Batman Goes Bananas?

Father Ted: The last time you stayed up to watch a scary film you ended up having to sleep in my bed. I wouldn't mind, but it wasn't even a scary film. Father Dougal: Come on, Ted. A Volkswagen with a mind of its own. If that isn't scary, I don't know what is. Cult comedy shows about Irish priests aside, most of us have fond memories of Herbie, the VW Beetle who never failed to appear on bank holidays and quiet Sunday afternoon TV schedules. Bestriding the car genre like a colossus, towering over lesser films like The Fast and the Furious and Gone in Sixty Seconds, Herbie starred in four films and a TV series before retiring, apparently for good. All is not lost, however, for a new film, Herbie: Fully Loaded has been underway for some time, and today has come the news that former Dark Knight Michael Keaton is joining the film after a long break from our screens, opposite the already cast Lindsay Lohan. There's no word yet on what role he'll be playing, but if we had to guess, we'd say that the most likely part is the car's hapless owner, Jim Douglas. After all, while Keaton clearly enjoys playing the baddie, he has a nice sideline in hapless. Fully Loaded pitches Herbie into the world of NASCAR racing, as in Days Of Thunder. There has been some discussion over the car model, which may be an old Beetle rather than the new design, but as long as it has go-faster stripes and the number 53 on there somewhere, as well as a penchant for merrily wagging his bonnet up and down, we'll be happy. Not sure about Father Dougal though.