Batmania Born! Building the World of Batman

Directed by Alexander Gray

With the principal creators of the series' design no longer with us, this documentary celebrates their achievement by recounting its effect on young fans who have grown up to be creators in their own right: executives of DC Comics, producers of animated series for Warner, fashion designers for films and TV, etc. Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Adam West also appear. (It's interesting that the only interviewee in the group who doesn't look perfectly normal is Andy Mangels, described as an "author and historian"; his beard and hairstyle look like something modeled on a Batman villain.) The presentation situates the show in the context of Sixties television and current events, and helps explain why the timing of the show's appearance contributed to its enormous popularity. (Blu-ray.com)