MAX

Making of Batman Returns (1992) - Max Shreck Origins

MAX :

I'd offer you coffee, but my assistant 

is using her vacation time.

Bruce Wayne :

Good time. Everyone but The Bandits'll 

be slacking off till after the New Year.

MAX :

I'm not sure I like The Inference.

Bruce Wayne :

I didn't realize I made one.

MAX :

I'm pushing this Power-plant NOW, 

because it'll cost more later.

A million saved is a million earned.

Bruce Wayne :

I commissioned this report. Take a look at it.

Gotham City has a Power surplus. 

I'm sure you KNOW that.

My Question is: 

"What's your angle?"

MAX :

"Power surplus?" Bruce, shame on you!

No such thing. One can never have too much Power.

If My Life has a meaning, that's The Meaning.

Bruce Wayne :

I'll fight you. I've already spoken 

to The Mayor and we agree.

MAX :

Mayors come and go, 

blue-bloods tire easy;

you think he could go 15 rounds 

with Mohammed Schrek...?

Walken :

“He's an industrialist uh he owns, among other things 

has met uh Schrek's department store —”

Originally, the Max Shreck character, he is 

The Golden Boy -Son of The Cobblepots, 

and it turns out that He and Penguin are Brothers and 

there was that kind of dichotomy in the movie of like 

The Saintly Brother who runs The City 

and the ultimate Black sheep who was 

thrown in The Sewer and 

how they come up together

 but the script and the movie 

is way too rich to begin with 

and that was just another layer 

that we finally had to lose.

“When I suggested to Tim Burton, 

“Tim, I thought of Christopher Walken —”

and Tim, who loves ghouls and 

skeletons and odd things said 

“Oh, no —”, he said “He’s…. he's..

I'm afraid of him 

he scares me —

And I said “But Tim — you're 

supposed to be afraid 

of Max Schrek -- 

Christopher Walken 

They made up a fictional character 

that's not in Batman's universe, and 

suddenly he becomes the most exciting character 

in the film -- well, sorry but that's what you get 

when you put Christopher Walken in a role 

The Prince of fuckin' Darkness :

He says that there's no such thing as too much power 

he says that, that's what his life is about, now —

that's uh those are actually his lines 

I think he means it —

MAX :

Bottom line, she tries to blackmail me,

I'll drop her out a higher window —

meantime, got better fish to fry 

Walken :

I think Max probably didn't have a lot of education 

and that he sort of made his own way, you know —

The Media :

What's The Deal, Mr. Schrek? 

Is The Penguin a personal friend ?

MAX :

Yes he's a personal friend, of this whole city  —

so have a heart — give The Constitution 

a rest, okay it's Christmas 

Walken :

I Think that Max and The Penguin….for their 

own reasons enjoy each other's company, 

probably because when you're like that 

there aren't that many people 

you can talk to —