on video and DVD.  It is my favorite film ever, and it spawned not only sequels, but an entire genre.

While “Superman” came out more than 10 years before “Batman” and according to producer Michael Uslan is the reason “Batman” was even made, even the Man of Steel could not stop the monstrous source of income that was the 1989 Batman film. 

At the time the movie was released, no one believed it would be as big as it turned out to be.  Comic book films were for kids and “Batman” was at first thought to be made like the 1960s’ campy Adam West television show. 

While Nicolas Cage is seen as a solid choice for “Ghost Rider,” comedian Michael Keaton was jeered and hated by fans of Batman who were against the 1960s’ TV series.  An early teaser showed that the film was going to be a dark vision that owed more to the original comics of the 1940s.  This is what sold the film to the producers, and ultimately, to the audience.

According to the Internet Movie Database, the film grossed more than $413 million worldwide.  Jack Nicholson, landing a shrewd business deal, got top billing over Michael Keaton, took a gross percentage of the film, and received royalties on all of the massive amounts of merchandise sold.  He took home $60 million for the film.  He also turned in one of the greatest villain performances in modern movie history.

The aggressive marketing campaign had people lining up around the block at local theaters.  People dressed up as Batman or the Joker.  It was the birth of the modern comic book film.  While I will watch “Ghost Rider” and toss myself into the world of Johnny Blaze, it will not be without remembering that “Batman” allowed it to happen.

It was not too long ago when the Cielo Vista theater opened up right in the back yard of my old high school. Visions of skipped classes while watching the newest movies danced in our heads. The place was built like a palace, and was touted as one. 
           
Our dreams were dashed; school administrators put police officers everywhere with instructions to kick us out before we even got to this movie kingdom. It didn’t matter much, I rarely went anyway. 
           
Now, I find myself at the movies all the time. I think also I have been out of high school long enough to drop a lot of that obnoxious audience member/gangster mentality that I find at the Cielo Vista all the time; in particular on a Friday night.  
Maybe I’m already too old, or maybe I just do not like the idea of catcalls and the constant talking about non-movie topics such as “So, are we gonna smoke after this or what?” during the film. 
Some years ago, a friend and I were waiting for a ride home after seeing “Bringing Down the House,” and a couple, who were probably in their early 20s (like I am now) were standing near us and I heard the man say, “This place…is a gangfest!” I remember thinking “chill out, dude.” In hindsight, I realize the man was right.
           
If there is one thing that I want at the movies, is that I want to watch the movie without hearing a bunch of wannabe gangsters gabbing on about how tough they are and how they should star in their own films because they’re so cool.
           
I find myself at the Alamo Drafthouse on a regular basis now.  The audience is more mature. There are usually less people, due to fewer screens and less films being shown.  There is not enough space in the Drafthouse’s courtyard for massive throngs of teenagers to crowd around like at Cielo Vista, talking about each other and doing their best rap-battle “8 Mile” impressions.

And, best of all, the more mature audience keeps the talking to a minimum, so a person can do something wonderful: actually watch and enjoy the movie.