Well, it was only two weeks ago that I wrote here about another possible film version of Masters of the Universe, and as if sensing confusion and displeasure at having what was once a fun part of my childhood plundered for box-office gain, Hollywood has now seen fit to adapt another icon of 1980s animation used to push toys on kids. That’s right, folks: Here comes Thundercats. Bowing in 1983 and running sporadically through the end of the decade, “Thundercats” followed a group of anthropomorphized feline people who fled their dying planet to find new life on Earth, only to be pursued by other animals and mutants who wanted to kill them for no real reason. Led by Lion-O, whose leather undies could rival He-Man’s for sheer flaming closeted wonder, the Thundercats ran around and fought bad guys like the mummy Mumm-Ra and drove in their tank and basically just got up to some weird crap that only made sense to the very young. It was announced this week that Warner Bros. has optioned a script by Pail Sopocy that will focus on the heroes’ origin story. Warners has actually owned the rights to the series since acquiring Telepictures Corp. in 1989, after it has merged with Lorimar, so it makes sense that they’re dusting off old properties and looking to make a decent buck. After all, if 20-year-old titles like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” can make a tidy profit, why not the Thundercats? Still, I’m wary of seeing something I so deeply loved as a tiny child — my mother will show you photos — trotted out and revamped for the digital age. When it comes to my childhood, give me hokey animation and nonsensical plots. Ah well. Who knows; it might actually be a decent flick. And if it is, you can rest assured even more ’80s resurrections will follow. “MASK,” anyone?
In other vaguely exploitive news, Hollywood is returning once again to dip its bucket in the bottomless well of manufactured emotion tied to World War II, aka America’s Favorite War, aka The One Where There Was A Clear Villian And Victory. James McBride is adapting his novel Miracle at St. Anna, about a group of black American soldiers fighting the Germans in the mountains of Tuscany, but there’s a decent chance the film will differ from the boilerplate WWII fare: It’s being directed by Spike Lee. Lee’s occasional dips into more mainstream fare are the exception to the rule; he’s usually a pretty pissed off little guy, churning out a body of work that angrily examines what he feels it means to be black in America (or, for 25th Hour, a white convict in America). The film will follow four members of the Army’s 92nd Infantry Division of all-black soldiers who deal with racist and incompetent commanders, and it’s set to start shooting next year.
Finally this morning, the most recent trailer for this summer’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Each successive film installment of the series has been better and better, and what’s more, they put out some damn fine trailers. (I still think the teaser for Goblet of Fire captures the spirit of angsty portent better than anything.) So, enjoy:
Daniel Carlson is the managing editor of Pajiba and a low-level employee at a Hollywood industry magazine. You can visit his blog, Slowly Going Bald.
WOWOWOOWOW that was the most incredible trailer for Harry Potter.... I honestly got chills.
Thanks for sharing
Posted by: toby at June 7, 2007 6:12 AM
Damn you Dan! You know the hollywood bigwigs are looking for ANY 80s show to turn in to a movie. MASK was one of the few cartoons I was hoping would escape the current trend. Now it'll get optioned for sure!
Posted by: X at June 7, 2007 6:29 AM
Damn you Dan! You know the hollywood bigwigs are looking for ANY 80s show to turn in to a movie. MASK was one of the few cartoons I was hoping would escape the current trend. Now it'll get optioned for sure!
(still have my kick-ass snake oil rocket launcher truck)
Posted by: X at June 7, 2007 6:31 AM
I too loved, LOVED the Thundercats when I was little. My favorite was Cheetara. :)
Just warn me when Hollywood decides to make a movie out of Galaxy Rangers and then I'll be able to declare my childhood officially bastardized.
Posted by: MJ at June 7, 2007 6:32 AM
my mother will show you photos
Really? Oh please so ever do so, Mother Carlson. We simply must see the young master Daniel as a tyke.
Speaking of Thundercats, who else has heard the infamous blooper reel? That was hilarious. I will see if I can find a link.
My favorite was Cheetarah too.. And Panthro, I thought he was such a badass. LionO I always thought was a whiny little twerp, but he had a bitchin' sword.
AND to this day i find myself saying 'Snarf' to my hubbie when he does something sweet and endearing. *sigh* "snarf" and "yowzers" - i'm such an eighties dork.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 8:33 AM
Thundercats? Missed me by a few years. I'm still holding out for an Isis effort.
Come on. Tell me that wouldn't be worth seeing.
Posted by: Ranylt at June 7, 2007 8:56 AM
Riiiiing
Me: Hello?
Voice: Manny?
Me: Yes, this is Manny.
Voice: We just wanted to inform you that the rape of your childhood memories would continue for the forseeable future. No lube.
Me: Ouch, well couldn't you just try and come up with some original ideas?
Voice: Hahahahahhahahahahahaha!!!!!.....Oh lord, hold on........hahhahahahahahaha!!!
Well, as long as they leave She-ra and Heman alone I think I'll be alright. And Punky Brewster needs to be left alone, too. Please, oh, please! That Harry Potter trailer made me SOO excited about the movie! I officially cannot wait!
Posted by: Lauren at June 7, 2007 9:41 AM
Voltron anyone? The only thing that seems to hurt more than watching these remakes as an adult is re-watching the originals as an adult. These found memories are best left alone.
Posted by: bradm at June 7, 2007 9:46 AM
Screw thundercats. I mean, I liked the cartoon, but seeing it now makes me realize that it was horribly done and doesn't hold up, except for the cut scenes where lion-o activates the sword. THere isn't enough material for a decent script if you ask me, plus, you have to gamble on the make-up.
On that note, bring on the Lone Star and Silver Hawks movies!
(On a side note, anyone ever notice how the only decent thing about cartoons from the 80's was the introduction animation, and the animation that was reused for every episode? Case in point, Adam turning into He-Man, Voltron transforming, Lion-o activating his sword and the intro. to thundercats, etc. etc. etc. You watch the rest of the show, and it seems like all of the budget went into producing a really kick ass 2 min. title and a 30 sec. cut sequence.)
Posted by: some guy at June 7, 2007 9:49 AM
What about G-Force? No, wait...scratch that. The dialogue from G-Force was too good for a Hollywood remake.
Posted by: Tibby at June 7, 2007 10:00 AM
The only reason I would want to see a She-Ra remake is to see how well they can make Swiftwind look. That stupid flying horse got me through some crappy times growing up.
I second Silverhawks... the intro I thought was by far the best of any of the He-Man, Thundercats intros....
and Voltron. The mechanical cats rock!
Anyone else have the Thundercats bumper sticker on their car?? No? am I the only one?
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 10:04 AM
I'm with BradM. You know, if they could make a remake that actually helped the show make *sense* I might actually be grateful. I made the mistake of watching some reruns on Cartoon Network once (okay, it was like 4:00 in the mornign and I had insomnia) but what in the *FUCK* was going on in those shows? I think if I were a parent I would be a bit disturbed that my child showed such love for what was obviously the brain child of a serious acid trip.
Okay, it may be blaspheme, but as far as I'm concerned they can have any of those adventure cartoons, which were all exploitative toy-schlockers to begin with. I loved them too, don't get me wrong, but nostalgia-geared Hollywood remakes aimed at 29-year-old post-adolescents is just a little bit of post-modern irony, if you ask me.
However, if they touch the Thames shows, (my beloved Bananaman; Count Duckula.... and of course Danger Mouse; oh, Ernest. Oh, Colonel K!) then they will have to contend with my rage. Okay, my rage will consist largely of the impotent bitch-about-it-on-a-web-forum variety. But I will BITCH with VEHEMENCE, dammit!
Actually Tibby, the people behind the recent TMNT are doing a CG origin movie for G-Force, under it's proper name, Gatchaman. Doesn't look half bad, but that is just my opinion.
yeah, my bad, that's bravestar, not lonestar. My memory ain't what it used to be.
Posted by: some guy at June 7, 2007 10:15 AM
Bravestar was rad! Especially that horse of his.
"...speed of the puma!" The man was too cool for this world, no wonder it didn't last long.
Posted by: Jeff K at June 7, 2007 10:22 AM
Thundercats, Hoooooooooo! Once annually I whip out my optimism, trot it around for a few days over a coming movie project, then quiet down and let the tension build until the movie comes out. Then I whimper, die a little inside, and wait for the next good surprise. So this will be that project for me. Good times.
Geez, Stella, I'm not geeking out over some Thundercats bumper sticker! But, um, if one of my nerd-friends asks me about how to get one, what would I tell him? Just, you know, purely theoretically? In case that happens?
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 10:23 AM
Bravestarr (two r's) was rad! Especially that horse of his.
"...speed of the puma!" The man was too cool for this world, no wonder it didn't last long.
Posted by: Jeff K at June 7, 2007 10:24 AM
Who do you think would play Jem in a "Jem and the Holograms" remake? I say Heather Graham or Jessica Alba...
Posted by: Helcat at June 7, 2007 10:25 AM
Speaking of Thundercats, who else has heard the infamous blooper reel?
I have heard of it but never heard it. I was too old for Thundercats. If you can find a link, post it and I'll click it.
There is (or was) also a site somewhere with some surprisingly well-drawn Thundercats porn, which was hilarious even for someone who isn't a fan of the old show. You might see if you can find that while you're looking for the bloopers...
I remember the porn because it made me think that these cartoon shows must've left some people seriously warped.
Posted by: Jerce at June 7, 2007 10:30 AM
Wow, that trailer excited me almost as equally as Emma Watson's acting annoys me!
Yeah, I'm seeing this at midnight. And I'm not ashamed.
Posted by: Diana at June 7, 2007 10:35 AM
Does anyone else remember Inhumanoids????? That seems like it could make some decent sci-fi...maybe. But knowing Hollywood...it'll star Nick Cage and/or the Rock and it'll be all over. Speaking of the Rock...who wants to be he gets cast in Thundercats????
Posted by: PissBoy at June 7, 2007 10:35 AM
Manny
My sentiments exactly., but you put it better.
lol.
Posted by: Jean at June 7, 2007 11:16 AM
Thundercats, HOOO!!!
When my brother was little, he would always say "THs" like "Fs." So I'd always ask him, "Hey, Hoj, what's your favorite show?" "Fundercats." "And who's your favorite character?" "Panfro."
Hahahaha!!
Oh, and I just hope they leave Robotech alone. MAN, I LOVED Robotech! When we would play, I would always be Lisa Hayes and I'd make my sister be Rick Hunter because my brother was too short (I always made him be Max).
Yeah, I was a bossy kid. *sigh*
And a Jem remake? Pure hilarity! Or idiocy. I can't decide which. And Heather Graham is WAY too old to play her. Even Alba's cutting it a little close. Unforch, they'd probably cast one of those detestable teen queens like La Duff or La Lohan. :(
Posted by: Jelinas at June 7, 2007 11:17 AM
In his older age, Arnold Schwarzeneggar might make a pretty amusing Mumm-Ra. I might be willing to see this.
Shouldn't it be "Pajiba! Pajiba! Pajiba! Pajibacats HOOO!" (I forget how many repeats there should be of the name)
Posted by: Brian at June 7, 2007 11:35 AM
Thank you oh so much for the link to the MASK intro - I forgot how fabulously eighties that music was. It made me giddy!
A Thundercats movie is ok, but Jelinas is right - they better tread *verrry* carefully around Robotech. Of course, the original anime companies in Japan have been making OVAs and new series for it for years, so who knows what might happen. Maybe they'd do a live action one over there?
Posted by: pinkcheese at June 7, 2007 11:44 AM
Uh...am I the only one that thought the last Harry Potter was a mess...and a bore?
Posted by: seth at June 7, 2007 11:55 AM
Thundercats??? Oh for the love of...of all the cartoons I watched as a kid (I was a HUGE Voltron fan, even though I was a girl), Thundercats was the only one I absolutely HATED. Even as a small child, I felt it was much, much too lame, and occasionally too gay. I was not trying to watch Lion-O prance around in his little chonas and act like a frightened wimp, even though he was obviously muscular. Hated that he wasn't man enough for Cheetarah. Hated all the green coloring, hated the Thundercats symbol, just sheer HATE.
Now Harry Potter, on the other hand, looks completely awesome, although I wonder if some of the actors are getting tired of playing these roles. Also, is it just me, or is that Daniel Radcliffe getting really hot? If you can find it, look for the two-part video clips on YouTube of Radcliffe and Ricky Gervais in a strange, SNL-like skit. Hilarious.
Posted by: A Marine's Wife at June 7, 2007 11:58 AM
Yeah, Daniel Radcliffe is getting hot and it makes me rather uncomfortable that I agreed with that.
But damn it, my babysitter is leaving the country in July and my kids are too young to take to this movie, so what am I to do!?!?
Posted by: Lainie at June 7, 2007 12:30 PM
"Thundercats was the only one I absolutely HATED."
Gaaaaahhhhhhh .... *gasps, hands-to-head, open-mouthed silent scream -- goes catatonic. Earth splits open under chair, socalled falls in. Fade to black.*
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 12:32 PM
oh my god, Jen, you're so right. my immediate thought was that they can have thundercats, but lay a *finger* on my danger mouse and there will be the proverbial hell to pay.
just thinking about DM sent me into an early morning bout of youtubing. i'm giggling in my cubicle as we speak.
oh, crumbs.
Posted by: masha at June 7, 2007 12:32 PM
thunder-what?
Harry Potter:
W.
O.
W.
Posted by: agent scully at June 7, 2007 12:41 PM
Whoa there Seth, don't blaspheme the Potter. It was great and followed the book perfectly (as always).
As for Jem & the Holograms, THAT would be awesome! I think Jem should be played by Kristen Bell. She could rock it! And now that Veronica Mars is gone, it would give us something to see her in.
Posted by: Lauren at June 7, 2007 12:41 PM
I'm waiting for the Jem movie....
A girl can dream can't she?
Posted by: tsurubride at June 7, 2007 12:43 PM
Hypothetically, one might purchase a Thundercat sticker in one of many fine online emporiums, just Google Thundercat Sticker and you'll get lots of links.
Also, I recently saw a Cheetarah t-shirt at a Spencer's-type store. My birthday is coming up is all I'm sayin'. :)
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 12:44 PM
I love the 'black power' fist Ron gives in the trailer. Ron Weasly... wizard, slob, freedom fighter.
Posted by: ciji at June 7, 2007 12:45 PM
and I just cried a little on the inside (being at work and all) when I saw Bravestarr make the list.
I had *so* forgotten about him, but someone mentioned the horse, and all of sudden, I was time warped back to our one-bedroom apartment, watching cartoons in my pj's, holding onto Swiftwind and fighting w/ my sister for the remote control. Ah, memories.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 12:54 PM
Truthfully, all cartoon discussion aside, I'm breathlessly anticipating a Spike Lee WWII movie. Yeah, WWII is played out in a lot of ways, but with The War coming out this fall (and it being lambasted for minimizing minority contributions to the war effort), I think there might be a renewed interest in diverse aspects of the war.
Posted by: MexicanoWonder at June 7, 2007 12:57 PM
Now I can't get that song out of my head: "Jem is truly outrageous, truly truly truly outrageous!"
Posted by: Lainie at June 7, 2007 1:09 PM
I would love a live action Jem! But Lohan, Duff, and maybe Scarlett Johansen could be the misfits. That would be magical...
Posted by: kitty-kat at June 7, 2007 1:18 PM
Here's my Top 5 list of 80's cartoons that I'd drag my ass to see in a theatre:
Yeah, that Harry Potter trailer does kick ass. It made my stomach all jumbly when I saw it in the theatre. Then I felt like a dork. And I, too, LOVE Ron's black power (wizard power?) fist.
Posted by: Ms. Jen at June 7, 2007 2:18 PM
I'm with you, Masha.
I swear, I feel old--when Belle and Sebastian (the group) first came out I kept getting confused, because I didn't realize they were a musical outfit, but I L-O-V-E-D the cartoon about the little boy whose mom was kidnapped by gypsies and the dog and the pyranees and, well, it was fabulous. But then it became a band. And all the "gen millenials" who listen to that (lame-ASS) name-stealing band don't even know it WAS a cartoon, and...
...and then came Danger Mouse the freaking *band*. I can barely take it.
So word to ind-alt-emo bands casting about for names to gaze at your shoes by, all I'm sayin' is, lay OFF my childhood memories, all right? If you were a zygote when the show was on the air the name is off limits. In fact, the names are off limits to everyone. Find some town in New Mexico to name yourselves after. Or a disease. Or german automobile, whatever. I don't care. But leave the cartoon names the hell alone.
Posted by: Jen at June 7, 2007 2:22 PM
My Top 5 (subject to change when I see what other people list):
1. Thundercats
2. Voltron
3. Silverhawks
4. GI Joe
5. Jem
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 2:24 PM
Oh Jen - I almost spewed green tea all over my monitor. I'm embarrassed to admit how long it took me to figure out that they weren't talking about the show, which I, too, LOVED. Did you ever watch the Seven Cities of Gold? I watched that one and Belle and Sebastian every day on Nickelodeon back when it was cool.
Posted by: pinkcheese at June 7, 2007 2:35 PM
Yes, Pinkcheese! (so glad I was not the only one who went on nostalgic sprees about the Pyranees to unsuspecting and confused indie rockettes).
Watched Seven Cities of Gold. And The Little Prince, I think was the same people.
And I seem to remember one about lion cubs. But that memory is fuzzy.
Nick was the shit back then. Turkey Television... and I have to say, Pinwheel kicked Sesame Streets butt for a while.
Posted by: Jen at June 7, 2007 2:59 PM
Sesame Street is the reason my English is better than our President's.
This thought is brought to you by the letters K, S, and R and by the number 11.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 3:10 PM
my top 5 list of cartoon to film candidates:
1) Inspector Gadget - oh wait, they did that, it sucked.
2) Transform...never mind
3) TMNT
sheisse
You know, on second thought, maybe they just ought to not turn cartoons aimed at kids into big budget live action movies. To paraphrase Heinlein: It's like trying to teach a pig to sing, it wastes time and annoys the pig.
Posted by: Jayne at June 7, 2007 3:28 PM
Stella--
Hah! Nice "sponsorship" on that thought.
But still, loved Pinwheel.
Posted by: Jen at June 7, 2007 3:34 PM
Stella,
I'm glad to see that someone finally gave some love to GI Joe. What's not to like about that show? It was like the A-Team, but animated w/a lot more characters. You have thousands of lasers firing and nobody gets killed - everyone always ejects and parachutes to safety or jumps out of their vehicles before they expload - it's pure genius. Who could not love the safety tip at the end followed by, "Knowing is half the battle, GI Joe!" I still quote that to people when they f-up.
Posted by: Bruised&Spongey at June 7, 2007 3:51 PM
omg, I just saw the google ad above the comment box and it reads, "Get Thundercats Theme Song Tone"
!!!
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 3:55 PM
hell, I'm still bitter that my mom wouldn't let me play with GI Joe's b/c they were considered "boys" toys. I mean, c'mon! GI Joes were so cool, they had shoulder, elboe AND wrist joints, not to mention waist, knee, and if I remember correctly foot joints too.
Dumb ass Barbie had her arms either bent or straight and her stupid ring cut the scratched the shit out of me. Lady Jayne had a fucking CROSSBOW for cryin' out loud! Barbie never had a crossbow.
I was supremely jipped in my childhood, I just want ya'll to know.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 4:02 PM
I see an Afternoon Diversion coming...
I LOVED Thundercats by the way, please Hollywood, don't screw it up!!!
Posted by: Gaby at June 7, 2007 4:03 PM
whoa. too much DP. must learn to spell check.
"cut" or "scratched"... pick one.
apologies all around.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 4:09 PM
The root of my obsession with dark, silent and mysterious men can be traced back to my little girl crush on Snake-Eyes. He was oh so tragic - I mean, what horrible injury did he sustain that made him mute and forced him to wear that mask? I just wanted to give him a hug.
Posted by: pinkcheese at June 7, 2007 4:17 PM
@ Lauren: OMG, a Jem remake w/ Kristen Bell? I could *totally* get behind that. The only problem really is who would do the script and music.
And who'd be The Misfits?
Thundercats....wow I LOVED that show as a kid. My sisters and I would run around the house playing She-Ra and Thundercats. But when I caught it as an adult I realized how crazy bad some of the episodes are.
The Harry Potter trailer looks AMAZING. And for the record, there is no shame in being an adult fan of HP books and/or movies.
So I just checked out the Thundercats ringtone, fully intending to load it to my phone, but it kind of sucks. Not at all what I remember, but it could be my tinny little phone speaker. But I have a reasonably recent razr.
Now the ad shows Thundercats wallpaper, etc. This ad softward is amazing in a scary inside-my-head kind of way. I'm a tech simpleton, but that zeroing in on our discussion makes me think of unpleasant things like "V for Vendetta."
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 4:58 PM
Think they still make She-Ra Halloween costumes?
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 5:00 PM
Socalled... do you think possibly we may be connecting on some cosmic level? Cuz V for Vendetta is *exactly* what came to mind when I saw that ringtone ad.
please please please don't screw up GI Joe. please please please...
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 5:34 PM
Rulo, no!!! They'll just screw it up!!!
Posted by: pinkcheese at June 7, 2007 5:40 PM
Stella, I don't want to sound too paranoid ... but here I go: That film was much more convincing to me than any other similarly themed film or novel, e.g., 1984, as to the pitfalls ahead of us as a nation and a culture. So, yes, if you sit around and ruminate on that kind of invasive over-the-shoulder 24/7 observation, we're on the same wavelength.
Of course, our government is so incompetent, the threat is materializing from a far more efficient source -- for-profit corporate greed.
Now, I need to ask you a question: Hasn't that Celebitrix snowman freaked you out yet? Am I the only one? Maybe I'm hallucinating....
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 5:50 PM
Socalled...
While we may live in a country that allows spying and surveillance on its citizenry, a frightening thought though that may be, I'd like to make two points:
1. My motherland was once an ex-Soviet satellite nation, where surveillance was so pervasive martial law was instated to keep the "peace". So far, that hasn't happened. Yet.
2. They couldn't find Andrew Speaker.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 6:18 PM
did you find the London of Children of Men as earily scary as I did?
While V for Vendetta for me personally spoke to a more history-as-the-future image of London, I found Children of Men much scarier because it looked to me like the present, magnified. The immigrant paranoia, the police state tactics, the propaganda... I get chills just thinking about it.
Posted by: Stella at June 7, 2007 6:23 PM
Stella ... I greatly enjoyed both V for Vendetta and Children of Men, but there was something about V that seemed more imminent and real to me. It seemed like it wasn't sci-fi, and it got inside my head much more than Children did. Odd, because Clive Owen is my favorite actor other than Daniel Craig. Maybe Children was a little more over-the-top and crisis-oriented? V was much more "this is the mundane reality of fascism," at least to me. And I don't mean to diminish Children at all, as the lesson was equally compelling and well-wrought.
Also, not advocating that the internet sensors shouldn't be allowed -- half the conveniences we take for granted nowadays result from someone studying what we want and finding a better, faster way to deliver it.
Now that Patriot Act crap, on the other hand ... at the end of the day, safer and better for a soulless corporation to have the information than a government composed of true believers. At the end of the day, my being free and prosperous is better for the corporation's long-term well-being; the true believers may be just as content with my being dead, if that's the prophecy they're trying to fulfill.
Now look what you did; I've gone and got obnoxious.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 7:23 PM
And at the end of the day, I totally agree with whoever posted the other day that "at the end of the day" is pretty much mined out as a phrase.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 7, 2007 7:25 PM
As far as anything goes, the Harry Potter movies have been great. I agree with Seth, however. Goblet of Fire, did drag at times, but it also left out something very important. Gambon's Dumbledore is just too frantic. He also does not seem to care about Harry as much as he does in the book. Harry's dealing with the emotions of sudden estrangement from Dumbledore. That is a major plot point of OotP.
Posted by: ScarletKnight at June 7, 2007 11:38 PM
I loved Seven Cities of Gold but I barely remember it - it's like that 'The Peanut Butter Cure' for me - feels like a dream. But I'll always remember the live-action scenes at the end, and one in particular about human sacrifice.
That is, as long as Seven Cities of Gold is the cartoon where they fly around in a giant golden eagle? I can't really remember...
Posted by: Ali at June 8, 2007 1:08 AM
I'm just going to laugh when they eventually run out of cartoons to butcher and once again misguidedly attempt to market Street Sharks towards children as a substitute for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was possibly at the same time the worst and most "jawsome" cartoon ever.
And that Harry Potter trailer? It looks to me that this movie might just be a serious contender for Best Potter Movie Ever. The lead is currently being held by Prisoner of Azkaban (which is also my favorite of the books).
It could be worse - they might be considering a live action / CGI version of "Biker Mice from Mars."
And don't TOUCH Dangermouse!
Posted by: The Wanderer at June 8, 2007 6:10 AM
Hi, Pajiba Powers That Be:
Yesterday I left a comment with a little bit of HTML leading to the Thundercats blooper reel Vermillion was talking about. It's just harmless HTML, ok? It must be on your moderation queue, so please approve it. For the lulz.
Posted by: MJ at June 8, 2007 8:22 AM
Love Harry Potter. Die hard fan. Look forward to this one. Loved Cuaron's Azkaban. THE LAST MOVIE BLEW.
Posted by: redbeaniegirl at June 8, 2007 10:51 AM
Ali, that's the one. And surprisingly acurate regarding a lot of the cultural stuff as I found out 15 years later in my Pre Columbian Mezo-American art class. It was pretty trippy having flashbacks to a cartoon while sitting through an upper division Art History class.
Posted by: pinkcheese at June 8, 2007 10:56 AM
Lauren-
Kudos on the Kristen Bell idea for Jem. Here are the Misfits:
Rachel Leigh Cook (wasn't she one of the Pussycats in Josie and the pussycats)
Hillary Duff ('cause someone told her at some point in her life that she could carry a tune)
And, here we go....the shocker of all shockers:
Emma Roberts (whaaaaa!!!! Go nuts now...)
I'd sooo watch that....
Posted by: Helcat at June 8, 2007 12:10 PM
Socalled,
I'm intrigued you found Children more over the top than V. I found the opposite to be true. In Children the realistic way that the special effects were rendered seemed much more realistic, in fact, I commented to my husband that that must be what living in a war zone must be like. Think of any locations worldwide where terrorism is a local issue (not some far-removed tv blip) and I marvel that people are capable of going about their daily lives at all.
V, on the other hand, showed a (maybe this is too strong a word)caricature of Big Brother. Given the graphic novel background of the characters, that's probably why; but it still felt less real to me compared to Children.
Your thoughts?
Posted by: Stella at June 8, 2007 12:14 PM
Stella -
Hard to say why, but I do perceive Children as more of a "crisis/war" film with an active and powerful resistance in progress, and V makes me shudder because of the way the populace has generally just accepted the situation. But it's early yet, and so many things go into how we feel about films, e.g., the mood you were in the first time you saw it, how the others around you felt about it, circumstances of repeated viewings . . . .
V has been around a bit longer, and I've frequently watched bits and pieces of it during bouts of insomnia; V has become a bit of friend. Familiarity is an important part of how I feel about a film, and V may just have an advantage right now that will even out -- I've only seen Children once. "Croupier" went from being a solidly enjoyable film to a favorite after repeated viewings, and Clive may yet make Children one of my favorites. I haven't seen it enough times yet. (But I will.)
Plus, I have a real soft spot for Stephen Rea and have nearly reached the point where I loathe Julianne Moore. It's a "totality of the circumstances" thing.
By way of comparison, I had such a love of "Short Cuts" that I initially felt "Magnolia" was pretty weak coffee. But after numerous viewings of "Magnolia," and despite the presence of Julianne Moore, I probably like "Magnolia" more than "Short Cuts" now. Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly will do that to a fella. "American History X" is, in my opinion, a better and more powerful film than "The Believer," but AHX is just too hard to watch repeatedly and, therefore, too hard to love. But I have a real soft spot for "The Believer."
Jesus, I love talking about this shit.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 8, 2007 6:27 PM
STELLLLLLAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! (been wanting to do that.)
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at June 8, 2007 7:48 PM
ha! that never gets old.
Really.
:)
I will have to watch V again a few times... I've only seen it once and Children is perhaps fresher in my mind.
I agree completely with your feelings AHX vs The Believer. I firmly believe that that was Ed Norton's best movie, but god it is so hard to watch.
Posted by: Stella at June 11, 2007 9:14 AM
This just in:
The Thundercats movie will not be live action, or traditional hand drawn animation, but CGI......
Holy moly, I love Thundercats.
I remember being very small and realizing that Dr. Huxtable's dad was Panthro. I also remember going into a laughing fit when my boyfriend's tallywacker had tissue paper stuck to it and I told him his dick looked like Mumm-Ra.
The 4 horsemen will come for me, though, if Voltron is ever optioned. Nooooo!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Amanda at June 17, 2007 5:59 PM
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WOWOWOOWOW that was the most incredible trailer for Harry Potter.... I honestly got chills.
Thanks for sharing