Rumor no longer, as Ron Fortier pointed out in his comments to the post below. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that director Sam Raimi will be involved with a new movie version of The Shadow, though, at the moment, not as a director.
Raimi reportedly has great affection for the character. That's good. I don't really feel the crew behind the 1994 Shadow movie felt the same way.
That version, contrary to popular opinion, did not produce total suckage. While many pulp purists took issue with the melding of the radio and pulp version of the character, I wasn't bothered. Let's face it: far more people know The Shadow as the crimefighter who can cloud men's minds and become invisible. Just like more people know the "Me Tarzan, you Jane" version of Burroughs's ape man, rather than the educated, erudite adventurer from the novels.
My problem with the 1994 film was the ridiculous drug warlord backstory for Lamont Cranston. And the stupid animated knife with a face.
Okay. And Alec Bladwin's laugh wasn't so hot.
There have been hints that this Raimi deal might include a new version of Doc Savage. That, too, would make me happy. When my wife and I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at a sneak preview back in 1981, I turned to her and said, "That's what the Doc Savage movie should have been." Non-stop action and spectacular escapes. That's the Doc for me.
While George Pal's 1975 Doc flick was destroyed by its campy take on The Man of Bronze, some moments from the pulps shine through, like Doc's chase of the Mayan assassin and the slide down the elevator cables, and the dinner attack on the yacht. Teasing glimpses of the Doc movie that could be.
At least having a fan of the original heroes at the helm is a step in the right direction.
2 comments:
Hope springs eternal, Mark. We can only keep our fingers crossed that
Raimi will give us a real 30s New York against which to set his dark, mysterious crime-fighter.
One has to believe it could either be a big winner, or suck to high heaven. We shall see.
I hope it's good. I always plan for disappointment That way,if it doesn't suck, it's a nice surprise.
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