Burton said his version of the Grinch was even more "despicable, scarier and meaner"
Maybe Burton was going to do a more horror movie version of the Grinch?
A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Jim Henson at Disney, 1980)
- Thread starter Geekhis Khan
- Start date
- Status
Burton said his version of the Grinch was even more "despicable, scarier and meaner"
Maybe Burton was going to do a more horror movie version of the Grinch?
I don't think so. George Lucas still fully owns ILM along with Lucasfilm, IIRC, so they remain independent.
In fact, they're unofficial rivals with the I-Works.
A Hippie in the House of Mouse (Jim Henson at Disney, 1980)
Is this the largest change made from the on-screen OTL ... that Howard the Duck isn't mostly terrible? Hopefully, now that most of the OTL projects have come and gone Jim Henson will have more of an impact at Disney or at least what they put out on the big screen. Well, if you ask me, having...
www.alternatehistory.com
While we're on the subject of The Grinch, allow me to bring up a collaboration effort I did to enhance The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss in this timeline.
Feel free to express your opinions on this.
Feel free to express your opinions on this.
You're right I temporarily confused ILM for Lucasfilm's Graphics Group.
Movies: Spring/Summer 1992
New York Times Short Movie Reviews, Spring & Summer 1992
Drop Dead Fabulous
Tales from the Crypt, long known for its classic cult comics and TV series, has released its debut film, Death Becomes Her, and it is fabulous. Do you love the glamour of the high fashion world of the wealthy? Well, meet the elite club that people are dying to be a part of, where an immortality potion grants eternal life to those with the right connections. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring the great Meryl Streep, Goldie Hahn, and Rick Moranis, this is a twisting and twisted tale of wealth-bought privilege. But immortality does not remove immorality, and soon the conniving Madeline and Helen (Streep and Hawn) corrupt the mortician Dr. Ernest Menville (Moranis) into being their plastic surgeons, keeping them beautiful in death. With jaw-droppingly creepy special effects courtesy of ILM and Skeleton Crew Productions and gorgeous retro-fashionable costumes by Cheryl Henson, Death Becomes Her is a visual masterpiece and a fun, macabre morality tale of greed and excess, and a great start for Takes from the Crypt’s new foray into filmmaking.
Death Becomes Her, Rated R for violence, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Robin and the Red Knight
Robin Williams and Terry Gilliam invoke Arthurian legend in this surreal, psychological drama that’s bound to gain academy attention with its stunning performances[1]. Following the despondent, suicidal radio DJ Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), who is rescued from assault by a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams) who claims to be on a quest for the Holy Grail, The Fisher King is ultimately a story of love, trauma, opportunity, mental health, recovery, and the plight of the homeless. Debra Hill & Lynda Obst reportedly took the Richard LaGravenese script to Terry Gilliam in the late ‘80s, who fell in love, but had to put production on hold due to other commitments. And Williams, always in high demand, likely needed the delay himself! And bring the script to life they do, making for a brilliant, dreamlike, and occasionally heart-wrenching film.
The Fisher King, Rated T for violence, psychological content, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐½
Party Time! Excellent!
Goodbye Bill & Ted, and hello Wayne and Garth! Last summer’s B&T sequel may have been a dud, but SNL alums Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey have brought their B&T “inspired” Gen-X slackers from the SNL skit to the big screen in this Hyperion comedy[2]. While the prospect of an hour and a half with the two Aurora IL basement dwellers was not something that I’d looked forward to, the crisp screenplay by Meyers along with Bonnie and Terry Turner is surprisingly fun and refreshing. It even managed to make Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” break the Top Forty again, complete with later Queen cameo (the scene where Brian May consoles the depressed Garth over his life in “the shadow of a living public spectacle” is worth the ticket price alone). The gorgeous Tia Carrere as Wayne’s love interest Cassandra and Timothy Dalton having fun hamming it up as the manipulative TV producer Ben Kane round out the film and provide the emotional stakes even as the flagrantly fourth wall breaking comedy subverts them at every opportunity, sometimes to the detriment of the emotional weight that the stakes otherwise brought. But in general, like the original B&T, Wayne’s World manages to take the concept of the two directionless teens and elevate it to comedy gold.
Wayne’s World, Rated PG for mild comedic violence, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐
The Humor-Risk Manifesto
Paramount Pictures have certainly knocked it out of the park with this brilliant and timely tribute to the films of the Marx Brothers[3]. Making such a film is not only a tall order, but one that can be very easily botched if not handled by the right people. Thankfully, the chuckleheads at Paramount did get the right folks for the job: Lame Ducks, directed (as well as co-written) by Mel Brooks and produced by the Zucker brothers, is not only a laugh riot from start to end but also a surprisingly biting (and occasionally dark) satire of the film industry and an analysis of how humor can change between decades. The plot (such as it is) concerns one Lillian Oglethorpe (Nancy Marchand), an elderly widow and former starlet of Hollywood’s Golden Age seeking to make a comeback. Shady get-rich-quick schemer Henry R. Adams (Bobcat Goldthwaite) becomes her agent and producer, placing his younger brother Milton (River Phoenix) in the role of leading man much to the latter’s protests. Rounding out the main cast are Larry, an English cab driver (Freddie Mercury) and his partner-in-crime, the near-entirely mute Dusty (Kurt Cobain in his film debut) filling in Chico and Harpo’s shoes respectively. What follows is an onslaught of visual, word- and character-based gags that gleefully inherit the Marxian heritage while both making them their own and updating them for modern sensibilities. Lame Ducks is proof that neither Brooks nor the Zuckers have lost their touch yet, and is sure to become a classic of not only both parties but of comedy in general. A resounding four stars.
Lame Ducks, rated T for adult situations, comic violence, and language. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love and Miracles
Magic comes to Venice in this latest Frank Oz film, produced and written by Duncan Kenworthy and released by Fantasia Films. Like What About Bob, it features no Muppets or Animatronics, just a sincere and sympathetic story of love and family with a touch of ironic humor built around the challenges of dealing with family and friends. When a young Italian woman (Mia Sera) experiences a literal miracle, she finds herself the subject of ridicule by the community, but ultimately finds support and then love with a young dreamer (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is obsessed with Leonardo DaVinci[4]. A Miracle in Venice is a dreamlike romance, full of humanity and heart and a touch of that wry yet sympathetic humor to which Oz is so well suited. It’s a magical realist take on faith and love and community and the perfect date movie.
A Miracle in Venice, Rated T for sex, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐½
The Willow Saga Continues
The small in stature but great in power sorcerer Thorn (née Willow) is back, and so is Elora, Madmartigan, the Brownies, and even another beloved character whose presence I won’t spoil. The forces of the evil Deceiver have lain waste to the lands of Tir Aslin, and now our heroes must make difficult choices and personal sacrifices in order to combat the scourge. Taking up from where Shadow Moon (1990) left off, Shadow Dawn is the second part of an intended trilogy, not, as some have assumed, the third part of the trilogy (Willow was, like The Hobbit was to Lord of the Rings, a stand-alone “prequel” story). Director Joe Johnston returns as well, bringing his sentimental workman-like vision to the Lucas and Kasdan screenplay. And much like George Lucas’s middle story in Star Wars (i.e. The Empire Strikes Back), Shadow Dawn is a dark and emotional story full of sacrifice, difficult deals, and loss. It is in many ways the most powerful of the Willow films to date. The special effects are once again top notch, with the animatronics for the Djinn and Dragon so compelling as to be worth the price of admission all by themselves. For the existing Willow fandom, this is a must see, and for casual fans it’s a fun, if often dark, summer treat[5].
Shadow Dawn, Rated T for action, violence, dark themes, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐
In Brief:
[1] Production is delayed and release thus delayed until ’92 due to Toys & Lost in La Mancha. An exhausted Gilliam takes a lot of time off after all of this! Will perform on par with our timeline and be nominated for numerous awards.
[2] Bernie Brillstein taking advantage of his SNL/Lorne Michaels ties once again! It worked for Blues Brothers, it worked for Wayne’s World (does about the same as in our timeline here), surely SNL skit-to-film is bound to always win, right?
[3] Guest review by @TheMolluskLingers. Evolved into the flop Brain Donors in our timeline. Will make a good $63 million against a $22 million budget and become a comedy classic.
[4] My best guess on what “The Italian Film” pitched to Henson by Duncan Kenworthy would have been like. “It's a love story about an Italian girl who witnesses a miracle” is literally the full and complete information I can find on it. Hat tip to @nick_crenshaw82 for once again digging up these obscure abandoned Henson projects.
[5] Makes $132 million against a $40 million budget and does well on home video. Good enough to get the third film greenlit, but not a massive blockbuster by the standards of the time. And dragon-helm tip to @Kalvan for the continued assist on the Willow saga.
[6] He took it to Disney in our timeline where Jeffrey Katzenberg had them turn it into a musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman. It flopped hard, but got resurrected 20 years later as a beloved Broadway musical
[7] In our timeline the CyberGod screenplay got merged with the rights for Steven King’s unrelated short story “The Lawnmower Man”, becoming the 1992 “in name only” film The Lawnmower Man. For the record, As You Wish has the rights to the original Steven King story.
[8] Hat tip to @nick_crenshaw82.
[9] Happened with Borden’s Miramax film from our timeline, Love Crimes. Which is a shame, as a Basic Instinct directed by Borden on her own terms would be something to see! Basic Instinct in our timeline went to Carolco and Paul Verhoeven, who has yet to break out in this timeline so far, and (thanks in large part to an alleged nasty trick on Sharon Stone that became an iconic scene) became a huge hit.
Drop Dead Fabulous
Tales from the Crypt, long known for its classic cult comics and TV series, has released its debut film, Death Becomes Her, and it is fabulous. Do you love the glamour of the high fashion world of the wealthy? Well, meet the elite club that people are dying to be a part of, where an immortality potion grants eternal life to those with the right connections. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring the great Meryl Streep, Goldie Hahn, and Rick Moranis, this is a twisting and twisted tale of wealth-bought privilege. But immortality does not remove immorality, and soon the conniving Madeline and Helen (Streep and Hawn) corrupt the mortician Dr. Ernest Menville (Moranis) into being their plastic surgeons, keeping them beautiful in death. With jaw-droppingly creepy special effects courtesy of ILM and Skeleton Crew Productions and gorgeous retro-fashionable costumes by Cheryl Henson, Death Becomes Her is a visual masterpiece and a fun, macabre morality tale of greed and excess, and a great start for Takes from the Crypt’s new foray into filmmaking.
Death Becomes Her, Rated R for violence, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Robin and the Red Knight
Robin Williams and Terry Gilliam invoke Arthurian legend in this surreal, psychological drama that’s bound to gain academy attention with its stunning performances[1]. Following the despondent, suicidal radio DJ Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), who is rescued from assault by a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams) who claims to be on a quest for the Holy Grail, The Fisher King is ultimately a story of love, trauma, opportunity, mental health, recovery, and the plight of the homeless. Debra Hill & Lynda Obst reportedly took the Richard LaGravenese script to Terry Gilliam in the late ‘80s, who fell in love, but had to put production on hold due to other commitments. And Williams, always in high demand, likely needed the delay himself! And bring the script to life they do, making for a brilliant, dreamlike, and occasionally heart-wrenching film.
The Fisher King, Rated T for violence, psychological content, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐½
Party Time! Excellent!
Goodbye Bill & Ted, and hello Wayne and Garth! Last summer’s B&T sequel may have been a dud, but SNL alums Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey have brought their B&T “inspired” Gen-X slackers from the SNL skit to the big screen in this Hyperion comedy[2]. While the prospect of an hour and a half with the two Aurora IL basement dwellers was not something that I’d looked forward to, the crisp screenplay by Meyers along with Bonnie and Terry Turner is surprisingly fun and refreshing. It even managed to make Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” break the Top Forty again, complete with later Queen cameo (the scene where Brian May consoles the depressed Garth over his life in “the shadow of a living public spectacle” is worth the ticket price alone). The gorgeous Tia Carrere as Wayne’s love interest Cassandra and Timothy Dalton having fun hamming it up as the manipulative TV producer Ben Kane round out the film and provide the emotional stakes even as the flagrantly fourth wall breaking comedy subverts them at every opportunity, sometimes to the detriment of the emotional weight that the stakes otherwise brought. But in general, like the original B&T, Wayne’s World manages to take the concept of the two directionless teens and elevate it to comedy gold.
Wayne’s World, Rated PG for mild comedic violence, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐
The Humor-Risk Manifesto
Paramount Pictures have certainly knocked it out of the park with this brilliant and timely tribute to the films of the Marx Brothers[3]. Making such a film is not only a tall order, but one that can be very easily botched if not handled by the right people. Thankfully, the chuckleheads at Paramount did get the right folks for the job: Lame Ducks, directed (as well as co-written) by Mel Brooks and produced by the Zucker brothers, is not only a laugh riot from start to end but also a surprisingly biting (and occasionally dark) satire of the film industry and an analysis of how humor can change between decades. The plot (such as it is) concerns one Lillian Oglethorpe (Nancy Marchand), an elderly widow and former starlet of Hollywood’s Golden Age seeking to make a comeback. Shady get-rich-quick schemer Henry R. Adams (Bobcat Goldthwaite) becomes her agent and producer, placing his younger brother Milton (River Phoenix) in the role of leading man much to the latter’s protests. Rounding out the main cast are Larry, an English cab driver (Freddie Mercury) and his partner-in-crime, the near-entirely mute Dusty (Kurt Cobain in his film debut) filling in Chico and Harpo’s shoes respectively. What follows is an onslaught of visual, word- and character-based gags that gleefully inherit the Marxian heritage while both making them their own and updating them for modern sensibilities. Lame Ducks is proof that neither Brooks nor the Zuckers have lost their touch yet, and is sure to become a classic of not only both parties but of comedy in general. A resounding four stars.
Lame Ducks, rated T for adult situations, comic violence, and language. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love and Miracles
Magic comes to Venice in this latest Frank Oz film, produced and written by Duncan Kenworthy and released by Fantasia Films. Like What About Bob, it features no Muppets or Animatronics, just a sincere and sympathetic story of love and family with a touch of ironic humor built around the challenges of dealing with family and friends. When a young Italian woman (Mia Sera) experiences a literal miracle, she finds herself the subject of ridicule by the community, but ultimately finds support and then love with a young dreamer (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is obsessed with Leonardo DaVinci[4]. A Miracle in Venice is a dreamlike romance, full of humanity and heart and a touch of that wry yet sympathetic humor to which Oz is so well suited. It’s a magical realist take on faith and love and community and the perfect date movie.
A Miracle in Venice, Rated T for sex, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐½
The Willow Saga Continues
The small in stature but great in power sorcerer Thorn (née Willow) is back, and so is Elora, Madmartigan, the Brownies, and even another beloved character whose presence I won’t spoil. The forces of the evil Deceiver have lain waste to the lands of Tir Aslin, and now our heroes must make difficult choices and personal sacrifices in order to combat the scourge. Taking up from where Shadow Moon (1990) left off, Shadow Dawn is the second part of an intended trilogy, not, as some have assumed, the third part of the trilogy (Willow was, like The Hobbit was to Lord of the Rings, a stand-alone “prequel” story). Director Joe Johnston returns as well, bringing his sentimental workman-like vision to the Lucas and Kasdan screenplay. And much like George Lucas’s middle story in Star Wars (i.e. The Empire Strikes Back), Shadow Dawn is a dark and emotional story full of sacrifice, difficult deals, and loss. It is in many ways the most powerful of the Willow films to date. The special effects are once again top notch, with the animatronics for the Djinn and Dragon so compelling as to be worth the price of admission all by themselves. For the existing Willow fandom, this is a must see, and for casual fans it’s a fun, if often dark, summer treat[5].
Shadow Dawn, Rated T for action, violence, dark themes, adult language, and adult situations, ⭐⭐⭐
In Brief:
- Newsies: based on a screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, Warner Brothers’ Newsies recreates the events of the 1899 News Boy strike[6]. As a “little guys against the system” story it’s good, if uneven; ⭐⭐
- Sister Act: Bette Midler shines as a gangster’s Moll and murder witness who’s hiding out as a nun in this Hyperion comedy; ⭐⭐⭐
- CyberGod: when scientist Dr. Lawrence DeAngelo (Ray Liotta) begins virtual reality experiments on the mentally disabled Jobe Jacobs (Jeff Fahey) the subject reaches a level of power that escapes the bounds of DeAngelo’s experiments[7] in this technically impressive but artistically mediocre spiritual successor of Flowers for Algernon; ⭐⭐
- Bartholomew vs. Neff: Sylvester Stallone and John Candy team up as two feuding neighbors whose petty suburban disputes escalate into a comedic farce[8]. A fun if hardly groundbreaking summer comedy still worth the ticket price; ⭐⭐½
- Basic Instinct: this sexy Miramax noir thriller by director Lizzie Borden and starring Sean Young and Patrick Bergen is a mess. Blame it on studio interference. Blame it on constant rewrites. Blame it on the behind-the-scenes issues with Young and the alleged predations of the now-disgraced Harvey Weinstein. Blame it on what you will, it’s another example of a promising director getting ramrodded into producing a sure-fire flop[9]; ⭐½
- My Cousin Vinny: Joe Pesci as a shady New York City lawyer who defends his cousin on murder charges in a rural court. ‘Nuff said. It’s funny, it’s surprisingly well acted, and my lawyer friends tell me it’s the most accurate legal film in history. See it, capiche? ⭐⭐⭐
- White Men Can't Jump: it’s a surprise hit that deals head-on with race and racism! Woody Harrelson surprises with a deep and nuanced performance and Jamie Foxx is at his usual A-game; ⭐⭐⭐
- Unforgiven: star and director Clint Eastwood apparently sat on this David Webb Peoples screenplay for almost a decade, and boy has the “aging” produced a fine product! A deconstructive western from Columbia Pictures that shows the darker side of the American West, Unforgiven is a visual and emotional rollercoaster; ⭐⭐⭐½
[1] Production is delayed and release thus delayed until ’92 due to Toys & Lost in La Mancha. An exhausted Gilliam takes a lot of time off after all of this! Will perform on par with our timeline and be nominated for numerous awards.
[2] Bernie Brillstein taking advantage of his SNL/Lorne Michaels ties once again! It worked for Blues Brothers, it worked for Wayne’s World (does about the same as in our timeline here), surely SNL skit-to-film is bound to always win, right?
[3] Guest review by @TheMolluskLingers. Evolved into the flop Brain Donors in our timeline. Will make a good $63 million against a $22 million budget and become a comedy classic.
[4] My best guess on what “The Italian Film” pitched to Henson by Duncan Kenworthy would have been like. “It's a love story about an Italian girl who witnesses a miracle” is literally the full and complete information I can find on it. Hat tip to @nick_crenshaw82 for once again digging up these obscure abandoned Henson projects.
[5] Makes $132 million against a $40 million budget and does well on home video. Good enough to get the third film greenlit, but not a massive blockbuster by the standards of the time. And dragon-helm tip to @Kalvan for the continued assist on the Willow saga.
[6] He took it to Disney in our timeline where Jeffrey Katzenberg had them turn it into a musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman. It flopped hard, but got resurrected 20 years later as a beloved Broadway musical
[7] In our timeline the CyberGod screenplay got merged with the rights for Steven King’s unrelated short story “The Lawnmower Man”, becoming the 1992 “in name only” film The Lawnmower Man. For the record, As You Wish has the rights to the original Steven King story.
[8] Hat tip to @nick_crenshaw82.
[9] Happened with Borden’s Miramax film from our timeline, Love Crimes. Which is a shame, as a Basic Instinct directed by Borden on her own terms would be something to see! Basic Instinct in our timeline went to Carolco and Paul Verhoeven, who has yet to break out in this timeline so far, and (thanks in large part to an alleged nasty trick on Sharon Stone that became an iconic scene) became a huge hit.
We already knew that this movie was in the pipeline thanks to BatShemp, but knowing some of the finer details is always nice. It wasn't mentioned but having Rick Moranis play the coroner probably pushed the film into a more comedic tone aswell.Drop Dead Fabulous
Tales from the Crypt, long known for its classic cult comics and TV series, has released its debut film, Death Becomes Her, and it is fabulous. Do you love the glamour of the high fashion world of the wealthy? Well, meet the elite club that people are dying to be a part of, where an immortality potion grants eternal life to those with the right connections. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring the great Meryl Streep, Goldie Hahn, and Rick Moranis, this is a twisting and twisted tale of wealth-bought privilege. But immortality does not remove immorality, and soon the conniving Madeline and Helen (Streep and Hawn) corrupt the mortician Dr. Ernest Menville (Moranis) into being their plastic surgeons, keeping them beautiful in death. With jaw-droppingly creepy special effects courtesy of ILM and Skeleton Crew Productions and gorgeous retro-fashionable costumes by Cheryl Henson, Death Becomes Her is a visual masterpiece and a fun, macabre morality tale of greed and excess, and a great start for Takes from the Crypt’s new foray into filmmaking.
Which honestly is just perfect for a Tales from the Crypt Movie!
Btw, how are these standalone movies connected with Tales? Is it just part of the title? Some comic book visuals? Or do they all start and end with The Cryptkeeper making ghoulish puns?
Wayne's World seems to have survived the butterflies intact same as Fisher King! I like the Queen cameos, although I have to asked if Freddie was also available given his busy scheduleParty Time! Excellent!
Goodbye Bill & Ted, and hello Wayne and Garth! Last summer’s B&T sequel may have been a dud, but SNL alums Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey have brought their B&T “inspired” Gen-X slackers from the SNL skit to the big screen in this Hyperion comedy[2]. While the prospect of an hour and a half with the two Aurora IL basement dwellers was not something that I’d looked forward to, the crisp screenplay by Meyers along with Bonnie and Terry Turner is surprisingly fun and refreshing. It even managed to make Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” break the Top Forty again, complete with later Queen cameo (the scene where Brian May consoles the depressed Garth over his life in “the shadow of a living public spectacle” is worth the ticket price alone). The gorgeous Tia Carrere as Wayne’s love interest Cassandra and Timothy Dalton having fun hamming it up as the manipulative TV producer Ben Kane round out the film and provide the emotional stakes even as the flagrantly fourth wall breaking comedy subverts them at every opportunity, sometimes to the detriment of the emotional weight that the stakes otherwise brought. But in general, like the original B&T, Wayne’s World manages to take the concept of the two directionless teens and elevate it to comedy gold.
Speaking of Freddie Mercury!The Humor-Risk Manifesto
Paramount Pictures have certainly knocked it out of the park with this brilliant and timely tribute to the films of the Marx Brothers[3]. Making such a film is not only a tall order, but one that can be very easily botched if not handled by the right people. Thankfully, the chuckleheads at Paramount did get the right folks for the job: Lame Ducks, directed (as well as co-written) by Mel Brooks and produced by the Zucker brothers, is not only a laugh riot from start to end but also a surprisingly biting (and occasionally dark) satire of the film industry and an analysis of how humor can change between decades. The plot (such as it is) concerns one Lillian Oglethorpe (Nancy Marchand), an elderly widow and former starlet of Hollywood’s Golden Age seeking to make a comeback. Shady get-rich-quick schemer Henry R. Adams (Bobcat Goldthwaite) becomes her agent and producer, placing his younger brother Milton (River Phoenix) in the role of leading man much to the latter’s protests. Rounding out the main cast are Larry, an English cab driver (Freddie Mercury) and his partner-in-crime, the near-entirely mute Dusty (Kurt Cobain in his film debut) filling in Chico and Harpo’s shoes respectively. What follows is an onslaught of visual, word- and character-based gags that gleefully inherit the Marxian heritage while both making them their own and updating them for modern sensibilities. Lame Ducks is proof that neither Brooks nor the Zuckers have lost their touch yet, and is sure to become a classic of not only both parties but of comedy in general. A resounding four stars.
I'm glad that his film career wasn't just a one time fluke and that his establishing himself as a versatile actor showing that he can do serious and dramatic roles aswell as comedic ones. And given Freddie's natural affinity for the theatrical he will fit right in crazy eccentric Hollywood.
Kurt Cobain on the other hand was a shocking surprise, especially with the character he's playing!
I can see some Nirvana haters making jokes about the fact that Cobain finally shut up in this film 😅
I do wonder how Nirvana Fans think about this right now. Do they support the film or do they think that Kurt sold out to Hollywood?
I also think that the idea of a comedy tribute film that takes the general concept and character archetypes while still being it's own film is brilliant! Maybe the success of Lame Ducks will inspire some other directors to look at other classical comedy acts for inspiration. Maybe the Three Stooges or Charlie Chaplin?
Now that's a movie I would watch!
A romantic, but still genuine tale of love and community? And with Frank Oz's trademark wry sense of humor?
Sign me up!
Frank is really busy these days, isn't he? I hope he's taking some breaks.
I called that it's based on Shadow Dawn!😁The Willow Saga Continues
The small in stature but great in power sorcerer Thorn (née Willow) is back, and so is Elora, Madmartigan, the Brownies, and even another beloved character whose presence I won’t spoil. The forces of the evil Deceiver have lain waste to the lands of Tir Aslin, and now our heroes must make difficult choices and personal sacrifices in order to combat the scourge. Taking up from where Shadow Moon (1990) left off, Shadow Dawn is the second part of an intended trilogy, not, as some have assumed, the third part of the trilogy (Willow was, like The Hobbit was to Lord of the Rings, a stand-alone “prequel” story). Director Joe Johnston returns as well, bringing his sentimental workman-like vision to the Lucas and Kasdan screenplay. And much like George Lucas’s middle story in Star Wars (i.e. The Empire Strikes Back), Shadow Dawn is a dark and emotional story full of sacrifice, difficult deals, and loss. It is in many ways the most powerful of the Willow films to date. The special effects are once again top notch, with the animatronics for the Djinn and Dragon so compelling as to be worth the price of admission all by themselves. For the existing Willow fandom, this is a must see, and for casual fans it’s a fun, if often dark, summer treat[5].
Glad that the Willow Saga (which is actually a very misleading title) continues and is shaping up to be George Lucas LotR in terms of success.
I wonder if George will bless us with more fantasy movies in the future that aren't Willow related. It's ironic that working closer with Disney has only made Lucasfilm stronger and more independent in this Timeline 😂
Hey, I know what you tried to do here @Geekhis Khan ! You tried to keep this hidden from us in plain sight!
Whoopie Goldberg isn't in Sister Act? That's just wrong and heresy!
Maybe she, Will Smith and Deadpool should pay you a visit and ask what you have against them😅
No but seriously, Whoopie's most notable role to date has been Guinan in TNG right?
She wasn't in Ghost here and not in Sister Act, is she ever going to get a big break?
Sister Act is still going to be a nice film, but without Whoopie's charisma or the musical numbers it's not going to be such a classic.
Poor Lizize Borden
she probably tried her best to save the film, but to no avail.I hope that Paul Verhoeven gets his big break soon! Maybe Darkhorse could approach him to direct a Judge Dreed adaptation, like I said before the satirical elements and the gory violence are right up his Alley.
It would be like Robocop, but on illegal substances that carry the death penalty 😂
Also no iconic Sharon Stone flashing her moomoo? Well that will save some VHS from being stopped and rewinded too much😅
If I ever meet someone from this Timeline in ours I now know what they are here to experience 👀
Great chapter btw
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Death Becomes Her- I figure ITTL me will see this a lot sooner than OTL me did just cos of the sfx. Still sounds like a good movie!
The Fisher King- hope this cleans up at Award season cos its a very good movie.
Wayne’s World- somehow you have made it even better than OTL! Queen! Tim Dalton! Just fantastic.
Lame Ducks - that sounds amazing. What a cast and production crew there. Brooks has another hit with that box office. Bet the disk/tape sales are high too.
A Miracle in Venice - ITTL me is unlikely to watch this, but sounds good. Oz outside of puppetry too. This must be one of Leonardo DiCaprio's first movies?.
Shadow Dawn- yup ITTL me would be soooo down for this. The SFX sound fantastic with ILM showing off. nice that Lucas gets to make his fantasy trilogy. Perhaps he will let someone else play with Star Wars now?
Newsies- probably skip.
Sister Act- Bette Midler? I would probably be funny, but not as big of a hit for me as Whoopie was.
CyberGod - Maybe. Might be sort of thing watched later while preparing a Shadowrun campaign.
Bartholomew vs. Neff- Stallone doing comedy? Meh. Maybe on video.
Basic Instinct - Suspect ITTL me would not bother without *that* draw.
My Cousin Vinny- Yup. Saw this OTL, probably be the same here. Probably.
White Men Can't Jump- Nah. Sounds well acted though.
Unforgiven- Maybe. Do like a more nuanced Western.
Some fantastic butterfly flapping going on here @Geekhis Khan - looking forward to more!
The Fisher King- hope this cleans up at Award season cos its a very good movie.
Wayne’s World- somehow you have made it even better than OTL! Queen! Tim Dalton! Just fantastic.
Lame Ducks - that sounds amazing. What a cast and production crew there. Brooks has another hit with that box office. Bet the disk/tape sales are high too.
A Miracle in Venice - ITTL me is unlikely to watch this, but sounds good. Oz outside of puppetry too. This must be one of Leonardo DiCaprio's first movies?.
Shadow Dawn- yup ITTL me would be soooo down for this. The SFX sound fantastic with ILM showing off. nice that Lucas gets to make his fantasy trilogy. Perhaps he will let someone else play with Star Wars now?
Newsies- probably skip.
Sister Act- Bette Midler? I would probably be funny, but not as big of a hit for me as Whoopie was.
CyberGod - Maybe. Might be sort of thing watched later while preparing a Shadowrun campaign.
Bartholomew vs. Neff- Stallone doing comedy? Meh. Maybe on video.
Basic Instinct - Suspect ITTL me would not bother without *that* draw.
My Cousin Vinny- Yup. Saw this OTL, probably be the same here. Probably.
White Men Can't Jump- Nah. Sounds well acted though.
Unforgiven- Maybe. Do like a more nuanced Western.
Some fantastic butterfly flapping going on here @Geekhis Khan - looking forward to more!
Good changes.
I think my sister would have dragged me to see Newsies. Is Newsies as big a flop as OTL?
Also how does Bartholomew Vs Neff and A Miracle In Venice perform at the box office.
I think my sister would have dragged me to see Newsies. Is Newsies as big a flop as OTL?
Also how does Bartholomew Vs Neff and A Miracle In Venice perform at the box office.
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Yes. DiCaprio was in Critters 3 in 1991 and was in Poison Ivy in 1992. A Miracle In Venice should kickstart his career earlier than in OTL.
Well here's a surprise!
Not sure I feel about this one. Nothing against Midler, she'd be great, but Goldberg carried that movie OTL, it's hard to imagine it the same way without her.
Terrible missed opportunity here. As-is the movie strikes me as just another "I don't know how computers (and/or robots) work so we can just pretend they're wizard magic" movie. A better premise would start similarly, with Virtual Reality or similar tech being used to help a disabled patient, only for said patient to come to believe they've had a divine visitation and the doctor becoming increasingly tempted to 'play (the role of) God', leading to a spiral from caretaker to abuser. Call it an allegory of abuse in unequal relationships, failures in the medical system, organized religion, what have you. Have a female patient and male doctor and you can shovel a layer of sexual abuse onto the pile for good measure.
I can't remember if it was attributed to or was said to describe LBJ while in office: "Absolute Power doesn't corrupt, it reveals. It reveals what a man would have always done if he had absolute power."
Ah well, perhaps the remake in the mid 2010s.
On the other hand, nice to see the Willow tetralogy still steaming ahead!
If the the rest of her reals are the same ITTL as OTL I think she's going okay.
Whoopi Goldberg on screen and stage - Wikipedia
And a known singer won't sing?
As unfortunate as the name is it really is Lizzie Borden.Poor Lizie Bolden
With no RoboCop sequels we could adapt the RoboCop 2 script into a Judge Dredd script with Peter Weller as Dredd.
Not exactly his first comedy:
Rhinestone (film) - Wikipedia
Tango & Cash - Wikipedia
Oscar (1991 film) - Wikipedia
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot - Wikipedia
Not if It's Pat has anything to say about it.
They support it; helps that the film has an iconic (for Nirvana fans, at least) scene where Kurt performs the rare Nirvana tune "Talk to Me" (with Freddie on bass and River on drums).
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According to Wikipedia, Bette Midler was originally approached to star in "Sister Act". IOTL, she turned it down since she thought her fans wouldn't accept her playing a nun. Somehow, she was convinced ITTL.
My question is did they still keep rewriting the script ITTL, and drive Paul Rudnick to a mere pseudonym on the final production?
My question is did they still keep rewriting the script ITTL, and drive Paul Rudnick to a mere pseudonym on the final production?
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