Comments on: The Spirit and the Graveyard of Failed Superheroes http://blog.spout.com/2009/01/01/the-spirit-proves-that-old-heroes-cant-be-taught-new-tricks/ Daily coverage of what is truly interesting in the film world Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:37:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Rich Drees http://blog.spout.com/2009/01/01/the-spirit-proves-that-old-heroes-cant-be-taught-new-tricks/#comment-119064 Rich Drees Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:36:20 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8668#comment-119064 While there may be some lack of name recognition factoring into why older pulp heroes have trouble at the box office, I think it more comes down to the fact that they were, for the most part,not very good films. If it's a good film, the public will discover it. I would say that THE ROCKETEER is an exception, though. I think Joe Johnston did a fantastic job capturing the feel of 30s pulp adventure. A Roger Rabbit cartoon was supposed to be in front of the film that would have helped the box office take, but Disney and Spielberg were in the middle of a tiff over the stories being submitted for the cartoons. (Since WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT was a co-production between Amblin and Disney, Speilberg retained veto power over any subsequent shorts that Disney would make with the character.) I think that the GREEN HORNET TV series bombed because people were disappointed that it wasn't in the same campy style of producer William Dozier's other hit TV series at the tine- the Adam West-starring BATMAN. I'm surprised you missed George Pal's painfully bad DOC SAVAGE. While there may be some lack of name recognition factoring into why older pulp heroes have trouble at the box office, I think it more comes down to the fact that they were, for the most part,not very good films. If it’s a good film, the public will discover it.

I would say that THE ROCKETEER is an exception, though. I think Joe Johnston did a fantastic job capturing the feel of 30s pulp adventure. A Roger Rabbit cartoon was supposed to be in front of the film that would have helped the box office take, but Disney and Spielberg were in the middle of a tiff over the stories being submitted for the cartoons. (Since WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT was a co-production between Amblin and Disney, Speilberg retained veto power over any subsequent shorts that Disney would make with the character.)

I think that the GREEN HORNET TV series bombed because people were disappointed that it wasn’t in the same campy style of producer William Dozier’s other hit TV series at the tine- the Adam West-starring BATMAN.

I’m surprised you missed George Pal’s painfully bad DOC SAVAGE.

]]> By: ODO http://blog.spout.com/2009/01/01/the-spirit-proves-that-old-heroes-cant-be-taught-new-tricks/#comment-119053 ODO Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:07:00 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8668#comment-119053 Chow is out! He has left the Green Hornet. I can't see it having a snowball's chance in Hell with Seth Rogen doing it as a comedy. Chow is out! He has left the Green Hornet. I can’t see it having a snowball’s chance in Hell with Seth Rogen doing it as a comedy.

]]> By: Grace http://blog.spout.com/2009/01/01/the-spirit-proves-that-old-heroes-cant-be-taught-new-tricks/#comment-119046 Grace Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:27:26 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8668#comment-119046 I was kind of hoping to see Diabolik on here, if there ever was a hero-movie flop, 'Danger: Diabolik' was it. I was kind of hoping to see Diabolik on here, if there ever was a hero-movie flop, ‘Danger: Diabolik’ was it.

]]>