In the first of our BACK TO THE FILM GROUP series of films celebrating their decennial anniversaries this year, we head back to the swinging ‘60s with none other than the first big-screen incarnation of the Caped Crusader. Holy 50th anniversary, Batman!

Before Ben Affleck, Christian Bale or Michael Keaton donned the cape and cowl, there was once upon a time a live action Batman television series starring Adam West. Premiering in 1966, the series soon became one of the biggest crazes of the decade. Keen to capitalise on its extraordinary success, a feature film was quickly put into production after the show’s first season, with the end result being this film. And now, as both series and film – and the Film Group – celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, their cult status and campy legacy lives on... and with good reason!

In the film, Batman (West) and his trusted sidekick Robin (Ward) must take on their most dastardly rogues gallery of villains yet, when the Joker (Romero), the Penguin (Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) all team up with a plot to hold the world ransom. Will the dynamic duo be able to defeat this formidable foursome? Or have Batman and Robin finally met their match?

Back on the big screen for the first time in decades, Batman: The Movie puts the ‘comic’ into ‘comic book movie’ like no other. Who wants dark, brooding verisimilitude when you can instead have a catchy theme song (‘Na na na na, na na na na…’), catchphrases (‘Holy [insert subject here], Batman!’), Bat-gadgets and Bat-vehicles galore, and those awesome fight scenes (POW! BAM! BIFF!)? Regardless of whether you’ve seen this one a hundred times or never before, make sure you come along for this very special screening. Same Bat-time, same Bat-theatre!